Coolboy topple Kilbride

COOLBOY KILBRIDE 4-15 3-09

COOLBOY sent out a serious warning to all in the Junior A championship that they are still a force to be dealt with as they took on Kilbride in Ballinakil on Friday night in a high scoring encounter.

It was the Kilbride side that started the brightest and had their first score on the board after just a minute by wing forward Hugh Walsh.

There was five minutes on the clock when big midfielder Donnacha Corrigan spilt Coolboy’s defence but keeper Damien O’Keeffe saved but could do nothing about the rebound and it was slotted away by Niall Toolis.

The first good ball that Coolboy got into danger man PJ Mulhall seen him take on his man and won a free which could have been a black card but the ref showed yellow on this occasion.

The free was converted by the steady foot of Kevin O’Keeffe.

Then it was that man again, PJ Mulhall, a former county Minor star, to blast to the net after good link up play with PJ O’Keeffe. Game on now.

Wayne Kinsella decided to get in on the action and slotted over a beauty from 40 yards out and it was all Coolboy at this stage.

The killer blow came for Kilbride went they lost Martin O’Donoghue to a second yellow.

Wayne Kinsella tagged on another point as he started to get the measure of O’Donoghue.

But Kilbride then started their comeback. A point from Liam McCoy and two more in a row from that man Niall Toolis, he looked a real danger anytime he had the ball but Wayne Kinsella got another to keep Coolboy in the lead.

Then on the stroke of half-time PJ O’Keeffe again linked up with Mulhall for a screamer of a goal to leave it 2-8 to 1-6 at half-time,.

Kilbride decided to bring their keeper Thomas McKeon out the field at the start of the second half after he had made a few great solo runs up the field in the first half.

Coolboy got off to the better start with scores from Mulhall and Johnny Smyth, then Donnacha Corraigan with another monster run drills to the net and Kilbride, even with 14 men, were not about to give up yet.

Coolboy made a double substation and brought in the two Walsh brothers and they addedd a point before Jonathan Smyth made a break for goal and finished nicely.

Then in the 48th minute, tempers flared in the far corner. The ref eree consulted his umpires and sent PJ O’Keeffe off on a straight red and a minute later Jonathan Smyth gets himself a black card.

With the game as good as over, Kilbride were keeping the pressure on and they won a free.

Deciding to take it quick, that man Donoghue drills to the net again but it was only a consolation as Coolboy went back up the field and handball legend Michael Gregan found himself one on one with the keeper but made the right decision and set up Bradley Walsh for his first goal.

The whistle blew soon after with the score 4-15 to 3-9 in favour of Coolboy.

Damien O’Keeffe; Anthony Holly, Brendan Behan, Enda Gethings; Aaron Kinsella, James Gregan (0-1) Garreth Gregan; Michael Gregan, Dan Nolan; Jonathan Smyth (1-1), PJ O’Keeffe (1-4), Kevin O’Keeffe (0-2); PJ Mulhall (1-3), Wayne Kinsella (0-4) Adam Doyle. Subs: B. Walsh (1-0) in for A Doyle, N Walsh in for E Gethings, J O’Keeffe in for G. Gregan, F. Kiersey in for K O’Keeffe.

Thomas McKeon; Neil O’Donoghue, Patrick O’Donoghue, Neil Kehoe; Richard Ward, Diarmaid Hawkins, Kevin McLoughlin; Finn Craul, Donnacha Corrigan (2-2); Hugh Walsh (0-1) Martin Donoghue, Eoin Kehoe, Liam McCoy (0-1) Niall Toolis (1-4) Michael Riordan. Subs: David Balfe, Andrew O’Brien (0-1), D. Balfe in for Hawkins, A. O’Brien in for K. McLoughlin.

Liam Keenan jr