AIB Leinster Club SFC: Cuala edge Tullamore

AIB Leinster Club SFC Semi-Final

Cuala 1-10 Tullamore 0-10

At Parnell Park by Paul Keane

Peter Duffy scored the goal that separated the sides at Parnell Park to send Cuala into their first AIB Leinster club SFC final.

But it was more about how first-time Dublin champions Cuala ended this entertaining encounter by scoring five points between the 43rd and 52nd minutes to secure last place.

Under challenging conditions, Austin O’Malley managed to dig deep to progress to next Saturday’s final against Louth’s Ardee St Mary’s in nearby Croke Park.

Duffy, who played in Dublin earlier this year, finished the match 1-1, while county star Con O’Callaghan also came to the fore with an important four points.

Cuala showed all his class as they beat Naas in the quarter-final, but it was more about his Dalkey side showing character as they moved within 60 minutes of a landmark provincial title win.

They will be strong favorites again against the Louth champions next Saturday as the club’s hurlers, along with some of the current dual players, look to replicate what they did in both 2016 and 2017 when they won the Leinster titles.

Tullamore gave everything they had and pressed hard to score in the closing moments, launching the ball into Cuala’s danger area which Cuala defender Eoghan O’Callaghan caught and cleared; This was the final act of an entertaining encounter.

Tullamore broke something of a glass ceiling by beating Wicklow’s Tinahely in the quarter-final; It was their first win in Leinster since 1977.

Tullamore couldn’t say they didn’t have enough opportunities in the county as they are 30-time Offaly champions and have won three of the last four county titles.

The hope at Tullamore was that with that important monkey off their back they could finally play freely and stretch their legs in Leinster.

But the conditions made an open, free-flowing encounter with a stiff wind and slippery grass no real challenge.

Cuala entered the interval with a 1-3 to 0-3 advantage, but only a 1-3 lead was recorded in the game between the two teams as the wind played havoc with the batsmen.

Midfielder Duffy grabbed Cuala’s goal in the 10th minute when he pulled in from close range after a goalmouth challenge was delicately broken up.

David O’Dowd initially played the ball down the left and when the highly experienced Luke Keating failed to control the ball was released for Duffy to convert.

Cuala was content to pull 15 players behind the ball when Tullamore was attacking.

County star and 2021 All-Ireland U-20 winner Cormac Egan was Tullamore’s most dangerous forward, picking up first-half points for late additions to the squad, Niall Furlong and Michael Brazil.

However, it was not a surprise that Con O’Callaghan was the top scorer of the match.

The multiple All-Ireland winner with Dublin scored three points in Cuala’s quarter-final win over Naas and matched the shot just before half-time, scoring points off both his left and right foot.

Tullamore enjoyed their best period in the third quarter, briefly leading by 1-4 to 0-7 after a series of converted free kicks from Plunkett.

But just as Tullamore began to dream of another landmark win, Cuala turned on the afterburners and reversed the momentum by scoring five consecutive points.

O’Callaghan’s, Con and Niall started the blitz with back-to-back scores before Keating, Dublin defender Michael Fitzsimons and Duffy cleared the post.

Suddenly Cuala went 1-9 up to 0-7 and in a low-scoring match it was a decisive blowout.

The best Tullamore could achieve in the closing minutes was to reduce the gap to a goal as the South Dubliners held out.

Cuala’s goalscorers: Peter Duffy 1-1, Con O’Callaghan 0-4 (1f), Cillian Dunne 0-1, Niall O’Callaghan 0-1, Luke Keating 0-1, Michael Fitzsimons 0-1, Charlie McMorrow 0-1.

Tullamore’s goalscorers: Harry Plunkett 0-6 (5fs), Niall Furlong 0-1, Michael Brazil 0-1 (f), Nigel Bracken 0-1, John Furlong 0-1.

cuala: Ryan Scollard; Eoghan O’Callaghan, Charlie McMorrow, Danny Conroy; David O’Dowd, Michael Fitzsimons, Eoin Kennedy; Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne, Peter Duffy; Niall O’Callaghan, Cal Doran, Cillian Dunne; Luke Keating, Con O’Callaghan, Conor O’Brien.

Subscriptions: Cathal O Giollain for Dunne 43, Conor Groarke for O’Brien 43, Michael Conroy for Kennedy 50, Shane Mangan for O’Dowd 57, James Power for Doran 59.

tullamore: Corey White; Paul McConway, John Furlong, Daire McDaid; Nigel Bracken, Oisin Keenan-Martin, Declan Hogan; Cillian Bourke, Arron Hensey; Michael Brazil, Diarmuid Egan, Niall Furlong; Harry Plunkett, Cormac Egan, Dan Fox.

Subscriptions😀 Luke Egan for Fox h/t, Aaron Leavy for Hensey 39, Ciaran Burns for McConway 43, Mike Fox for Niall Furlong 52.

Judge: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).