Brilliant saves and determined play not enough against Dromina.
May 30, 2026
Killavullen and Dromina served up a good game of hurling on Thursday night last, in a game played in Killavullen, and postponed twice before, at the request of Dromina. It was hard and fair and Michael Sheedy, the experienced referee did well to keep a lid on it.
We opened the scoring with a Colm Hannon point from open play, only for Dromina to hit back. Their team was a mix of experienced campaigners and younger lads, but their spline of their team was very crafty and physically stronger than us, and in their free taker, Jack Morrissey, they possessed a person, that must surely be putting his hand up for inclusion, in the Junior A team, and that in essence, is the brilliance of this competition. Without second teams, players will migrate away from their clubs, and clubs will have no pathway for to develop young players and introduce them, to adult competitions. Dromina scored from their half forward line, after a great fetch. Dromina went up a point, with the aid of the wind, but we again equalised from the hurley of Colm Hannon. Sean Palmer hit a long range point for us, but Dromina levelled quickly, and went a point ahead. The first moment of controversy occurred when a long delivery from Ian O Gorman held up in the wind, and Colm Looney used his strength to get inside his man and close in on goals, he flicked the ball to the net. Dromina officials on the sideline, and they the full half width of the pitch and close to the centre line of it, were adamant it was a square ball situation, and protested vigorously, and probably too vigorously, and the new rules in hurling, if applied would have and could have allowed the referee to award a close in free. No doubt that would be protested as well, but the idea is that the sanction is repeated until the protestors learn the lesson. Shouting unsavoury opinions at officials are not tolerated, is what the sanctions are meant to eradicate.
When Colm Looney got inside his man again, on the next play and was hauled to the ground, the referee award a penalty to Killavullen that Colm expertly took, and finished to the net. The referee ordered the full black off the field for 10 minutes. That led to some in the away team convinced that the world was against them, but whether a decision is right or wrong, the referee is only human and doing their best. Dromina got a point back, and a score from Colm Looney that was taken from a tight angle, was adjusted by the away team umpire to be wide. In the end, it did not matter, but it only added to the disagreements.
Dromina got another point, and Colm scored again for us, in the game, that had become overtly tetchy, and rancorous, and that was not what it should be. Darragh in our goals pulled off a brilliant save, from a pile driver of a shot, that had spin and dip on it, and somehow, managed to push it out for a 65-metre shot, which was converted. Ian O Gorman scored for us, just before the break, to have four points of a lead for Killavullen, 2-07 to 0-09 at the short whistle.
Dromina got the opening score of the second period from a free, while Ian replied for us. Dromina again took a point and then another back off our lead, but Ian replied once more. Dromina were now on top in the critical area of the middle third of the field, and rained balls down on top of our defenders, who manfully resisted all efforts, with brave blocks downs, and determined play. Conor Griffin and Pa Angland lead the charge, ably assisted by Barry Cotter and Tomas Fennell. Darragh caught two brilliant long deliveries, that came in through a throng of players, and it was great to see a young goalkeeper resist all pressures. Ian got a point for us, and Seamus Fox blocked a screamer of a shot from a dead ball situation, in close to our goals. The goal that Dromina had been threatening finally arrived from the hurley of that fore mentioned Jack Morrissey, when he forced his way goal wards, and got his shot away at close quarters, that gave Darragh no chance. Dromina took the lead, but Colm Hannon retaliated for us, with another point and an absolute pile driver of a shot from a close in free cannoned off the post, from Jack Morrissey and away to safety when it unlikely that the netting of the goals would have contained the ball, such was the ferocity of the strike.
Dromina edged in front with two more points and despite our best efforts, the score at the end of the game was 1-16 to 2-10 in favour of Dromina.
The team and scorers were.
- Darragh O Connor
- Pa Angland
- Barry Cotter
- Sean Bartley
- Conor Griffin
- Tomas Fennell
- Seamus Fox
- Sean Palmer (0-01)
- Joe Cagney
- Ian O Gorman (0-05, 0-01F)
- Michael Walsh
- Colm Hannon (0-03)
- Colm Looney (2-01)
Substitutes
- Conor Barrett for Sean Bartley
- Kian Lane for Michael Walsh