Advancement to back to back finals in U21 Football
December 10, 2023
Killavullen advanced to the U21 B Football final, where they will play against Buttevant by overcoming Mitchelstown last night on a final score of 2-11 to 1-05 but the game was much closer in reality than that mere score line makes out. The game was played in Mourne Abbey, on a blustery and cold night, but thankfully, for the players and spectators, the rain held away. The pitch was in excellent condition.
Killavullen were playing with a strong wind advantage in the opening period, and opening the scoring after a good deal of possessive football, with a sweet strike in the 4th minute from distance from Mark Nagle, that sailed over the defensive cover of a well organised Mitchelstown rear guard, and crucially over the cross bar. We followed up that score with a different type of score entirely in the 8th minute, when Patrick O Grady, very influential on the night, took off on a slaloming run from his centre back position, and turned and twisted his way forward and popped a beauty over the bar. Colm O Mahony added to our tally in the 10th minute with another fine score. Mitchelstown had a good deal of possession also, but were kept out side of the scoring area, by a well marshalled Killavullen defence. That defence was breached in the 13th minute, but Niall in our goals, managed to get the faintest of his finger tips to the ball, and push it onto the cross bar and Conor Griffin cleared the danger.
Eoin Birchall scored a point from a difficult angle from a free for us, when Seamus O Mahony was fouled, that score owed much to the tenacity of Colin Carey who chased down a way ward pass , right into the corner flag, and kept it in play, before feeding the ball more centrally to Seamus. Mitchelstown got a point back from a free, before we lost our influential full back, to injury when his bravery took him into a challenge where the only certainty was that he was going to get hurt. Thomas Fennell was introduced to replace Conor, but that did mean a certain rejigging of the team. Mark Nagle scored another booming point from distance, wind assisted in the 25th minute and Colin Carey scored an intelligent score for us in the 27th minute, from a difficult angle. Mitchelstown scored another point from a free only for Eoin Birchall to cancel out that score with a point of his own from distance. There was some scintillating exchanges of hand passes in the game, with Brian Cotter, Kian Lane and particularly Ultan Cottey driving forward at pace supporting the man in possession, and creating an overlap. From one such move, over on the far side of the pitch, the railway side, Killavullen worked a delightful opening quickly through the hand, and Seamus O Mahony was fouled in the act of shooting, and he inside the square, and a penalty was awarded. Mark Nagle was unerring in his spot kick, sending the goal keeper the wrong way, and sending the ball to his left to leave the score at the break 1-08 to 0-02.
Considering the strength of the wind, Mitchelstown were always going to come back into the game, in the second half, but crucially we held possession for long periods, thus preventing them getting on the ball. We scored first against that strong wind, with a point from a free from Eoin. Mitchelstown were right back in the game through when they scored a goal in the 10th minute of the game, a goal, which owed a lot to the nous of their player, who kept his shot low on the ground, but well placed, away from Niall, even though three Killavullen defenders were all about the attacker. Darragh O Grady replaced Mick Walsh at this juncture to get on the ball, and carry it up field, against the wind. Mitchelstown though, were now in the ascendancy around midfield, and scored 3 rapid fire points, from the 12th to the 18th minute to make the game very competitive. In a rare foray north of the centre line, we managed to isolate Seamus O Mahony in close to goals, and he caught a great ball, and score scored a relieving point from his resultant mark. Rory Regan and Owen Magner, came into the game for Colin Carey and Shane Walsh. Patrick O Grady scored another beauty of a point from distance to put further daylight between the teams, and Mitchelstown lost a player to a red card. With eight minutes to go, Ian O Mahony replaced Mark Nagle, as Killavullen tried to hold onto the ball in advanced areas, but Mitchelstown were well in the game still at this stage. The game, and the fate of Mitchelstown was sealed though, when in a break away move, the Killavullen forwards, led by Colm O Mahony got Rory isolated, his shot came back on the post, but Owen Magner was at hand, following up, gathered the rebound, and finished it, to the net.
Mitchelstown tried valiantly to the end, and we were grateful that Thomas Fennell was on the line to kick one effort off the line, and short thereafter, another effort from Mitchelstown, came back off the post.
Final Score:
Mitchelstown 1-05 as against 2-11 for Killavullen
Killavullen play Buttevant in the final, which will be the last game of 2023 in the Avondhu Division, and credit to all 24 clubs in the division for getting through the program of games.
The team was
The team was
1. Niall Murray
2. Sean Palmer
3. Conor Griffin
4. Sean Palmer
5. Ultan Cottey
6. Patrick O Grady (0-02)
7. Kian Lane
8. Brian Cotter
9. Eoin Birchall (0-03, 0-02F)
10. Michael Walsh
11. Colm O Mahony (0-01)
12. Shane Walsh
13. Colin Carey (0-01)
14. Seamus O Mahony (0-01)
15. Mark Nagle (1-03, 1-00 F)
Substitutes -
1. Thomas Fennell for Conor Griffin (injured)
2. Darragh O Grady for Michael Walsh
3. Rory Regan for Colin Carey
4. Owen Magner (1-00) for Shane Walsh
5. Ian O Mahony for Mark Nagle