By: Mary Dunne
Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 1 Round 4
Kilcormac/Killoughey: 0-25
St Rynagh’s: 2-17
Reigning and four in a row seeking County Champions Kilcormac/Killoughey gave themselves a real shout for a knockout position when they took the win over high flying St Rynagh’s on Sunday afternoon last in Grant Heating St Brendan’s Park, Birr.
This was a strange enough game at times in the sense that both sides had more than enough chances to run away with the win, but at the same time it came right down to the wire and it was KK who took the vital two points.
For St Rynagh’s they came into the clash on foot of three wins and a knockout position already secured. A win or a draw would have meant that they would get the semi final spot, but they now will have to wait until the final group games in two weeks’ time to see will they hold onto their position at the top.
While they would have loved to continue their winning and inflict more hardship on the reigning champions, they came out of Birr at least knowing that they have a final six spot secured, unlike the position they found themselves in this time last year.
For KK this was a win that they needed, but their opening round defeat to Coolderry is one that still could come against them.
There’s a lot of ifs ands and buts yet to come in this championship. KK will face off against Birr in their final group game and they have to win. If they lose and Coolderry beat Kinnitty they will be knocked out without reaching the knockout stages.
It is a very fine margins to say the least and there is an awful lot of hurling left to be played, but they have given themselves a massive chance and sometimes when your back is to the wall that is when you are at your most dangerous.
This year they have been vulnerable and are missing two of their star players in Charlie Mitchell and Adam Screeney and while they are scoring well, they really should have scored a lot more on Sunday with a whopping twenty one wides chalked down against them.
KK were certainly the sharper of the sides in the opening exchanges and thanks to scores from Conor Slevin, Cillian Kiely with two, Leigh Kavanagh, Colin Spain and Damien Kilmartin they stormed into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead after eleven minutes.
St Rynagh’s were struggling to get their feet in the opening ten minutes and they were living off scraps with their scores coming thanks to Joey O’Connor and Aaron Molloy.
But it didn’t take them too much longer to get into their rhythm. Stephen Quirke pointed to bring the gap back to three and with further scores from Eoin Woods, Gary Conneely and a ’65 from Eoin Woods, the sides were suddenly deadlocked ay 0-6 each after eighteen minutes.
Colin Spain who put in a tremendous shift for KK had them back in front second later, but Jerome Flannery was hot on his heels to ensure that the sides would remain tied.
The deadlock however was not set to stick for too long and it was KK who finished out the half strongly.
Conor Slevin hit them in front again on the 23rd minute with his second long range free and with a further four scores from Daniel Hand, after Conor Clancy kept out a brilliant goal scoring opportunity from a Lochlann Kavanagh shot, Hand left KK five clear at the break. The half time scores reading 0-12 to 0-7.
Colin Spain added to the lead within seconds of the restart and it was no St Rynagh’s who needed to score and finally with thirty two on the clock, some eleven minutes after their previous score St Rynagh’s were back on the board.
Eoin Woods added a free and then with thirty four minutes on the clock, the game took another turn, when Stephen Quirke drove home a cracking goal and with that only one separated the sides, 0-13 to 1-9.
KK needed a leader to take it on and for them luckily they had two in Colin Spain and Cillian Kiely who both hit over magnificent scores and broke the St Rynagh’s momentum.
Luke O’Connor after being sprung from the bench at half time added a fine score for St Rynagh’s, but once again KK had a response with Daniel Hand and Colin Spain giving KK a four point lead 0-17 to 1-10 with thirty seven played.
KK were now in the position to close it out from there, but St Rynagh’s had more to office and with Eoin Woods picking out Darragh Scully brilliantly, Scully fired home a cracking goal and thanks to follow up scores from Luke O’Connor and Eoin Woods with a ’65, St Rynagh’s were back in front 2-12 to 0-17.
It was a real nip and tuck affair and when Colin Spain sent in a brilliant sideline cut, Conor Mahon got his hurl to it to crash it to St Rynagh’s net, but the goal was ruled out as square ball.
It was a let off for St Rynagh’s but KK did regroup and with scores from Daniel Hand and Alex Kavanagh KK were back in front again 0-19 to 2-12 on the forty fifth minute.
Aaron Molloy drew the sides level again but only momentarily with scores from Daniel Hand and Peter Geraghty giving KK the lead again, 0-21 to 2-13.
This game was far from over and it was St Rynagh’s who came again. A brace of fine long range scores from Gary Conneely drew the side’s level again, before Eoin Woods hit them in front 2-16 to 0-21 with five minute of normal time to play.
It was frantic to say the least from there and from the 55th to the final whistle KK outscored their opponents by four points to one and sealed the win.
Ter Guinan drew them level and with two more frees from Daniel Hand KK were two clear 0-24 to 2-16.
Eoin Woods brought it back to one, but with a fine score Jack Screeney sealed the deal bringing the full time scores to 0-25 to 2-17.
The Scorers
Kilcormac/Killoughey: Daniel Hand 0-9 (0-6 Frees), Colin Spain 0-5, Cillian Kiely 0-3, Conor Slevin 0-2 (Frees), Damien Kilmartin 0-1, Jack Screeney 0-1, Ter Guinan 0-1, Leigh Kavanagh 0-1, Alex Kavanagh 0-1, Peter Geraghty 0-1.
St Rynagh’s: Eoin Woods 0-6 (0-2 Frees, 0-2 ‘65’s), Stephen Quirke 1-2, Gary Conneely 0-3, Darragh Scully 1-0, Aaron Molloy 0-2, Luke O’Connor 0-2, Joey O’Connor 0-1, Jerome Flannery 0-1.
The Teams
Kilcormac/Killoughey: Conor Slevin; Tom Spain, Jordan Quinn, James Mahon; Brecon Kavanagh, Cillian Kiely, Leigh Kavanagh; Colin Spain, Damien Kilmartin; Jack Screeney, Thomas Geraghty, Ter Guinan; Daniel Hand, Conor Mahon, Lochlann Kavanagh.
Subs: Enda Grogan for Jordan Quinn (inj. 25 mins), Alex Kavanagh for Thomas Geraghty (41 mins), Peter Geraghty for Lochlann Kavanagh (46 mins).
St Rynagh’s :Conor Clancy; Daire Daly, Ben Conneely, Dominic Healy; Pat Camon, Joey O’Connor, Gary Conneely; Stephen Quirke, Matthew Maloney; Shane Rigney, Evan Houlihan, Eoin Woods; Darragh Scully, Jerome Flannery, Aaron Molloy.
Subs: Luke O’Connor for Jerome Flannery (Half Time), Ronan Hughes for Matthew Maloney (39 mins), Ciaran Daly for Joey O’Connor (54 mins).
Referee: Shane Guinan (Drumcullen).
By Offaly Secretary Sun 23rd Aug
