Rathangan seal semi in super second half
Rathangan's Rian Teahan collides with Neil Scanlon of Round Towers. Photo: Sean Brilly.
Although Rathangan, some people’s favourites for the title in 2026, never really got going in the first thirty minutes they still only found themselves down by two points at half time in this National Electrical Wholesalers IFC Quarter Final on a perfect day for football in Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Sunday afternoon. Nine wides in that first half didn’t help the Towers cause in a game of the proverbial two halves.
Driven on from half back by Ben Ryan, Towers got the most perfect of starts and should have had a goal in the first minute but midfielder, Matthew Kelly, couldn’t find the target. A minute later they did get the opening goal when a brilliant ball forward by Ryan found Jay O’Brien and the full forward finished past Craig Shannon in the Rathangan goal in style.
Indeed, Towers should have had a second, or maybe it would have been a third goal, for that matter, but corner back, Hugh McDonald, was wide with his shot from in front of goal in the fifth minute.
Rian Teahan became influential for Rathangan from then on and as they slowly worked their way back into the game, he set up the move which also involved corner forwards, Pauric Carty and Austin Donegan, and ended with full forward, Sam Savage palming to the net from the latter’s cross to give his side the lead for the first time.
Ryan was instrumental in scores that came from Neil Scanlon, including a two-pointer free in the 18th minute. Rian Teahan responded with two points for Rathangan and we were level for the first time in the game at 1-5 apiece by the 21st minute. As half time approached pressure from Towers led to Ryan intercepting a Mark Fitzsimons defensive pass and he again set up O’Brien for his, and Towers, second goal. Savage finished the half time scoring with an injury time point but it was Rathangan who trained 2-6 to 1-7 at the break.
Jim McHugh’s charges were transformation personified in the second half as they outscored Towers 0-15 to 0-3. Savage and Carty had the sides level with points inside 90 seconds before Charlie Mahony gave Towers the lead again, this time for the last time, in the 34th minute.
Points by Rian Teahan and Ruairi Broughan restored the Rathangan lead but an O’Brien point brought the sides level at 1-11 to 2-8 at the end of the third quarter. The final quarter belonged to Rathangan and from the moment second half substitute, Muiris Curtin, gave them the lead in the 44th minute there was no comeback for Towers.
A couple of points from Eoghan Boyle and one each from Rian Teahan and Savage followed but after a series of wides Mahoney eventually hit the target for Towers in the 53rd minute to bridge the gap to four points. Towers couldn’t get any closer though. They lost corner back, Dee Kelly, through injury, while saving a Rathangan goal attempt and his treatment resulted in an allocation of 12 minutes of added time by Referee, Ray Kelly. When play resumed Ben Murphy landed three injury time points while Boyle and Savage added to the Rathangan’s tally to seal the ten point victory and the semi-final spot.
Craig Shannon; Niall Ahern, Daniel Mulpeter, Shan O’Loughlin; Mark Fitzsimons, Michael Fitzsimons, Ruari Broughan 0-1; Eoghan Boyle 0-3, Rian Teahan 0-5; Ben Murphy 0-4, Stefan Lawlor, Aran Teahan; Pauric Carty 0-2, Sam Savage 1-6 (0-1f), Austin Donegan.
Muiris Curtin 0-1 for Aran Teahan 39, Conor Jaimeson for Stefan Lawler 47, Alex Conlon for Daniel Mulpeter 60 + 3.
Colin English; Dee Kelly, Jack O’Neill, Hugh McDonald; Sean Gleeson 0-1, Stephen Comerford 0-1; Ben Ryan; Cian Walsh, Matthew Kelly; Max Cosgrove, Sean Glennon, Mark Byrne; Charlie Mahony 0-2, Jay O’Brien 2-2, Neil Scanlon 0-3 (tpf).
Ollie Deller for Max Cosgrove 38, Keith Clancy for Cian Walsh 47, Danny Kelly for Dee Kelly (inj) 60 + 3, Rory Stynes for Mark Byrne 60 + 9.
Ray Kelly.
