Strong finish secures two more valuable points.
May 18, 2025
Last night in balmy Killavullen, and a well prepared but rock hard pitch, Killavullen saw off Meelin, in the latest game in the Red FM County Division 7 league. As always it was not so straight forward, as Meelin are a seasoned tough, uncompromising team and you certainly knew you had played a game, afterwards.
With several changes from the previous game, due to injuries and unforeseen and unavoidable absences, we started well and had the opening score of the game from Owen Magner, a lovely point from in and around midfield. Meelin hit back though and scored from two close in free’s and then from open play before Jamie Magner scored two points in quick succession, to bring us level by the sixth minute. Mikey O Connor edged up ahead from his centre forward berth, but Meelin tracked us all the way and scored the next two points to regain the lead. Sean Woulfe equalised for us, in the 10th minutes, ten minutes that had simply flown by. Darragh O Grady edged us ahead again only for Meelin, to equalise after 15 minutes had elapsed. We were getting very little change out of a teak tough full back line of Meelin, but Colm O Mahony with a deft touch to a high centre from Owen Magner, changed the trajectory of the ball, and was very unlucky to see the sliotar strike the upright and rebound back into the goal keepers grasp and away. We were not quite firing on all cylinders up front though, and the management effected a change by bringing on Seamus O Mahony for Seamus Fox. Jamie edged us ahead again from a dead ball situation but again Mellin, tenaciously fought back to level. Jamie scored a lovely point on the run, but Meelin edged level and then ahead with two close in frees. Colm O Mahony got us level again, with a point from open play, created by Kian Lane and Jamie had us to a score of 10 points with another point from open play, but just before the interval, Meelin got back on level terms, with another point from a free to leave the score at the break 0-10 apiece.
Eoghan Buckley was sprung from the bench for Sean Woulfe at the interval. Colm O Mahony scored a close in free for us, that he certainly earned for himself, but Meein again equalised. Eoghan Buckley then scored a fine point for us, after good initial play from Eddie Cotter and we were unlucky to see a high ball bounce off the crossbar and away to safety. Colm scored another close in free after Darragh was fouled, and then from a breaking ball, Eoghan Buckley pulled first time, and the ball flew over the cross bar at pace, it could have been a brilliant goal, if only a few inches lower. Our half back line of the Cotter brothers on the flanks and Liam Cronin , anchoring in the centre were very assured all night long, when in behind, the returning Kevin Fox, Eoin Birchill and Ronan Barry were tough, and very tough, on a night , when anything else would have been found out. Mikey scored another point from an acute angle, over 20 metres out, but the crowd congregating in and around the shop area, certainly informed the referee that it was over the bar with their vociferous approval. There was 15 minutes gone in the half, at that stage. Meelin scored from a free, and we got a reprieve when their full forward got inside our full back line, and from a very tight angle, his ground shot hit the outside of the post, and away over the end line, Meelin got another converted free, before Colm O Mahony, the recipient of some rough house treatment all night long, got a free that drew ironic jeers from the crowd. We lost a player to a straight red card with seven minutes plus injury time to go, and in the context of the game, it was a very harsh decision. Meelin scored a free, and then playing the ball around well, to exploit their numerical advantage , they brought their score to 0-15 as against 0-16 to us, with four minutes remaining.
Eoghan Buckley went back into the centre position of the half back line, and was instrumental in stuffing out any further threats from Meelin. Our forwards worked desperately hard for the remainder of the game, to cover for our numeric loss, and that hard work was rewarded by Owen Magner when he snapped up a ball in a crowded ruck, and his impetus was impended and his brother Jamie scored the resultant free, from in and around midfield. Jamie scored the next point as well, from another hard earned free, before Colm O Mahony fired one over his shoulder to bring our tally to 0-0-19 in the 3rd additional minute of the half. Killavullen finished impressively though, and Brian Cotter set up Owen Magner for another point, before Colm O Mahony scored the final score of the game, to bring our tally to 0-21 in the 35th minute.
The team and those who scored were;
Charlie Cremin
Kevin Fox
Ronan Barry
Eoin Birchill
Brian Cotter
Liam Cronin
Eddie Cotter
Jamie Magner (0-7, 0-03F)
Owen Magner (0-02)
Darragh O Grady (0-01)
Mikey O Conner (0-02)
Seamus Fox
Sean Woulfe (0-01)
Colm O Mahony (0-06, 0-03F)
Kian Lane
Substitutes utilized were;
- Seamus O Mahony for Seamus Fox
- Eoghan Buckley (0-02) for Sean Woulfe
Killavullen had a shop running over two nights of this weekend, and it was very well supported, so a big thank you to those who managed it, on the nights. It is a great addition to the facilities at the venue.