Aherlow and Grangemockler must meet again in Tipperary Intermediate Football Championship final

Aherlow 0-13 Grangemockler/Ballyneale 1-10

Aherlow and Grangemockler/Ballyneale packed more drama into sixty-plus minutes of football at a sunny Ardfinnan on Sunday than in most club games in the county this season. In the end the teams couldn’t be separated in their FBD Insurance County Intermediate Football Championship final and will have to meet again at the same venue on Saturday week, November 4, to decide the destination of the cup, and the added bonus of a return to senior ranks.

Switched from FBD Semple Stadium to the compact Ardfinnan venue late in the week, the game generated a tremendous atmosphere and was still in the balance until the fifth minute of injury time.

It featured black, yellow and red cards, a converted penalty and a missed penalty, two displays of immaculate free-taking and in the end missed frees for each side that could have produced a winner. It may not have done much for the blood pressure of the mentors, but both sets of supporters will relish a replay between two hugely committed sides – especially when there appears to be an element of needle between them.

Referee Sean Everard was kept busy – he issued black cards to Aherlow’s Jack O’Halloran and Grangemockler’s Joey Lyons in the space of thirty seconds, with a second infringement later earning Lyons a red; a yellow card to Grangemockler captain Mark O’Meara; a black to Aherlow’s Diarmuid Looby; and a second yellow and a red card to Aherlow’s Mark Hanley in the closing stages.

But the game will be more properly remembered for two outstanding displays of kicking from the respective full forwards, Grangemockler’s Mickie Lyons and Aherlow’s Barry Grogan. Lyons scored 1-8 - from a penalty, four points from play, three frees and a mark. The only blots on his report card were another missed penalty and an off-target late free that might have won the game for the south Tipp side.

Barry Grogan’s eight points were all from frees, many from distance with his preferred right foot, and a superb score from the right side with his left. They often kept Aherlow in contention when Grangemockler looked like pulling away. Like Lyons, he too missed a late chance to seal victory with his last free in the fifth minute of added time not having the legs.

Aherlow started stronger, with Grogan pointing a free in the first minute after he had been fouled himself, and Ben Carey putting them two ahead a minute later after a fine move. However, Grangemockler responded in style and by the twelfth minute had turned a two- points deficit into a two- points lead.

Mikie Lyons opened their account with a point in their first attack in the third minute, and then was wide from both a free and play before Ben Comerford tied up the score with an assist from the busy Manus McFadden. Mikie Lyons won possession from the kickout and put his side ahead for the first time and Sean O’Meara doubled the lead.

Then the first element of tension entered the game, when Aherlow’s Jack O’Halloran got a black card for a pullback on McFadden. But Grangemockler didn’t have long to enjoy the extra man as in the next move, Joey Lyons was shown a black card as well.

A foul on Mark Russell allowed Barry Grogan to narrow the gap to a single point from a free and by the 18th minute the sides were level again when Laurence Coskeran set up Tadhg Carew for the equaliser. The game swung Grangemockler’s way again when Mikie Lyons from a mark, and then from a free, in the space of sixty seconds, edged them two ahead again.

However, the final minutes of the half belonged to Aherlow as they hit three points without reply to lead 0-7 to 0-6 at the break. Grogan pointed a free following a foul on Cathal Dillon; Mark Russell followed up with a point from distance; and another Grogan free put them ahead at the break.

Just before that, Joey Lyons’ second infringement of the game saw him sent off for a foul on Jack O’Halloran that reduced Grangemockler to fourteen players for all the second half.

And that led to a momentum-swing in the early stages of the second period. A Grogan free in the third minute extended the lead, and even though Mikie Lyons had Grangemockler’s first of the half in the sixth minute, Aherlow replied with two monster frees from Barry Grogan for a 0-10 to 0-7 lead that had their supporters in full voice.

Mikie Lyons from a free and Aherlow substitute Liam Carew exchanged points before the tide swung back again in Grangemockler’s direction. Mikie Lyons pointed a free following a foul on Manus McFadden that earned Aherlow’s Diarmuid Looby a black card, and then Lyons calmly converted a penalty following a foul in the square on half time substitute John Lyons, who was a constant threat upfront.

The goal put the south men one point ahead, 1-9 to 0-11, but they soon rediscovered that fouling anywhere within kicking distance for Barry Grogan was going to be costly. All Grogan’s earlier kicks had been converted with the right foot; this time it was on the right, standside, but it made no difference as he curled over a delightful score off his left foot.

The tie was now in the melting pot with just six minutes of normal time left. Aherlow sub Micheál Elligott put his side ahead again from a Mark Russell delivery, but Mikie Lyons tied the scores from a free after he had been fouled himself, to leave it 1-10 to 0-13.

And despite all that happened in the last three minutes of normal time, and nearly five minutes of injury time, that, somewhat remarkably, remained the final score.

A misdirected kickout from Aherlow goalkeeper Jack Whelton put enormous pressure on his defence and it took a last-ditch intervention from Mark Hanley to prevent a goal – an infringement that saw Hanley depart on a second yellow, with referee Everard also pointing to the spot for Grangemockler’s second penalty of the game.

It looked to be curtains for Aherlow, but Whelton atoned for his error with a brilliant save from Mikie Lyons’ spot kick, and the ball was cleared. But with the clock ticking into added time, Grangemockler had two further opportunities to win the game. First Manus McFadden was short from a 45, and then Mikie Lyons sent a free wide in the 33rd minute following another foul on John Lyons.

Surely there could be no more drama before Sean Everard blew the final whistle! But there was. A quick Aherlow attack saw Darragh O’Brien pass to Mark Russell, who was fouled within shooting distance for Grogan. With nearly five minutes of added time played, it had to be the final chance. But for once Grogan’s radar was off, the ball tailed left and a last-gasp punched effort goalwards was off target.

Both teams had dodged a bullet in the closing stages and a draw was definitely the right result to a pulsating encounter. The huge prize of a return to senior status didn’t allow for pretty football, and ensured it was a cagey affair, but no less compelling.

Grangemockler were desperate to win after losing two of the last three intermediate finals, and while they nearly did it this time, they also nearly failed again. Aherlow were bidding to get back to the top table following a year’s absence and they endured similar sentiments on the day to their south rivals. It sets it up nicely for the replay.

Aherlow: Jack Whelton, Mark Hanley, Sean Mullins, Darragh O’Brien, Tadhg Carew 0-1; Diarmuid Looby, Laurence Coskeran, Mark Russell 0-1; Raymond Hennessy, Ben Carey 0-1; Cathal Dillon, Jack O’Halloran, Gary Quirke, Barry Grogan 0-8 frees; Stephen Carey.

Subs: Liam Carew 0-1 for Gary Quirke, Micheál Elligott 0-1 for Cathal Dillon, Ed O’Meara for Stephen Carey, Thomas Hanley for Ben Carey.

Grangemockler/Ballyneale: David Power, Dara Lambe, Sean Daly, Dara Shelly, Conor Hahessy, Leon Kennedy, Manus McFadden, Joe Lyons, Michael Meaney, Paudie O’Shea, Mark O’Meara, Sean O’Meara 0-1; Alex Millea, Mickie Lyons 1-8, 1-0 penalty, 0-3 frees, 0-1 mark; Ben Comerford 0-1.

Subs: John Lyons for Alex Millea, Tom Dineen for Paudie O’Shea, Thomas Regan for Conor Hahessy.

Referee: Sean Everard (Moyne/Templetuohy).