Kilruane remain on course for double
GAA: FBD Insurance County Junior ‘B’ Football Championship Semi-Final
Kilruane MacDonaghs 2-5
Cappawhite 0-10
Report: Liam Hogan in Newport
The quest for a hurling and football double is still on for Kilruane MacDonaghs following their win over Cappawhite in the County Junior ‘B’ Football semi-final on Sunday.
Lining out with six of the team that started in their senior hurling championship victory last month, they played with the breeze in the first half but only managed to take a four-point half time lead at half time, 2-2 to 0-4.
They kicked seven wides in the process and would add six more in the second half as they appeared to have lost their way in the third quarter as Cappawhite fought back to level terms before calling on Cian Darcy, Seamus Hennessy, and Conor Austin to strengthen their attack. That trio and their greater fitness separated them from the opposition as they outscored the westerners two points to one in the final ten minutes to hold out for a place in the final against Boherlahan-Dualla.
Cappawhite won the toss and decided to play against the stiff breeze and with the elements at their back, Kilruane took the game to their opponents with Carl Williams finding the net after two and a half minutes.
The Northmen continued to push on but against the run of play Eoghan Ryan got Cappawhite on the board with a free after eight minutes.
Despite the setback, Kilruane continued on the front foot with the hurling sextet of Eoin Hogan, Aaron Morgan, Sean McAdams, Mark O’Neill, Jerome Cahill, and Kian O’Kelly leading the way while Carl Williams creating havoc on the inside line of the attack but for all their possession, they had four wides to their credit.
The Cappawhite defence deserve some credit with Pakie Barry, Rian Doody and in particular Tom Treacy made sure that life wasn’t easy for the opposition. The high fielding Buckley’s at midfield, Pat & David, caught a number of kickouts earning a mark on each occasion and in the fifteenth minute, Cappawhite had doubled their tally thanks to a David Buckley score from play. Matthew Moyles replied for Kilruane a minute later with Carl Williams increasing the MacDonagh’s lead to three with a well-taken free.
Bit by bit, Cappawhite were growing in stature and won a 45 which was converted accurately David Buckley, but in the 21st minute, Kilruane cut the Cappawhite defence in two for Carl Williams to find the net a second time.
The goal was a shock to Cappawhite but in the dying seconds of the half they had the patience to rebuild, and a David Buckley score had them four in arrears at half time.
Helped by the breeze, Cappawhite began the second half on a positive note and within the opening seven minutes they had cut the deficit to two with Gearoid Lennon and Tom Treacy splitting the posts. Kevin Shinnors made a good save in the Kilruane goal before Cappawhite’s best period was further enhanced by a David Buckley point from play in the 40th minute.
Kilruane worries were eased when Carl Williams scored from a close-range free in the 44th minute shortly before Rian Doody, who started at centre back but now at midfield, as he scored a well-taken point to leave the minimum between the sides.
The Kilruane bench called on Seamus Hennessy and Conor Austin, but Cappawhite had more in the tank as a well-worked move saw Eoghan Ryan, Rian Doody and Willie Barry combine for the later to pick off a fine score which left scores level for the fourth time, 2-3 to 0-9.
That score should have been a driving force to Cappawhite but instead it was Kilruane who showed the hunger but nothing to show for it by way of scores as the wides tally went into double figures before Cian Darcy edged Kilruane in front with a point in the 55th minute.
The Cappawhite netminder produced a good save in a crowded goalmouth as Kilruane laid siege and two minutes from time, Seamus Hennessy was in the right spot to increase Kilruane’s lead to two. Cappawhite had now lost Tom Treacy to injury but yet they manged to regroup, and David Buckley pointed a forty-five metre free on the hour mark. Two minutes later he had another free from a similar position, but the Cappawhite top scorer was just wide and Kilruane prevailed.
Player of the Match: Carl Williams (Kilruane MacDonaghs)
Kilruane MacDonaghs: Kevin Shinnors (7); Ross Austin (6), Eoin Hogan (7), Oisin O’Meara (6); Eoin Carroll (6), Aaron Morgan (7), Rob Austin (7); Mark O’Neill (7), Sean McAdams (7); Matthew Moyles (0-1, 6), Jerome Cahill (8), Delvin Courtney (6); Matthew Spain (7), Carl Williams (2-2, 0-2f, 8), Nathan Lynch (6).
Subs: Cian Darcy (0-1, 7) for Lynch (23 inj); Conor Austin (7) for Rob Austin (35); James Cleary (6) for O’Meara (42); Seamus Hennessy (0-1, 6) for Courtney 42); Kevin Coffey (6) for Moyles (54).
Cappawhite: Dara McCarthy (7); Pakie Barry (7), Mikey O’Brien (7), Tommy Coughlan (7); Ross Dunne, (6), Rian Doody (0-1, 7), Kevin Stapleton (6); David Buckley (0-5, 1f, 1 45) 8), Michael P Buckley (8); Tom Treacy (0-1, 8), John McGrath (6), Brendan Murphy (6); Willie Barry (0-1, 6), Eoghan Ryan (0-1, 6), Gearoid Lennon (0-1, 6).
Subs: Colm O’Dwyer for J McGrath (41); Philip Gantley for Coughlan (41); Sean Carmody for Murphy (54); Daire Duggan for M P Buckley (56); Gearoid Ryan (B) for Treacy (56).
Referee: John Butler (Upperchurch/Drombane).