Tullamore win first Leinster Club SFC game in almost 50 years with victory over Tinahely
Mike Fox of Tullamore celebrates after scoring the second goal against Tinahely.
A weight off. That was a relieved Tullamore manager Niall Stack's assessment of the club's first win in the Leinster club SFC in almost 50 years.
Not since 1977 had Tullamore won a game outside of Offaly despite possessing 30 county titles and being presented with plenty of opportunities.
This current group had slipped up against Naas, in 2021, and Summerhill of Meath last year and must have worried about the worst defeat of the lot materialising in Aughrim.
They trailed the Wicklow champions by a point with 45 minutes on the clock and looked in danger of going the same way as Portarlington who were shocked by Tinahely the previous weekend.
But on a heavy November sod, Tullamore's conditioning, strong bench and overall quality ultimately came to the fore as they outscored the hosts by 1-5 to 0-1 in the run in.
Substitute Mike Fox, whose twin brother Dan had earlier netted for Tullamore, struck their crucial second goal in stoppage time, allowing Stack and supporters to finally breathe out.
Their reward is a semi-final clash with Cuala under lights at Parnell Park (7.15pm) on Saturday, November 23.
"It has been a monkey on our back," said Stack of Tullamore's record of just one win from nine provincial outings before arriving in Aughrim.Â
"It has been something that's been thrown at us as a club. As a club member, as a club supporter and now as part of management, it is something that weighed heavily, as well as not being able to do back-to-back within the county.
"This group of players are exceptional in terms of as a club we've only got five leagues and they've notched up four of them. As a club we've also gone back-to-back for the first time in 96 or 98 years and now we've got a win in Leinster for the first time since 1977.
"So there's nothing these lads can't do. There's no pressure on them, other than what they put on themselves."
Stack said he deliberately didn't watch Cuala's win over Naas on Saturday evening, to keep his mind clear and focused on the job in hand. He said the players were warned to avoid it too.
But there will be a tunnel vision now on the Dalkey side who hit a high standard when dispatching Naas.
"I think any team that is capable of beating Kilmacud Crokes, as Cuala did, takes on their mantle," said Stack. "I think they're now the ones to be knocked."
Tullamore led 1-4 to 0-5 at half-time but struck six wides and wasted a couple of goal chances. Tinahely's two key forwards, Eoin Darcy and Matthew Ging, were also well in the game with four points between them.
Tinahely, Wicklow champions for the first time since 1984 and fresh off the Portarlington upset, took the lead when Darcy got free after a counter-attack to play in Rory Stakes for a palmed 39th minute goal.
They were still ahead at the three-quarter mark, 1-6 to 1-5, but were powerless to prevent that late Tullamore onslaught with Leaving Cert student Cillian Bourke among the point scorers. Tinahely lost Paddy O'Rourke to a second booking moments before full-time.
H Plunkett (0-5, 3 frees); D Fox (1-1); M Fox (1-0); J Furlong (0-2, 2 frees); M Brazil, C Bourke (0-1 each).
E Darcy (0-4, 2 frees, 1 mark); R Stokes (1-0); M Ging, E Byrne, T Kelly (0-1 each).
C White; D McDaid, P McConway, D Hogan; N Bracken, J Furlong, O Keenan-Martin; A Leavy, A Hensey; C Egan, M Brazil, C Bourke; D Egan, D Fox, H Plunkett.
L Egan for Leavy (h/t); N Furlong for D Egan & M Fox for D Fox (51).
A Nolan; K Mulhall, B Hickey, M Byrne; J Hedderman, N Mulhall, C McDonald; E Byrne, D Hedderman; P O'Rourke, E Darcy, L Kinsella; M Ging, R Stokes, J Cush.
T Kelly for Cush (48); S Hogan for Kinsella (51); B Walsh for J Hedderman (54); C Keating for Hickey (60).
A Coyne (Westmeath).
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