Millmore take honours in see-saw encounter

Millmore Gaels 3-7, Tyrrellspass 3-4

Millmore Gaels, the combination of Milltown and Ballymore, took the Division 3 Féile football honours in TEG Cusack Park on Sunday morning last after an enthralling battle with Tyrrellspass that went right down to the wire.

The physically more powerful side just got the scores they needed at the right time but a never-say-die Tidy Town side made them work to the final whistle at headquarters and all in attendance were thoroughly entertained by a game played with great skill and in the right spirit from start to finish.

The first half was really a game of two quarters, with Millmore getting off to the proverbial flyer and points from Harry Hughes (2), Tristan Duncan and a super goal from Adam Reynolds in the opening 10 minutes.

They pinned Tyrrellspass back constantly but an injury to the influential Hughes stymied them and Tyrrellspass came roaring back with a wonderful point from James Tierney, a free from Conor Murphy and a superb goal from Gavin Wyer.

All of that meant that, at the break, there was just a point in it with Millmore leading by 1-3 to 1-2.

Tyrrellspass continued that momentum on the restart and now playing into the stiff breeze, they went ahead when Wyer netted a second major with an excellent finish.

Following that, Tierney added a point to open a three-point advantage, but Harry Hughes came back on for Millmore shortly afterwards and momentum swung again when he passed to Tristan Duncan who was fouled for a penalty: up stepped Hughes and slotted the ball expertly to the net.

Charlie McGauran and Hughes added two points in thirty seconds as Tyrrellspass struggled to clear their lines and goalie Jack Arthur came to their rescue with a wonderful save, but Duncan pointed from the following phase.

As the pressure mounted, a free from Charlie McGauran went all the way to the net and suddenly six points divided the teams.

Tyrrellspass rallied, however. Conor Murphy pulled a point back from long-range and then with a minute of normal time to go James Tierney scored a sublime goal lobbing the keeper and just two points now separated the sides.

Tyrrellspass pressed hard for the equaliser or even the winner, but it left them exposed at the back and Harry Hughes calmed Millmore nerves with the final score of the game and his personal tally of 1-4 to see the combination side through with three points to spare.

Afterwards, Millmore captain Louie Dillon accepted the plaque from Coiste na nÓg Chairman Barry Kelly.

Scorers - Millmore Gaels: Harry Hughes 1-4, Charlie McGauran 1-1, Adam Reynolds 1-0 and Tristan Duncan 0-2. Tyrrellspass: Gavin Wyer 2-0, James Tierney 1-2, Conor Murphy 0-2 (1 free).

Millmore Gaels: Nick Finerty, Jack McDonald, Luke McCormack, Shane Ahern, Robbie Byrne, Sean Lynn, Peter Young, Liam Mahon, Max McGauran, Charlie McGauran, Louie Dillon, Callum Maloney, Tristan Duncan, Sam Byrne, Cathal Mulvey, Cathal Donoghue, Ollie Byrne, Niall Gaughan, Harry Hughes, Matthew Kiernan, Liam Gill, Ben Whyte, Kyle Creagh Dillon, Joe Maguire and Adam Reynolds.

Tyrrellspass: Jack Arthur, Adam Gavigan, Evan Dunbar, Sean Daly, Evan O’Brien, Cillian Clarke, Oran Cunniffe, Luke Murphy, Conor Murphy, Cillian Daly, James Tierney, Ross Maxwell, TJ Donoghue, Gavin Wyer, Michael Connor, Daniel Robinson, Alfie Rock, William Casey and Matthew Maloney.

Referee: Conor Duignan (Garrycastle).