Bitterly cold night, but a warming result for Killavullen
November 16, 2019
Killavullen won through to the 3rd county final for the club in 2019 when they secured a decisive victory against Whitechurch in the County U21 B Grade semi-final, in a game that was played in the 4G pitch, at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. It was a bitterly cold night but the result was a warming one for Killavullen supporters.
Whitechurch were first to score from a free in the 5th minute, but we had already created a goal scoring chance and missed a free by that stage. We equalised with a fine point from Darragh O Grady in the 7th minute, but Whitechurch edged ahead again in the next minute from another free. Padraig Looney scored a lovely point for us to equalise in the 12th minute, from the stand side of the pitch and we took the lead that we never relinquished in the next minute, from the opposite wing, courtesy of Jack O Connor. Paul O Sullivan took a lovely scoring opportunity to add a further point in the 14th minute, and stretched out our lead further in the next minute after Liam Fox has set him up. Darragh scored again in the 17th minute, our 6th of the night only to see Whitechurch retaliate with a point from play, in the next minute. We were hurling well at this stage, with Eoin Buckley very influential, and the entire half back line of Seamus Fox and the fit again Brian Cotter clearing a lot of ball. Mikey scored a free for us in the 23rd minute, and Whitechurch gave a reply, by way of a 65 metre shot on goal. After a wild pull that yielded a yellow card, Eoin had to leave the field temporarily and Noah Butler was introduced as a blood substitute. Paul got his 3rd point from open play and midfield on the night, in the 27th minute to press out our advantage to 4 points. Whitechurch nearly got in on goals just before the break, but Padraig blocked the ground shot and was grateful to Patrick Angland who helped to complete the clearance. The score at the short whistle was 0-08 to0-04.
At half time, the crowd in the stands had to move around to get circulation back into their limbs, and the girl in the shop did a roaring trade on coffees and hot chocolate, to give a temporary reprieve.
Whitechurch got the opening two scores of the second period, in the 2nd and 7th minute to leave only two points between the teams. It was noticeable that Whitechurch had stepped up their intensity in the middle of the field, and it was beginning to pay dividends. We got a point back from Mikey in the 12th minute and in the next minute of the game, Colm Looney rounded his man, and despite having very little angle to work with, he shot powerfully across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. When the same player grabbed a high ball from Brian Cotter in the next minute, and finished to the net again, it meant that we had opened up a decisive lead and a major part of getting to the final. Padraig Looney score the next score for us, after Mike Fresh had raced out onto a ball, was fouled and Seamus Fox picked out Padraig cleverly with the clearance.
Mikey scored another free after Darragh was fouled in the 18th minute, but Whitechurch struck back with two points in the 19th and 20th minutes and signalled their intention to battle to the end, with a goal in the 21st minute. A relieving clearance by Paul O Sullivan after good work by Fionn Magner again found Colm, who was giving his man a torrid night and this time, Colm fired over the bar to bring our tally to 2-12. The same player scored again for us in the 25th minute to answer back a score from another 65 metre free by Whitechurch after Fionn had bravely charged down a goal bound shot. Whitechurch brought their tally to 1-10 with a converted free, after Eoin was penalised for a clever, tactical foul.
We rang the changes from the bench and the introduced Mark Nagle earned us a free that Mikey converted in the 28th minute. Another one of our substitutes, Noah Butler, worked hard in a corner, and eluded his man, and from a tight angle, kicked the ball over the bar to register another score. Eddie Cotter fired over a long range point, which his hard efforts on the night deserved in the 30th minute, and the final score of the game, was the coup d'état, when Jack O Connor finished to the net after Sean Woulfe stopped a clearance by the Whitechurch defender, and fed the ball to Eddie Cotter who fed Jack who goaled at the 2nd attempt after the Whitechurch net minder had brought off a good save initially.
The final score was 3-16 to 1-10.
The other finalists in the competition are not know yet, as the other side of the draw is held up, but the winners of Castlemartyr and Kilbree will have a big shout in the destiny of this competition yet. All to play for still, despite the lateness in the calendar year.
- Padraig Cronin
- Patrick Angland
- Fionn Magner
- Michael Fresh
- Seamus Fox
- Eoin Buckley
- Brian Cotter
- Paul O Sullivan (0-03)
- Mikey O Connor (0-04 , 0-4F)
- Padraig Looney (0-02)
- Liam Fox
- Eddie Cotter (0-01)
- Darragh O Grady (0-02)
- Colm Looney (2-02)
- Jack O Connor (1-01)
Substitutes
- Noah Butler for Eoin Buckley – Blood substitute (temporary)
- Noah Butler (0-01) for Liam Fox
- Mark Nagle for Darragh O Grady
- Sean Woulfe for Colm Looney
- Cian O Connor for Mikey O Connor
- Ben Hunter for Mike Fresh