O Hanlon undoubtable class shines though for Kilshannig in semi
August 30, 2019
Kilshannig served notice that they will take a lot of beating in the destination of County Junior Football Honours in 2019 when they powered to a 1-16 to 0-08 win over us tonight in Mourne Abbey.
The game was brought forward by 30 minutes to a start time of 7.00 PM at the 11th hour due to a technical issue with the lights in the venue, and in doing so, the game also got in ahead of the anticipated heavy rain forecast. Social media was useful in getting the revised start time communicated to the teams and supporters.
Kilshannig struck for the opening point in the 3rd minute but Liam Cronin replied in the 5th minute with an excellent long range free. Killian O Hanlon, fresh from his stellar debut year in the Cork jersey kicked some lovely scores on the night and put his team a point ahead in the 12th minute and further ahead in the 15th from a free. Billy Norris got a lovely intelligent trademark point back for us from the resultant kick out but O Hanlon answered that with a fine point again in the 17th minute. Kilshannig were very good in providing over laps from their half back line, and that was the platform that allowed the younger of the O Hanlon brothers, Eanna, to score a decisive goal in the 18th minute. Our opponents went further ahead with a converted 45 metre shot, from Killian again in the 20th minute.
Killavullen were not playing bad football at this stage, but were never able to establish a platform in the crucial middle of the field. We got a delightful point when Padraig Looney curled a long range effort over the bar that even had our opponent’s spectators singing its praises. Brian Guerin and Bill Curtin, two of the dominant Kilshannig half backs kicked the next two scores but Killavullen tried to the end of the half, and got the next score from Eddie Cotter.
Mikey O Connor and Mike Fresh started out in the second half but we failed to score, despite pressing hard. Indeed Kilshannig pushed out their lead further with 5 points in a row, two of which were frees to open up a 1-12 to 0-04 lead. Liam Cronin kicked another point for us, from a free and when the newly introduced minor winning captain of the evening before, Fionn Magner was fouled, Liam converted that free also. In the 20th minute of the half, Eanna O Hanlon kicked another point, but Padraig Looney, replied with a nice point of his own. Before the game concluded, the elder O Hanlon demonstrated his undoubted class with 3 further points, and try as hard as we did, we failed to seriously break down their resolute rear guard. Billy Norris got the final score of the game in the 27th minute but we were off target with two goal attempts that would have added a degree of respectability to the score line.
In what was a very fruitful and promising year for Killavullen football, and one in which the management team of Eamonn Coakley, Willie Fox and Dick Griffin can be immensely proud of, with their coach, Cathal Cronin, tonight’s opponents are a team of genuine class and need to kick on, in the final against Kilworth, and progress steadily in the County series.
We wish them well.
The team and those who scored were;
- James Angland
- Pa Sheehan
- Sean O Regan
- Ian O Gorman
- Patrick Angland
- Paul O Sullivan
- Kevin Fox
- Eoin Buckley
- Liam Cronin (0-03, (0-03F))
- Eddie Cotter (0-01)
- Billy Norris (0-02)
- Gary Lane
- Jack O Connor
- Eamonn Horgan
- Padraig Looney(0-02)
Substitutes.
- Mikey O Connor for Eamonn Horgan
- Mike Fresh for Gary Lane
- Fionn Magner for Paul O Sullivan
- Liam Fox for Pa Sheehan
- Sean Woulfe for Jack O Connor