All the positive nouns in the world couldn’t describe this one


All the positive nouns in the world couldn’t describe this one

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All the positive nouns in the world couldn’t describe this one

September 03, 2020

Last night in Killavullen, there was a fantastic game of hurling in this year’s Minor A Hurling championship between Charleville and Killavullen, that ended all square at 1-13 apiece after a pulsating battle. This game had everything that is good about hurling, and played by two teams, that played with only the ball, devoid of cynicism or rancour, but laden with skill, pace, tenacity, bravery and sportsmanship. The real pity was, how few people saw it.


Charleville opened the scoring within the initial 30 seconds and pressed further ahead in the 1st minute but Jamie Magner scored a point almost immediately from play before the game was tied up at 0-02 apiece from a long range Jamie free in the 6th minute. After weathering the initial whirlwind start of Charleville, Killavullen played with the aid of a decent wind, started to play scintillating hurling. Darragh O Grady and Michael Cagney drove at Charleville relentlessly and remorselessly from midfield but it was our half back line of Eoin Birchill, Ronan Barry and Brian Cotter that spurred us on, they were magnificent in this period, fetching balls from the air, and sending in intelligent balls to the forwards, pin point passes, and directional shots, that gained the forwards a platform to shine, and shine they did. Seamus O Mahony, Jamie and Shane crisscrossed the pitch in the half line, and inside them, Mark Nagle Colm Looney and Colin Carey were making the runs, and created the space. We profiteered from this with a fantastic score on the loop from Jamie to take the lead in the 8th minute.


Charleville, though had a lively full forward line, that were extremely dangerous, and against the run of play, they scored a goal with a fine angled shot to the ground, that James could not keep out. The response was immediate from Killavullen though, with a lovely point on the run from Darragh in the 14th minute and then, as he has been doing all year, Colm Looney was out in front of his man, and sent a ball over his shoulder to bring us level. Charleville responded though, and showed that they had fine players too, with their full back, especially catching the eye, and with their centre back, midfielders and their entire full forward line very accomplished. Colm though and his man went having a ding dong battle, and if you fell down, the other extended the hand to pick you up. Colm scored again in the 20th minute to bring us level. Then Seamus O Mahony shortened the grip on his hurley in the 23rd minute, after been found in space by Brian Cotter to put us into a one point lead. Charleville equalised from a free, in the 25th minute but Jamie got another long range one back for us in the 27th minute. 0-08 to 1-04 now and the half time break coming up, but this game was not done yet, Charleville equalised again, only for Darragh to send over a fine point in the 30th minute that Charleville responded to, in the 32nd minute to leave the teams on the same score at the break, at 0-09 to 1-06 though crucially, Killavullen had played with the wind.


After a brief reprieve from the excitement at half time, Charleville came firing out of the traps, and scored again in the opening 30 seconds. It took us longer to settle and the Killavullen rear guard was been tested now, with Conor Griffin, bravery personified under the relentless high balls, that Charleville was dropping in like bombs at this stage. He may have broken his hurley, in one heroic act, but he never took his eye off the ball. Beside him, well, Chris was Chris, stylish, and economical, and efficient and Sean, on the opposite wing was tidy, and touch tight or closer and lively. It was quite a display, and Killavullen broke free and got a point against the run of play, from Colm, after Brian Cotter had relived the danger, with a booming clearance. Charleville regained the lead again in the 6th minute of the half, from play, a fine score and stretched out their lead to two points, with a converted 65 metre shot in the 10th minute.


Killavullen’s goal had an element of good fortune, in that a Michael Cagney shot for a point, was partially blocked down and struck the post instead of going over the bar, and when it hit the ground, Colm was inside his man, and finished it over the line. Cannot say that it billowed the net, or anything spectacular but it crossed the line and we were ahead in the 13th minute by 1-10 to 1-09.


Jamie added a free in the 15th minute after Mark Nagle was fouled to open up a two point lead but Charleville responded and with the aid of the breeze, they set sail for Baker’s Road, with a wet sail, and fired over two quick fire points to level and then, took the lead in the 24th minute of the half, with a hard earned, but beautifully executed point from play. Killavullen clawed their way back with a score that summed up the game in the 28th minute, courtesy of Darragh, but it was the substitute Eoin O Hanlon made the score, never give up, never give in, was the mantra, made famous by Winston Churchill, in WW2. Charleville thought that they had done enough to win the game with a point from play again, in the 31st minute, but with time almost up, and light fading, Seamus O Mahony got possession after Trojan work from Michael Cagney, and Seamus had just the minutest of gaps in a crowded 40 metre line area, to open up his shoulders, and send the sliotar over the bar.


Game Over, Excitement over – Drawn Game – Superb.



  1. James O Keeffe
  2. Sean Palmer
  3. Conor Griffin
  4. Chris O Callaghan
  5. Eoin Birchill
  6. Ronan Barry
  7. Brian Cotter
  8. Michael Cagney
  9. Darragh O Grady (0-03)
  10. Seamus O Mahony (0-02)
  11. Jamie Magner (0-05, 0-03F)
  12. Shane Walsh
  13. Mark Nagle
  14. Colm Looney (1-03)
  15. Colin Carey



Substitutes

  1. Ben Hunter for Mark Nagle
  2. Eoin O Hanlon for Colin Carey.  
  3. Sean Bartley for Shane Walsh
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