Saffrons win out in dour affair

Killucan 0-9, Coralstown/Kinnegad 0-7

Killucan threw another spanner in the works in the race for the senior championship quarter-finals with this well merited two-point win in the second of the double header in Rochfortbridge on Sunday evening last.

Purists will say that this game was certainly not for them and indeed the contest was free-littered and disjointed from the start and contained very little football of any note, but that will matter little to Stephen Morley and his charges as they got their first win of the campaign. Victory sees them back in with a chance of a play-off place.

For Kinnegad, it was as lethargic a performance as they have given in many a long day and after starting the season so promisingly, they were a pale shadow of their former selves. This was a game that was dominated in the main by defences and both were excellent, but the amount of turnover ball and wasted opportunities from both sides was hard to watch and in the end, it was certainly the better side that won the day.

For Kinnegad boss Pascal Kelleghan, this was not a good at the office as his free-scoring side failed to penetrate a resolute Killucan defence and gave away far too many frees, while for Killucan it’s another step in their upward trajectory.

PONDEROUS

Kinnegad opened the scoring from a super strike by Brian Cooney, but Killucan completely took over from that point 'till the end of the quarter, with Aron Kiernan, Devin Hill and two from Eamonn Cunneen, all frees, putting them in a commanding position. It was one which they more than deserved given the significant amount of possession they had.

Kinnegad could not penetrate the Saffrons defence with Sam Smith adding to his growing reputation, the Greville brothers and Cormac Boyle simply outstanding at the back for Killucan, and the Reds far too ponderous and ineffective up front. Darren Giles did pull one back with the score of the half following a superb move, but Kiernan nullified that eight minutes later for Killucan, eight minutes that were instantly forgettable as a spectacle. Indeed, Killucan did have the ball in the net only for it to be disallowed as a square ball which it clearly was.

Cooney pointed a late free for Kinnegad and after a very poor first half, Killucan led by 0-5 to 0-3.

PRESSURE

Wayne Fox entered the fray at half-time for Kinnegad and his influence was felt immediately as he tore at the Killucan defence and drew a free which Cooney converted, but Kiernan negated that with a free at the opposite end almost directly after and Killucan were keeping their opponents at arm’s length. Cooney pointed another dead ball and Fox drew the sides level with a fine team move, finished in predator like fashion, and at this stage it looked as if they would ride away into the sunset.

But Killucan had other plans. They stepped up and got even hungrier in defence and try as they may, Kinnegad began to falter considerably and with their dander up, Killucan began to press for the finishing line. Hill pointed another, Cunneen added a second and then Eoghan Ahearn, with a marvellous strike from play under pressure, saw the lead extend back out to three points again. And with time slipping away, Kinnegad were in real bother.

They huffed and puffed but they simply could not blow the Killucan wall down and they became more frustrated as well, with Shane Fleming getting a black card, reducing them to 14 at a most crucial stage.

And indeed the game became rather too physical, with heavy challenges and off-the-ball stuff ruining what was already a poor spectacle.

Cooney added a late free for Kinnegad but it was far too little too late and Killucan held on in some style it must be said to end the Kinnegad unbeaten run and give themselves at least a fighting chance at knock-out football.

Scorers - Killucan: Eamonn Cunneen (all frees) and Aaron Kiernan (2 frees) 0-3 each, Devin Hill 0-2 (all frees), and Eoghan Ahearn 0-1.

Coralstown-Kinnegad: Brian Cooney 0-4 (all frees), Shane Fleming, Darren Giles and Wayne Fox 0-1 each.

Killucan: David Bryan, Andrew Flood, Sam Smith, Luke Darby, Cormac Boyle, Robbie Greville, Eamonn Cunneen, Rory Keyes, Aron Kiernan, Jason Gorman, Sean Leech, Eoghan Ahearn, Gary Greville, Eoin Keyes and Devin Hill. Subs: Michael Doherty for Boyle (50 mins), Conor Jordan for Gorman (65 mins).

Coralstown Kinnegad: Stephen McNevin, David Giles, Daniel Woods, Jason Lynch, James Maxwell, Jason Macken, Josh Gahan, Shane Fleming, Podge Quinn, Eoin O’Brien, Darren Giles, Eoghan Bracken, Dan Leech, Brian Cooney and Ciaran Daly (Snr). Subs: Liam Daly for Lynch (15 mins), Wayne Fox for Bracken (H-T), Callum Cruise for Leech (50 mins), Ciaran Daly Junior for Quinn (52 mins), Jack Torpey for Gahan (56 mins).

Referee: Alan Coyne (CFCW).

Examiner's Eye on the game

Man of the match

Cormac Boyle (Killucan): No one really stood out for Kinnegad in honesty, although Woods, Giles and sub Fox had their moments, but far too fleeting for consideration, while any one of Killucan’s defenders could easily take the spoils. Smith, The Grevilles and Hill all showing up well but even though he was substituted late on, Cormac Boyle was superb and just gets the nod for the victors.

Match officials

There were lots of off-the-ball incidents and this was a feature of the two games in Rochfortbridge, with the stakes obviously higher now at this stage of the championship.

What it means

Coralstown/Kinnegad are on five points but need something from the last game against Tyrrellspass, who are back in the race; Killucan have three points and are in fifth place: they need to beat St Loman’s, Mullingar in the last game to have any chance of qualifying in a very tight group, with Caulry also in the mix.