Arravale Rovers retain senior status but Rockwell Rovers go down after Tipperary football championship relegation final

Arravale Rovers 1-10 Rockwell Rovers 0-10

Arravale Rovers have retained their senior status but Rockwell Rovers, winners of the Tom Cusack Cup in 2021 and 2022, will be playing intermediate football next year, following Saturday’s County Senior Football Championship relegation final at Dundrum.

Mikey O’Dwyer’s punched goal three minutes into the second half was the crucial score in this battle of the Rovers, as it separated the sides at the conclusion of a fine, open game played on an unseasonably warm afternoon.

Arravale were ahead by 0-7 to 0-3 at the interval, and after Rockwell captain Alan Moloney kicked a point from a mark within a minute of the restart, Arravale grabbed the all-important score when O’Dwyer diverted Eoin Doocey’s delivery to the net.

The goal put the Tipperary Town team ahead by six points (1-7 to 0-4) but any notion that they were on course for an easy win was soon dispelled, as Rockwell hit six unanswered points during a purple patch to draw level and reopen the debate.

Those half a dozen scores came in the space of 14 minutes and the spree was started by Joseph Lawrence, with Alan Moloney adding another a couple of minutes later. When Eoin Byrne found the target in the 40th minute Rockwell were really on a roll, and Arravale suffered another blow a couple of minutes later when Niall Fitzgerald received a black card.

The Rockwell revival continued when Eoin Byrne and Aidan Barron scored before their talisman Alan Moloney fired over the equaliser with ten minutes of normal time remaining.

It was anyone’s game at that stage, but Arravale proved the stronger down the home stretch. Donough Leahy restored their lead just before Niall Fitzgerald returned from his ten minutes of inactivity to replenish their forces. With five minutes remaining Eoin Doocey nudged them two ahead and then Donough Leahy fisted the ball over the bar on a breakaway to complete the scoring.

Donough Leahy’s experience was key for Arravale, as well as the four points that he scored.  They also had good performances from Mikey O’Dwyer, Cormac Maher, Eoin Doocey, Cian Ryan, captain, Tommy Lowry and substitute Shane Leahy.

It will be scant consolation for Rockwell that they made a rich contribution to an entertaining tussle. The displays of Alan Moloney, Liam Fahey, Eoin Byrne, Luca Fitzgerald and Tom Downey all enhanced a closely-fought contest, but they will regret their failure to push on when they equalised in the final quarter.

The New Inn team were also very slow out of the starting blocks, as scores from Cormac Maher (from a free), Niall Sharpe and Donough Leahy had Arravale 0-3 to no score ahead by the eighth minute.

Rockwell had a great chance to draw level but Alan Moloney slipped when taking an eleventh minute penalty, awarded after he himself had been hauled down, although the ball flew over the bar.

They scored again through Eoin Byrne, but Arravale took control with points from Mikey O’Dwyer, Cian Ryan and Donough Leahy that had them in front by 0-6 to 0-2 after 23 minutes.

Alan Moloney (free) and Eoin Doocey swapped scores in the final action of the opening half.        

Arravale Rovers: Darren Heuston, Tommy Lowry (captain), Darren Lowry, Raymond Kelly, Cian Ryan (0-1), Niall Fitzgerald, Eoin Doocey (0-2), Matthew Moroney, Johnny Ryan, Niall Sharpe (0-1), Donough Leahy (0-4), Micheál Lowry, Caleb Hickey, Mikey O’Dwyer (1-1), Cormac Maher (0-1 free).

Substitutes: Shane Leahy for Cormac Maher, Tony Byrnes for Micheál Lowry, Jack Lowry for Darren Lowry, James Hogan for Niall Sharpe, Micheál Lowry for Cian Ryan, Paddy Dalton for Caleb Hickey.

Rockwell Rovers: Eoghan Doyle, Paul Halley, Robert O’Donnell, Liam Lonergan, Luca Fizgerald, Liam Fahey, Jack O’Kelly, Eoin Shine, Tom Tobin, Tom Downey, Alan Moloney (0-5, 1 penalty, 1 free, 1 mark), Eoin Byrne (0-3), Joseph Lawrence (0-1), TJ Ryan, Aidan Barron (0-1).

Substitutes: Pat Halley for TJ Ryan, Peter Heaney for Jack O’Kelly, Willie Flynn for Aidan Barron, Kieran McGovern for Pat Halley.

Referee: David Grogan (Aherlow).