Hollywood end season on high with promotion
HOLLYWOOD KILMACANOGUE 4-05 1-09
HOLLYWOOD completed a fine year by adding league promotion to their Intermediate success with a somewhat faltering win over Kilmacanogue on Sunday morning.
They left their shooting boots at home with thirteen wides and dropped four shots into Daryl Tighe’s welcoming arms, though in fairness to them and Kilmacanogue, who missed their fair share of chances too, the conditions were not conducive to silky football and outside of the boot wonder scores.
Poor passing didn’t add to the game and it probably didn’t help that the match was played on a Sunday morning.
Harry Wilson was head and shoulders above everybody else on the field, putting in an exhibition of full back play.
Kick it in high, he’ll win it. Kick it in low, he’ll win it. Kick it in any other way, he’ll win it. He gave an almost flawless display and without him Hollywood may not have gotten away with their poor shooting.
Behind him in the queue was PJ O’Keeffe who tormented the Kilmacanogue defence with his constant running and willingness to get on the ball.
His second half performance was particularly noteworthy with only a couple of wides blotting his copybook.
For Kilmacanogue they were always playing second fiddle but their sweeper Simon Doyle played well in frustrating all of Hollywood with his interceptions while Niall Meldon kept the Hollywood defence honest.
Niall Meldon opened the scoring from the throw in with a fine left footed shot.
Hollywood responded however by taking control of possession and showing their intent with Tony Hannon’s goal bound shot being saved by Daryl Tighe’s legs.
Midfielder Cian Tyrrell kicked the equaliser, the team waited patiently before finding O’Keeffe with a pass and he laid off to his teammate.
The teams missed a couple of more chances until Tony Hannon got the first goal of the game in the tenth minute.
Robert Kelly found O’Keeffe with a pass and he laid off to the former Wicklow star to slide the ball into the net.
Stephen Morgan replied with an effort from the 45 and we then waited for seven minutes for another score as the quality dipped slightly.
The passing from both teams was particularly poor, gifting the ball back to the other team like an early Christmas present.
Sam O’Callaghan stopped the malaise when he was given too much space by Conor Burke and then he added a free to level the match at 1-01 to 4 points after 22 minutes.
Again the scoring stopped until Thomas Burke pointed on the stroke of half time as the Kilmacanogue defence were caught napping and not alert to a Hannon free being taken short to him.
The Intermediate champions had a dream start to the second half, a Robert Kelly shot dropped short but good pressure dispossessed the defence and Burke was on hand to put the ball in the net.
Kilmacanogue came back with a couple of points, Niall Meldon instrumental for both. He scored the first when he glided past Mikey Healy and then was fouled for the second which Sam O’Callaghan converted.
The frustration levels rose for Hollywood around this time as they kicked four wides before Hannon curled in a beauty.
This put them three ahead but their poor kicking kept Kilmacanogue in the match and by the time Andrew Molly reduced the deficit to two Hollywood had kicked another three wides, O’Keeffe guilty of two of them.
Hollywood were given some breathing space when they kicked 1-01, Thomas Burke with a free and Peadar Traynor with the goal, to make it 3-04 to 7 points by the 49th minute.
Kilmacanogue responded with 1-01 of their own however, O’Callaghan with a free and then Harry Wilson made his only mistake of the game, racing out for a ball but not getting to it.
Meldon did instead and Simon Doyle was on hand to score a goal.
The game was back to two points and all to play for.
Hollywood eventually got there in the end, O’Keeffe with 1-01 to put a seal on the win, but they weren’t altogether convincing.
They won’t mind though and head into the winter with fond memories of 2017.
Scorers – Hollywood: Thomas Burke (1f) 1-02; PJ O’Keeffe, Tony Hannon 1-01 each; Peadar Traynor 1-00; Cian Tyrrell 0-01.
Kilmacanogue: Sam O’Callaghan (3f) 0-04; Simon Doyle 1-00; Niall Meldon 0-02; Stephen Morgan, Rob Conan, Andrew Molloy 0-01 each.
Jamie Tutty; Keith Traynor, Harry Wilson, Shane Kelly; Conor Burke, Mikey Healy, Robert Kelly; Cian Tyrrell, Ciaran Tyrrell; Peadar Traynor, PJ O’Keeffe, Joe Glennon; Thomas Burke, Tony Hannon, Garrett Bell. Subs: Kevin Glennon for Keith Traynor, Matthew Kelly for Garrett Bell (both 36 mins); Stephen Kearney for Thomas Burke (57 mins); Kevin Cullen for Shane Kelly, Colin Tutty for PJ O’Keeffe, Ross Tyrrell for Robert Kelly (all 60 mins).
Daryl Tighe; Eoin Touhy, Cian Rafferty, Luke O’Callaghan; Marcus Rafferty, Donal Touhy, Stephen Morgan; Ben O’Callaghan, Rob Conan; Conor Finn, Niall Meldon, Sam O’Callaghan; Simon Doyle, Andrew Molloy, Michael Whelan. Subs: Stephen Flynn for Conor Finn, Ray Nally for Michael Walsh (both 51 mins).
Kieron Kenny.