Saul squander lead as hot Tullylish hit back

Saul squander lead as hot Tullylish hit back

17 June 2015

SAUL surrendered a three-point lead in the closing stages when Tullylish came back from the dead to snatch a point at St. Patrick’s Park.

Cahal Murray’s charges had shrugged off a desperate start when they fell 1-2 to 0-0 in arrears after only three minutes to take a deserved 1-11 to 1-8 lead with 10 minutes remaining.

However, Tullylish picked themselves off the floor and as Saul lost their way for a while, the visitors drew level in added time. Both sides went gung ho to get the winner, but the players got short shift when the referee only played 94 seconds of added time when everybody present was expecting at least three minutes.

Tullylish started like a runaway train and Niall Donnelly pointed before full back Chris Magee rattled the back of the Saul net in the second minute with a screamer after Gareth Johnston carved out the opening. Just for good measure, the busy Johnston quickly tagged on a point to put Tullylish in dreamland.

Fair play to Saul, they battled back with Rory Mullen getting more involved and Deaglain Arnold lofted over from play to leave three points in it. This was just the shot in the arm that Saul needed and a Ciaran Harney free and a super score goal from Nathan Keenan brought the sides level by the seventh minute.

Saul were not finished yet and another free from Ciaran Harney gave the home side a 1-3 to 1-2 lead by the ninth minute. Tullylish were having none of it in an open, free flowing game and points from Johnston and Stephen O’Hare put the visitors into a 1-4 to 1-3 lead.

Keenan brought the sides level again with a brilliant score before the Harney brothers, Ciaran and Lorcan, who gave their markers a busy night of it with their non-stop running, eased Saul into a 1-6 to 1-4 lead after 23 minutes.

Conor Marron then prevented Tullylish from regaining the lead when he made a super save to deny Conor Magee and Cathail Arnold went straight down the field and converted a free to put his side 1-7 to 1-4 ahead.

Finty O’Dowd left two points in it as the half drew to a close, but Saul were denied a goal opportunity by some terrific defending form Charlie Monaghan and Chris Magee. Tullylish had the last say of the half when Johnston converted a free to leave Saul with a 1-7 to 1-6 lead at the break.

The second half was an even tighter affair with no quarter asked or given in an entertaining clash where the emphasis was on attack and not mass defending.

Keenen opened the scoring for Saul after Pierce Laverty had sliced through the Tullylish cover for the umpteenth time, the county minor star having a field day when joining in the fun.

Cathail Arnold and Niall Donnelly swapped scores before Arnold gave his side a 1-10 to 1-7 lead after 45 minutes. Conor Magee and Ciaran Harney exchanged points before Tullylish seized the initiative with points from Johnston and Conor Magee (2) to level the scores yet again.

An injury to Mullen held up play for a while before Cathail Arnold nudged Saul ahead with a free in the 59th minute, but Tullylish were far from beaten and Conor Magee ensured a draw for Eamon Burns’ battlers when he pointed in the 60th minute.

Saul: C. Marron, R. Fitzsimons, D. Arnold (0-1), L. Cunningham, P. Laverty, C. Byrne, P. Baker, R.Mullen, A. King, P. Traynor, C. Arnold (0-4), C. Harney (0-4), L. Harney (0-1), N. Keenan (1-2), M. Vint. Subs: C. Shields for Mullen, C. Mullen for Traynor.

Tullylish: A. O’Hagan, C. Monaghan, Chris Magee (1-0), D. Byrne, S. McDermott, O. Donnelly, K. McKiverigan, S. O’Hare (0-1), N. Donnelly (0-2), M. Arlow, P. O’Neill, J. McKiverigan, F. O’Dowd (0-1), Conor Magee (0-4), G. Johnston (0-4). Subs: D. Corbett for Arlow, J. McCartan for O’Neill.

Saul 1-12

Tullylish 1-12

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