Killavullen dazzle under the lights in Mallow
October 10, 2021
Killavullen served up one of their better displays of the year, to see off Fermoy in the must win round robin game in-group B of the Avondhu Junior A Hurling championship. Right from the off, we were tenacious in the tackle, and our work rate was very good, coupled with some fast direct running, that was the hall mark of the success.
Fermoy opened the scoring on a crisp dry autumnal night in the second minute with a fine point, before Paul O Sullivan took full advantage of an excellent pass from Ronan Barry to score the equaliser in the third minute. Mickey O Connor put us ahead from a free in the 4th minutes, and Padraig Looney stretched out that lead further in the 7th minute. We gave away two silly and needless frees in quick succession, which had Fermoy on equal terms after 10 minutes.
It was a night that favoured fast direct hurling, and from one such move, Paul O Sullivan scored again in the 11th minute, before Jack O Connor scored followed a good relieving clearance from our influential centre back, Liam Cronin. Fermoy were strong down the spine of their team, and their centre back and full back, gave the impression, that it will not be long before they are playing for Fermoy, at a higher grade. Fermoy scored a point in the 13th minute but Jack scored again in the 15th to leave the score at the water break 0-06 to 0-04 in our favour.
Our positional changes on the night seemed to be working and our youthful midfield pairing of Darragh O Grady and Brian Cotter got through an amount of possession. Right after the resumption, in a majestic move between the lines, we got Padraig Looney released bearing down on goals, but his rasping shot cannoned off the cross bar and away to safety. Shortly afterwards, in a story reminiscent of the entire night, Eddie Cotter and Eoghan Buckley combined to force the concession of a 65 Metre shot, that Liam Cronin converted sweetly. The point was not so important, the work rate was. Paul O Sullivan in the 19th minute turned sharply away from his man, and borne down on goals, and though the Fermoy keeper tried valiantly to prevent the score, Paul’s shot had enough force to go over the line off the ricochet of the keepers stick.
After that major score, there was lull in the scoring when both defences excelled, before Fermoy scored in the 25th minute from a free and we replied with a free of our own from Mikey. Fermoy hit over their 6th point of the half, but that was merely the aperitif to the best score of the game, when Darragh burst through from midfield, and evaded all the pursuers, to rifle over a delightful point on the run, with a shortened grip on his hurley.
The score at half time was 1-09 to 0-06 in our favour.
On the resumption, and playing into the opposite goals, Darragh repeated his scoring antics, with another fine mazy run, and score in the first minute of the half. Padraig Looney scored another, and we had stretched out the lead further when Mikey O Connor was found in space by Seamus Fox, and drilled the ball over the bar. Fermoy got a point back from open play in the 9th minute of the half, before Eoghan Buckley seized his opportunity to score, and this was no more than he deserved, after putting in a huge work rate, into the game. Fermoy got another point, in the 11th minute, after their forward somehow got space in a crowded goal mouth from a long free situation. Mikey O Connor scored a free that resulted in Brian Cotter needing some quick repairs on the line to stymie a small cut. Colm Looney was introduced temporarily for Brian. At the final water break, we lead by 1-14 to 0-08.
We made a number of changes to our forwards in particular, and they deserved the rest, as they had laid the foundations for the victory with their hard work. Our defensive unit was tight as well, with the full back line of Fionn Magner, Kevin Fox and Patrick Angland repelling the thrusts from Fermoy. Behind them, on a tricky night, under the bright flood lights, Michael Cronin was very dependable. Our halve back line was good on the night, with Ronan Barry and Liam Cronin, both wearing identical helmets, to confuse this scribe, very assured, and Seamus Fox, well, he was himself, very accomplished, and if to illustrate that point, he scored a lovely point in the 17th minute of the half. Liam Cronin scored a long range free and Eddie Cotter scored a nice curling point, before Fermoy scored in the 30th minute of the game, to bring the lights down on a very good display.
Killavullen will play the winners of Group A, in the Quarterfinal, on the weekend on the 22nd of October.
Final Score 1-17 to 0-09
The team was;
Michael Cronin
Fionn Magner
Kevin Fox
Patrick Angland
Ronan Barry
Liam Cronin (0-02F)
Seamus Fox (0-01)
Brian Cotter
Darragh O Grady (0-02)
Padraig Looney (0-02)
Mikey O Connor (0-04, 0-03F)
Eoghan Buckley (0-01)
Jack O Connor (0-02)
Eddie Cotter (0-01)
Paul O Sullivan (1-02)
Substitutes;
Colm Looney for Paul O Sullivan
Liam Fox for Padraig Looney
Seamus O Mahony for Jack O Connor
Barry Murphy for Eoghan Buckley
Michael Cagney for Darragh O Grady