Scuppered at the death, just we were starting to dream
October 25, 2019
Killavullen will ponder for a while how they lost this game tonight in the 4G pitch in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, against a game and spirited Kiltha Óg team, in the semi-final of the Minor Division 2 grade Cork County football championship.
We opened the scoring with a Eoin Birchill free in the 2nd minute after Colm had been fouled but surrendered that lead quickly and unceremoniously when the very lively corner forward from Kiltha Óg availed of a defensive mix up to score a good goal in the 5th minute. Eoin eked into that lead with another point from a free again, again after Colm was fouled in the 7th minute and we were on level terms after 8 minutes, when Eoin again converted a free. There was an award of a penalty to Kiltha Óg next when our goal keeper Patrick was alleged to have fouled an attacker, which seemed harsh, but Patrick saved the resultant spot –kick anyway, and we could exhale a collective sigh of relief. We took the lead in the 20th minute when Mark Nagle curled a lovely point over the bar, and extended that lead in the very next minute when Eoin was found in space on the far wing by Mickey O Connor and he made no mistake with his finishing. Eoin punished the concession of another free, this time on Jamie in the 27th minute to leave us leading 0-06 to 1-00.
Kiltha Óg were not done yet for the half though, and rattled off four quick points between the 30th and 34th minutes of the half, to go in ahead at the break, 1-04 as against 0-06 for us. In that 1st period, we left 4 goal chances out on the field without converting any of those, and we pondered if we were to rue those chances later.
Kiltha Óg started brightly in the second half and got a point from a free in the 2nd minute. We squandered some more chances, and had a deflection to safety, off the post before Eoin got a point back for us, in the 7th minute. A feature of the game at this stage was some very impressive fielding around the middle of the field by Mikey O Connor. We were then awarded a penalty after Colm was fouled, but we failed to capitalise on the chance, and it was saved by their keeper and cleared. In a break away attack, Kiltha Óg scored a good point in the 14th minute, before extricate play from our forwards saw Seamus O Mahony turn sharply and reduce the deficit with a very clever point. Quick ball into our inside forward line was causing consternation all night, but too often we turned outfield when in an attacking position, and did not drive forward. That tendency was blown apart when Colm Looney was found by Michael Cagney in the 17th minute, and Colm used his strength to shrug off his man and finish explosively to the net. Kiltha Óg replied with a telling point in the 19th minute and brought parity to the game in the 23rd minute from a free. We got caught several times in possession going forward when over-elaboration allowed Kiltha Óg players to funnel back behind the ball, but we looked as if we had won the game when Mark Nagle seized the initiative and curled a delightful ball over the bar in the 30th minute.
With players going down on both sides due to cramps, Kiltha Óg seized on the confusion of players out of position, and raced up field and fired a ball to the net that scuppered our ambitions of another county final appearance, in the 32nd minute. To add salt into the indignity of that wound, from the resultant kick out, we lost possession, and they scored another goal to run out unlikely 5 point victors.
The loss of significant Killavullen players Brian Cotter to injury and Noah Butler to his new army position were acutely felt on the night, but it will be the lost opportunities that were not seized will be the galling factors to this fine team. We had chances, but we did not take them.
We wish Kiltha Óg the very best in the County Final, and congratulate them, on their own hurling county final success in P2 grade last weekend.
The team and those who scored were as follows;
- Patrick O Grady
- Conor Griffin
- Ronan Barry
- Kian Lane
- Podge Cronin
- Fionn Magner
- Michael Cagney
- Eoin Birchill (0-06, 0-05F)
- Mikey O Connor
- Seamus O Mahony (0-01)
- Darragh O Grady
- Liam Fox
- Mark Nagle (0-02,)
- Jamie Magner
- Colm Looney (1-00)
Substitutes.
- Ben Hunter for Conor Griffin
- Chris O Callaghan for Fionn Magner