Heartbreak for Killavullen in the County U16 Hurling final


Heartbreak for Killavullen in the County U16 Hurling final

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Heartbreak for Killavullen in the County U16 Hurling final

October 04, 2019

There was heartbreak for Killavullen in the County final earlier tonight in Pairc Ui Rinn, when Newcestown came from well behind, and pipped us at the end , to win by 2 points, 0-16 to 1-11 in a game when both teams found it hard to score into the town end for some bizarre reason.


Jamie Magner opened the scoring for us from a free in the 2nd minute, and we pushed further ahead with a Conor Griffin point in the 4th minute. Jamie pushed the lead out to 3 points with another converted free in the 6th minute and we extended our lead more in the 7th minute from a Patrick O Grady point. Newcestown created chances but we dealt with them very well, and the full back line looked accomplished for us, with Chris in particular, excellent over the hour. Patrick scored again in the 10th minute and Jamie scored our 6th point from another free in the 12th minute. Sean Palmer got on the end of a loose ball, after great work by Seamus O Mahony to have the lead out to 7 points after 13 minutes. This was a very false lead though, as Newcestown were well in the game but their shooting in front of goals was wayward. We got a reprieve when Conor Breenan cleared a ball off the line in the 16th minute but Newcestown got on the scoring sheet with a point from play, in the 20th minute. Almost immediately, they scored from a free, and added two further scores in the 22nd and 23rd minutes from a free, and got their 5th point in the 25th minute. This left only 2 points between the teams, after we had dominated for the opening quarter of the game. Jamie shoved out our lead with a converted free in the 26th minute, but Newcestown replied in the 29th. Michael Cagney went on a long solo run, and expertly placed the ball over the bar in the same minute to leave us leading at the break, 0-09 to 0-06. We had only 4 wides in that period, as distinct as to 7 for Newcestown.


We opened brightly in the second half but spurned 3 glorious chances for elusive points in the first 7 minutes of the half, when again, we seemed to be on top. Newcestown struck into our lead with a converted free in the 38th minute and further reduced that margin with another long range converted free in the 39th minute. They gained parity in the 41st minute from play from their very influential full forward Niall Kelly, now operating out of their half forward line. They took the lead in the 43rd minute and raced two points ahead in the 44th minute. We had lost our momentum in midfield, and crucially had not scored in the 2nd half yet. That wrong was arrested by Patrick O Grady in the 47th minute when he squeezed over a point in a congested area. We took the lead in the very next minute when Jamie Magner, gained a ball in our half forward line, evaded two tough tackles, and sent a rocket of the shot to the net. This was as good a goal as ever has been scored in this famous bastion of Cork Sport. Newcestown replied with another long range converted free, scored by their ace player , Richard O Sullivan only for Jamie to score a similar long range point in the next minute. Newcestown struck back with a converted 65 metre shot in the 54th minute and crucially gained equivalence in the game from a converted free in the 56th minute.


Four minutes to go, in the county final, and all square and each ball was vigorously contested. We failed to make our chances stick though, and the Newcestown rear guard repelled our advances. They gained a long range free in the 61st minute that was nearly 75 metres out, but they nailed it, to take a one point lead.

We fought valiantly to get the ball up the field, but our tired legs could not muster it, and Newcestown tacked over the final point of the game in the 62nd minute to break our hearts. There will be other wins with this fine Killavullen team, but on the night, it was not to be. Anguish for the team,  who gave so much joy over the year, the mentors of Redmond Lane, Niall Hanrahan, Stephen Carey, Bill O Grady and Barthly Hayes  and the large travelling Killavullen supporters.


The team was;


  1. James O Keeffe
  2. Conor Brennan
  3. Chris O Callaghan
  4. Joe Cagney
  5. Kian Lane
  6. Ronan Barry
  7. Sean Barthly
  8. Michael Cagney (0-01)
  9. Sean Palmer (0-01)
  10. Seamus O Mahony
  11. Conor Griffin (0-01)
  12. Patrick O Grady (0-03)
  13. Shane Walsh
  14. Jamie Magner (1-05, 0-05F)
  15. Michael Walsh


Substitutes

  1. Colm Nagle for Shane Walsh

Not used.

  1. Eoin O Hanlon
  2. Jack Martin
  3. Oisin Larkin
  4. Ian O Mahony
  5. Rory O Regan
  6. Barry Cotter
  7. Ferghal Hogan


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