In form Tyrrellspass too good for Rosemount

Tyrrellspass 1-12 Rosemount 1-8

By Paul Doolin

The second game of the Westmeath SFC double bill in Rochfortbridge on Sunday afternoon saw recently crowned Division 2 league champions Tyrrellspass continue their good vein of form with this rather easy win against a very much out of sorts Rosemount.

Make no mistake, a four-point win flatters the losers as they only began to compete far too late to make any impression. In truth, though their never say die spirit kept them going at times and they battled to the final whistle at no stage did Tyrrellspass look to be in trouble and came through this test virtually unscathed.

It was the clinical nature of the Tidy Town outfit that saw them through here and with county stars Jamie Gonoud, Nigel Harte and especially Ger Egan to the fore they kept Rosemount at arm’s distance throughout. They picked off vital scores at vital times to cruise home worthy victors.

Rosemount started well and opened the scoring in the first minute when impressive young forward David O’Reilly converted a mark but after some poor wides from both teams, Ger Egan levelled from a free. Andy McCormack restored the Roses’ advantage with a fisted point from a move he started and finished, but it would be their last score for 20 minutes as Tyrrellspass began to get a foothold.

Tommy Ryan finished a flowing team move with a super score and Egan added two placed balls before the evergreen Denis Glennon completed four points in a row after a very patient passage of possession football.

Sean Pettit narrowed the gap with a free at the opposite end after a goalmouth scramble when no one knew how the ball did not enter the net. Kieran Geraghty finished the scoring in the first half to see the Sky Blues lead by double scores, 0-6 to 0-3, at the short whistle.

Egan extended that advantage on the resumption with another free, but Declan Mullen kept the Roses in touch with a white flag, after a well-constructed move, at the opposite end.

However, Tyrrellspass then shifted up a gear or two. Another Egan free was followed by his first from play. Evan Connell then put six between the sides with a wonderful solo effort that split the uprights.

On 39 minutes, the game looked to have been settled when Kieran Geraghty netted a brilliant goal from a move that started on his own team’s 14-yard line.

In true defiant style, though, Rosemount took up the challenge at last. Two Pettit frees were converted before the same player was hauled down and from the resultant penalty, he stepped up again to bring the deficit back to four with a superb conversion.

Although there was little time on the clock, we expected a late rally from Rosemount but in their eagerness, they looked exposed at the back and Nigel Harte settled Tyrrellspass nerves with a howitzer from almost another parish.

Declan Mullen almost netted for Rosemount but his shot went over rather than under the bar, before Egan went straight down the field and negated that with a routine conversion.

In added time, Petit converted a free to finish the scoring when a goal was needed, bringing the game to a conclusion with Tyrrellspass worthy winners and leaving Rosemount looking to bounce back.

Man of the match: Ger Egan stands out for his contribution here and just gets the nod ahead of Kieran Geraghty, Gonoud and Harte

Scorers - Tyrrellspass: G Egan 0-7 (5f), K Geraghty 1-1, N Harte, D Glennon, T Ryan and E Connell 0-1 each. Rosemount: S Pettit 1-4 (1-0pen, 0-4f), D Mullen 0-2, A McCormack and D O’Reilly (mark) 0-1 each.

Tyrrellspass: Tyrrellspass: James Quinn; Stephen Quinn, Cormac Monaghan, Jamie Corcoran; Val Sizychas, Jamie Gonoud, Nigel Harte; Denis Glennon, David Lynam; Kieran Geraghty, Aaron O’Brien, Ger Egan; Tommy Ryan, Dean McNicholas, Evan Connell. Subs used: Cathal Dunne for McNicholas, 45 mins; Peter Pierson for Ryan, 50 mins; Kai Harte for S Quinn, 50 mins; Eoin McIntyre for Geraghty, 58 mins.

Rosemount: Peter Elliffe; Ben O’Brien, Damien Carroll, Padraig Nestor; Patrick Boland, Plunkett Maxwell, Andy McCormack; Declan Mullen, Enda Boland; David ‘DD’ McCormack, Cillian Lawlor, Luke Kelly; David O’Reilly, Sean Pettit, Eamonn Boland. Subs used: Cathal Daly for Kelly, H-T; David ‘Dude’ McCormack for Lawlor, 36 mins; Theo Watts for Maxwell, 54 mins; Jack Slevin for P Boland, 58 mins.

Referee: Barry Pierce.

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