Athy denied by Tullow in high scoring thriller
Athy's Lochlann Kelleher spectacularly wins possession from this line ball for Athy
Last season's Towns Cup winners suffered defeat in their first league game of the season after a high scoring defeat away to Tullow in a repeat of last season's Towns Cup Semi-Final. Athy were chasing the game from the off and when they went ahead, they struggled to keep their lead. They will rue several missed conversions from captain Craig Miller which came back to haunt them.
Tullow went ahead after six minutes. An Athy penalty was cleared up the pitch, and from the ensuing lineout they knocked the ball on leading to a Tullow scrum. They won the scrum and kicked up the pitch. Last season’s Towns Cup winners got the ball but they were in touch. Ezrah Vai threw into the lineout and the ever reliable Stephen Smyth took it and found a gap to the right and went over.
Adam Johnson added the conversion. Ten minutes later, a Craig Miller penalty for Athy was punted up the pitch and the lineout on the left was won and recycled out to the right where they found a gap and the ball was passed into Aidan Henry who went over. Miller missed the ensuing conversion. With 24 minutes gone, Athy took the lead thanks to a Miller penalty in front of the posts.
A minute later, they extended their lead. Immediately from the restart, David Downey broke through the middle, and 1 on 1 passed to his right and after a couple more passes, it was played into Culann Carbery who went in to the left of the posts. Miller added the extras to give the visitors an eight point lead. Just after the half hour mark, Johnson reduced it to a five point game with a penalty right in front of the posts.
Right on the stroke of half-time, Johnson added another penalty, this time from 40m out to reduce the deficit to just two points. In stoppage time, Athy retook the lead as the ball was recycled into Henry on the left who went over in the corner with Miller missing the conversion, leaving the visitors ahead at half-time.
Tullow wasted no time after the break in getting back into the game and within five minutes they were level again. A lineout a minute in from the left was won and recycled to the right and back into the middle. Athy stole the ball but Tullow won it back and knocked on.
Athy won the scrum 10m out from the Tullow line but Tullow won a penalty from it and chose to kick for the corner on the right hand side. The lineout was mauled towards the line and eventually was bundled over by Vai. Johnson converted.
Just shy of the hour mark, Tullow went back ahead. A penalty for Athy on the Tullow end line was hit straight to Fiach Kavanagh. The oldest member of the Tullow side, Joe Waters got the ball and charged forward, played the ball back to Kavanagh who was taken out by Downey and won a penalty. The penalty was kicked into the corner where Vai threw into the lineout which was mauled towards the line where Stephen Smyth was just short and it was powered over by Dan Culleton to the left of the posts. Johnson couldn’t add the extra two points.
With 15 minutes left in the game, Tadgh Foley powered over under the posts as Athy retook the lead with Miller adding the conversion. Immediately from the restart, Tullow scored as Jack Hanlon went over to the right of the posts. Jack Johnson found himself in the bin for Tullow with eight minutes to go, and Athy took advantage of the extra man with Kyle Stacey going over under the posts. Miller added the conversion to give the Kildare side a two point lead going into the final ten minutes.
With three minutes to go, a quick penalty from Stephen Smyth was pushed over by Culleton with Johnson adding the conversion. Athy thought they had the game won with the final play of the game as they went over in the left hand corner only for the referee to adjudge a forward pass, and Tullow’s dismay turned to elation and Athy were left disappointed.
Adam Johnson, Jack Hanlon, Dara Cosgrave, Paul Canavan, Jack Johnson, Ryan Curran, Ryan O’Neill; Scott Caldbeck, Dan Culleton, Tom Cashen, Joe Waters, Tom Hughes, Ezrah Vai, Cathal Gorman, Stephen Smyth. Subs: Ben Butler, Fiach Kavanagh, Thomas FitzGerald, Cian Leonard, Jay Leonard.
Culann Carbery, Daniel Henry, David Downey, Aidan Henry, Cathal Fennessey, Craig Miller, Eoin Farrell; Karol Donohoe, Matthew Henry, Conan Dunne, Kevin Downey, Lochlann Kavanagh, Aaron Rownan, Jack Henry, Tadgh Foley. Subs: Teodor Ciobanu, Ruairi Scully, Kyle Stacey, Josh Miller, Tom Sheedy.
