Shaun Cranley seals Wicklow SFC quarter-final spot for Éire Óg Greystones

Tinahely 1-6

Éire Óg Greystones inflicted the first defeat of the championship campaign on Tinahely in Baltinglass on Sunday evening while also securing themselves a shot at AGB in the quarter-finals in the process.

The Greystones men crossed the mountains to Baltinglass on Sunday last for this final encounter of their group in the Boom & Platform Hire Senior Football Championship clash needing a win to get to six points whereas a loss for their opponents would only decide who they will meet in the quarter final.

While heavy rain earlier in the day had saturated the pitch, conditions had improved, but the playing surface remained slippery and difficult.

The early stages were slow, and pedestrian, and Matthew Ging got the Reds off the mark when he scored a great point in the fourth minute (from a mark).

Éire Óg, playing up from the road end in the first half, began to push forward and Conal Deeney brought the sides level after seven minutes.

Chris Traynor’s men continued to press forward, but an incident after 11 minutes possibly decided the outcome of the game.

Daire Devine was tackled by Tinahely full-back Michael Byrne as he bore down on goal. The Éire Óg man was injured in the process and had to leave the field. Referee Noel Kinsella issued a red card, and the south Wicklow team were down to 14 for the remainder of the game.

Shaun Cranley pointed the resultant free, but Tinahely reacted positively and shot three quick points from Noel Mulhall, Jason Cushe and Larry Kinsella to lead by 0-4 to 0-2 with 16 minutes gone.

By 20 minutes the sides were level. Joe Prendergast got the third point and set up Dan Keane for the leveller.

Éire Óg had the misfortune of seeing two scoring attempts from Brendan Cunningham and Fionn O’Carroll come back off the upright before Sam Thompson eventually put them ahead.

Darren Hayden was already moving back as an extra defender and went on to have a huge influence in the second half.

Matt Ging brought the sides level again from a free, but Éire Óg went into the half-time break ahead by one point thanks to a score from Shaun Cranley.

The early stages of the second half saw the Éire Óg side begin to play a possession game, moving the ball back from attack if necessary, until the scoring opportunities arose. Two points from Shaun Cranley and Joe Prendergast left a goal between the sides at 0-8 to 0-5.

Tinahely brought on Alan Dillon in attack after 10 minutes and he immediately announced his arrival with a spectacular point.

But with Darren Hayden now directing operations from a spot about 40 metres in front of his own goal, ably assisted by Stephan Kelly and James Woods, Éire Óg continued to play a patient possession game.

Joe Prendergast pointed again, Alan Nolan saved a goalbound shot from Brendan Cunningham, and Joe Prendergast again, put Éire Óg 0-10 to 0-6 ahead.

We were now in the last quarter, and it was clear that Tinahely would need a goal to have any chance.

We went through a barren scoring period as Éire Óg were playing safe possession football. Dan Hedderman came on at midfield for the final five minutes.

In a now rare Tinahely attack Alan Dillon floated a lob across goal and Hederman got his fist to the ball to beat Billy Norman.

Just a point in it now but Greystones did not panic.

Shaun Cranley pointed as the game entered added time. And he added another from a free in the second minute to ensure a 0-12 to 1-6 victory.

Éire Óg Greystones: Billy Norman; Sam Thompson (0-1), Stephan Kelly, Peter Keane; Daire Devine, Fionn O’Carroll, Daniel Healy; Gavin O’Shea, Brendan Cunningham; Darren Hayden, Dan Keane (0-1), Conal Deeney (0-1); Dave Rooney, Shaun Cranley (0-5, 2f), Joe Prendergast (0-4). Subs: James Wood, Paraic O’Keeffe, Conor Makle, Dan Clark, Cillian Keane.

Tinahely: Alan Nolan; Kevin Mulhall, Michael Byrne, Curtis Keating; James Hedderman, Adam Hadden, Shane Hogan; Eoghan Byrne, Brian Walsh; Larry Kinsella (0-1), Jason Cushe (0-1), Noel Mulhall (0-1); Cillian McDonald, Matthew Ging (0-2, 1f, 1m), Patrick O’Rourke, Subs: Alan Dillon (0-1), Dan Hedderman (1-0).

Referee: Noel Kinsella (Kilbride)