Our Senior Footballers impressive league run ended Saturday evening at Monastery Road as second placed Clontarf struck a vital goal heading into the final quarter that enabled them secure the two points on offer. Towers had gone on a six game unbeaten league run, beating Parnells, Kilmacud, Ballinteer, St Anne’s and Templeogue along the way, and registering a draw at Erins Isle.
Disappointingly for Towers, the Clontarf goal came after they had come back from a five point deficit and had the visitors shaken. Heading into the final ten minutes of the first half, Towers trailed 0-10 v 0-5. Micheál Walsh brought the deficit back to four just before the interval. The point arrived after a good ball into the inside forwards from Mick Hallows. Walsh had his initial effort blocked but was quickest to the break and kicked succesfully. Towers started the second period with the wind at their backs and were quick out of the blocks, determined to bring parity to proceedings. They immediately registered a point when Eoin Moran laid off to James Kelly and he tapped over. Ian Ward, influential at centre-half-back, played long into Hallows in the corner and despite an initial slip, he turned to point. Walsh jinked by the sideline and was pulled to the ground. Kelly pointed the free to leave the deficit at a point. Clontarf had kicked four wides and they were made to pay when the equaliser arrived from Walsh. It came from a Thomas Galvin interception and looked to set the game up for a grand finale in the final quarter. But disappointingly the visitors grabbed the vital goal that enabled them regain their composure and finish the stronger. It came from a win at midfield and an attack at pace finished with a strike low beyond advancing keeper Gary Cleary.
It was followed with an immediate point and a game that was in the balance two minutes previously was now firmly in control of the visitors. It was a setback Towers did not recover from. They struggled for fluidity in attack and Clontarf kicked two further points, with James Kelly tapping over a consolation score for the home side.
Barry Keane attacking from half-back had opened the Towers scoring in the first half and Kelly kicked two frees before Walsh teed him up to register his first from play. Walsh struck across goal for a point that was deflected over via the post. But Clontarf gathered momentum and opened a four point gap before the Towers revival that disappointingly wasn’t sufficient when the final whistle was blown.
