Strong second half performance sees Killavullen win out
May 31, 2023
In front of a very decent crowd, for a weekday and a league fixture in Division 1 hurling, Killavullen saw off Charleville in the latest game, our sixth in this Avondhu league.
Charleville started brightly, and their centre forward in particular caught the eye., and they raced into a four point lead before Killavullen got their opening point from Liam Cronin, got our opening point from open play in the 7th minute. We added another point from a close in free, scored by Mikey O Connor shortly thereafter and another point from distance, from Liam, from a dread ball situation. Charleville tacked over another point but we were gaining ascendancy in the half-back line and midfield area at this juncture, and Liam converted two long range frees after Michael Cagney and Padraig Looney had been fouled. That brought both teams level, by the 15th minute.
Charleville took the lead from a careless free we gave away, when we should have cleared the ball, but Liam converted another booming effort from a free, and then we took the lead, from a Mikey O Connor score from open play. Charleville got another free back, only for Charlie Lillis, Mikey and Paul O Sullivan to score, to open up a three-point lead. Charleville replied through their centre forward bit the hard working Liam Fox got a nice point for us, to maintain our advantage. Charleville got another point from open play, and then, Billy Norris brought off a brave save with his feet, and followed up moments later with an excellent shot stop to keep Charleville goal-less, and Rory O Regan and Sean Palmer cleared our lines. Charlie got another point for us, just before the break, to leave the score at the interval, Killavullen 0-12 as against Charleville having scored 0-09.
Seamus O Mahony and Darragh O Grady were introduced for Colin Carey and Ian O Mahoney. We went on a bit of a scoring spurt in the initial 10 minutes after half time that effectively ended the game as a contest. Charlie scored a delightful point, before Paul O Sullivan, scored three points in a row, bang, bang; bang on the run, each a lovely score in their own right. Charlie added another from distance, a lovely point also. Liam added another long distance free, and suddenly we were ahead on a double score score-line. -0-18 to 0-09. A high ball into the square squirmed loose, and Brian Cotter and Rory O Regan aided Billy to prevent a certain goal and Rory added up those heroics with a great hook that thwarted the inrushing Charleville forward and he about to pull the trigger. Darragh O Grady showed real guile and class to score nicely for us, and Charleville stayed in the game with two further points. Liam landed another long range free. Charlie added a sublime point from out on the wing, from the dressing room side, which had the Killavullen spectators in that great vantage point purring. Paul O Sullivan added to his very respectable tally and Barry Murphy was sprung from the bench for Rory O Regan. Billy make another fine save, in what is rapidly becoming a very nice habit and when Conor Brennan cleared the ball down to the other end of the field, it was worked through to Mikey O Connor who finished emphatically to the net. Charleville tried hard to get scores, and got two further points from converted frees, before we got a close in free, and point from Mikey. We spurned another gilt-edged chance of a goal, with over-elaborate play, but Barry Murphy, whose shot from 20 metres out fairly rifled into the top of the net, soon corrected that.
Charleville got a penalty right at the end of the game, and Billy had it covered, he said, but it flashed narrowly wide.
Final Score Killavullen 2-23 – Charleville 0-14
The team was
- Billy Norris
- Rory O Regan
- Conor Brenna
- Sean Palmer
- Eoghan Buckley
- Brian Cotter
- Padraig Looney
- Liam Cronin(0-08, 0-05F)
- Michael Cagney
- Liam Fox (0-01)
- Charlie Lillis (0-05)
- Paul O Sullivan (0-05)
- Colin Carey
- Mikey O Connor (1-03, 0-02F)
- Ian O Mahony
Substitutes.
- Seamus O Mahoney for Colin Carey
- Darragh O Grady (0-01) for Ian O Mahony
- Barry Murphy (1-00) for Rory O Regan