Cuala defeat Tullamore in final minutes in first round of Leinster Senior Football Championship

CUALA 0-16 TULLAMORE 1-11

Cuala advanced to the quarter-finals of the AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship when getting the better of a battling Tullamore by two points at Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon. 

The visitors took a deserved 1-4 to 0-6 lead into the interval as they made less errors over the course of the first-half and they were rewarded for their efforts as Luke Plunkett fired clinically to the net in the 28th minute.

A string of five unanswered points in the third quarter saw Cuala get back on track and with the match heading for extra-time, Con O’Callaghan kicked an audacious two-pointer to get his side over the line. 

Despite opening the scoring through Niall O’Callaghan in the 2nd minute, Cuala struggled to find their stride in the early stages and were pegged back through a Diarmuid Egan score four minutes later. 

A Harry Plunkett free saw Tullamore edge in front in the 9th minute but parity was restored soon after as Con O’Callaghan converted a ‘45’ after Arron Hensey had saved well at his near post from Niall O’Callaghan. 

Both teams were guilty of some uncharacteristic turnovers as the contest failed to ignite but Charlie McMorrow, as he has done so often this campaign, raised the standard as he burst through before splitting the uprights in the 14th minute. 

A Plunkett’s brace saw the visitors regain the lead early in the second quarter, but it was of little surprise to see Cuala reply with two points of their own, with Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne and Con O’Callaghan (free) on target. 

Tullamore were more than holding their own at this stage but were unable to translate their positive play into scores with Harry Plunkett spurning a trio of two-point free attempts in the second quarter. 

While Eoghan O’Callaghan doubled the home advantage in the 27th minute, fisting over when racing through on goal, their opponents responded within a minute as Luke Plunkett fired across Darragh O’Dowd into the bottom corner of the net after fine approach play from John Furlong and Daire McDaid. 

Trailing by a point at the break, Cuala found themselves in deeper waters within a minute of the resumption as Harry Plunkett kicked a superb two-pointer off the outside of the boot. 

The Offaly champions continued to dictate matters with Cuala’s unease reflected in just one defender placed in their own half as Plunkett casually popped over the resultant free from the careless technical breach. 

This triggered a wake-up call for the All-Ireland winners of 2025 with points in quick succession by Con O’Callaghan and Niall O’Callaghan halving their deficit by the 40thminute. 

That momentum was maintained as we moved towards the three-quarter mark with Ó Cofaigh Byrne, David O’Dowd and Niall O’Callaghan all on target for the re-energised hosts.

While Harry Plunkett clipped over another free to restore the stalemate on the scoreboard, Cuala wasted little time regaining the initiative as O’Dowd and Con O’Callaghan (free) handed them a degree of breathing room.

An Eoin Kennedy score offered further oxygen to their challenge but another cracking two-pointer from Harry Plunkett left the bare minimum between the sides by the 55th minute. 

The talented full-forward drew his team level three minutes later but that proved the end of the away scoring as O’Callaghan proved Cuala’s matchwinner once again with a sublime strike in the 60th minute.  

Scorers – Cuala: C O’Callaghan 0-6 (1P2, 2f, 1 ’45); N O’Callaghan 0-3; D O’Dowd, P Ó Cofaigh Byrne 0-2 each; E O’Callaghan, E Kennedy, C McMorrow 0-1 apiece. Tullamore: H Plunkett 0-10 (2 P2, 4f, 1 ’45); L Plunkett 1-0; D Egan 0-1.

Cuala: Darragh O’Dowd; D Conroy, M Fitzsimons, E O’Callaghan; E Kennedy, C McMorrow, David O’Dowd; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, P Duffy; D O’Sullivan, C Doran, C Groarke; N O’Callaghan, C O’Callaghan, C O’Brien. Subs: J Conroy for O’Sullivan (47). 

Tullamore: A Hensey; J Maher, D Hogan, P Kenna; C Egan, J Furlong, D McDaid; A Leavy, D Keegan; L Egan, N Furlong, D Egan; M Fox, H Plunkett, L Plunkett. Subs: M Brazil for Keegan (53), L Dillane for L Plunkett (53), L Bourke for N Furlong (55).    

Referee: Patrick Coyle (Meath).