Momentum maintained with another win in Div 1 Hurling
May 18, 2022
Killavullen maintained their good momentum in Division 1 hurling league, with a tight win, against Fermoy, in a game was played in Fermoy, earlier tonight. Short a good few regulars, this gave Killavullen the opportunity to try different players and combinations.
We opened the scoring with a Barry Murphy free, and then, the returning Darragh O Grady scored a nice point from his midfield berth. Short some hurling practise of late, with an enforced stay in the Gaeltacht in Kerry as part of his teacher training course, Darragh was influential in midfield and can be better again. Fermoy replied with three scores from play in 3 minutes between the 5th and 8th minute to go ahead, but Colm Looney equalised only for Fermoy to go forward and score another point. Mikey O Connor equalised for us, and then, we took over in the scoring stakes for a while, with a succession of points, from Colm again, Eoghan Buckley a Barry Murphy free and a another Colm point to be ahead by 0-08 to 0-04 by the 23rd minute. Fermoy responded with a pointed free and another from open play, only for Barry Murphy to score 4 pointed frees in a row from a variety of distances, with Gary Lane and Padraig Looney fouled in two of the situations. We manufactured two overlap and goal scoring chances but left both behind us without troubling the goalkeeper, but you would have to credit the Fermoy rear guard as well. Fermoy got another free before the short whistle to signal half time. 0-12 to 0-07 was the score at the interval.
Good first half from both teams, and we were blessed to avoid the thunderous showers that fell in North Cork and Cork generally throughout the day, though it did make for a greasy pitch.
Liam Cronin scored a 65 metre shot, that went over the black spot of the goal, but Fermoy came more into the game, with some of the players impressing, and trying to get forward onto their Senior team. Fermoy scored another point, and then added to their tally with two pointed frees in the initial six minutes. Eddie Cotter got another point for us, to stretch out our lead further again, and that lead looked comprehensive when Barry Murphy scored a goal after following in, a Padraig Looney shot, that dropped short. Very similar score, to his goal against Charleville, in the outcome, and placement, and similar outcome – a green flag. We brought our tally to 15 points with another Barry free only for Fermoy to stage a spirited revival, with a converted 65, followed by a point from play, and then a goal , from a long range free, that we batted out. However the Fermoy player showed no hesitation, and hit a great ground shot, that fairly flew into the net.
We responded impressively when we had to though, with points again, from Barry from a free, and then a Mikey O Connor point, when he had to expend a lot of energy to run into the corner, turn his man, and slot other from an acute angle. Barry exploited some more hard work from our substitute John O Regan, who had done the bustling . Fermoy though, would not lie down, and stayed in the game with another point. Liam converted another 65 metre shot but Fermoy got two points more back. Eoghan Buckley got an important insurance point for us, after a great pass into space, and into his hand from Eddie Cotter. Matty Condon from Fermoy scored a wonder point, one that you would just have to stand back and admire, his control and wrist work but we got the final point, from Darragh again, to bring the score up to 1-21 to 1-17.
Good game, good consistent refereeing from Aidan Hyland from Kilworth, and Killavullen would be pleased that they secured another win, with a good few players to come back into the fold.
The team was;
- Michael Cronin
- Pa Angland
- Fionn Magner
- Conor Brennan
- Eddie Cotter (0-01)
- Liam Cronin (0-02; 0-02 x 65)
- Liam Fox
- Mikey O Connor (0-02)
- Darragh O Grady (0-02)
- Colm Looney (0-03)
- Eoghan Buckley (0-02)
- Padraig Looney
- Gary Lane
- Barry Murphy (1-09, 0-08F)
- Pa Cronin
Substitutes
- John O Regan for Pa Cronin