Round Tower 0-13 Kilmacud Crokes 1-10
A late show from the Lyons brothers saw Towers earn their first point of the league season against Stillorgan side Kilmacud Crokes. A late rally was needed by the home side to earn the draw but it was the least Towers deserved against a strong Kilmacud side and if they’d taken one of a handful of goal chances they would have been coming away with the victory.
Towers trailed by two with just three minutes remaining and it was Tom Lyons who fed his brother Barrie out in space on the right and he converted the chance from a tight angle to leave the home side trailing by just a point, 1-10 to 0-12. And Tom then stood up in injury time to convert a 30-metre free that levelled the tie and saw both sides leave with a point.
It was no more than Towers deserved. With the home side having missed chances, it was the visitors who took control in the final quarter and looked to have done enough to take home all the points. With just ten minutes remaining they equalised to leave the score 1-8 to 11 points and a few minutes later they were two up, kicking two points from tight angles, before the late surge by Towers levelled the match.
Towers started the match with real conviction and were three points up after 15 minutes thru two scores from Barrie Lyons, who lined out in the right corner, and a Cathal Carthy free. Towers could have been further ahead having kicked wides and Jason Joyce was unlucky with a goal chance when thru on the Kilmacud keeper. Gradually Crokes came into the game and they kicked their first score after 18 minutes and within five minutes they were level. Manus Smith, Towers number 15, almost netted for Towers but his low shot hit the post and bounced back into the keeper’s arms. A Cathal Carthy point, after good work from half-back Brian Costello set him up, saw Towers move once again into the lead but Crokes were four ahead within four minutes, scoring 1-2 without reply. Towers showed character and responded. Jason Joyce got free on the inside forward line and tapped over a point. Ian Ward then found himself in space and kicked a great score from 25 metres out and a Cathal Carthy free just before half-time saw the home side trail by a point at the break.
Seconds into the second half Towers hit the post before Jason Joyce equalised four minutes in. Brian Costello and Derek Murray worked the ball out of the defence and Costello kicked a score from the left to give Towers the lead. Murray was hugely influential and kicked an excellent score to put Towers two ahead and Joyce kicked another to leave Towers a goal in front. A Liam Connolly goal opportunity was side footed wide and this could have pushed given Towers the cushion to allow them win the game. Former Dublin star Mark Vaughan was given a red card with just 15 minutes remaining but Crokes showed excellent character and scored four points without reply to lead by two going into the final minutes. A crucial one-on-one Keith Graham save meant Towers were still in it and they showed tremendous character and resilience to see the Lyons brothers earn they least Towers deserved from this game, a point.
Towers: Keith Graham, Conor McGrath, Tom Lyons, Barry Keane, James Kelly, Ian Ward, Brian Costello, Simon McGuinness, Derek Murray, Jason Joyce, Conor L’Estrange, Liam Connolly, Barrie Lyons, Cathal Carthy, Manus Smith. Subs: Niall Byrne forL’Estrange; Patrick Stynes for Smith.
