Kilmac produce super display to down Billies
DARCY SAND INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL QUARTER-FINALS
KILMACANOGUE BALLYMANUS 3-14 1-11
KILMACANOGUE produced a superb first half of football to blow Ballymanus away in the Darcy Sand Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final in Joule Park Aughrim last Saturday afternoon.
Mark King’s men took a fully deserved 3-8 to 0-3 lead into the dressing rooms at the break thanks to goals from Sam O’Callaghan, Josh O’Callaghan and Stephen Morgan as they dissected the Ballymanus defence time and time again.
The Billies played in spurts in this game and were never able to find any rhythm. They had too many bystanders over the course of the hour and were badly exposed at the back by a young energetic full-forward line that will be hard held when they face Tinahely in the county semi-final.
Kevin Byrne’s men looked to have recovered from a wonderful start for Kilmacanogue when they roared back to a 0-4 to 0-3 deficit against the Sugarloaf men with two points from Roan Lynch and a third from Padraig Byrne in reply to points from Josh O’Callaghan, Sam O’Callaghan, Aaron Creavin, and Michael Whelan scored during an explosive beginning to this encounter.
But the Billies’ recovery was cut short when Kilmac attacked towards the dressing room end. Josh O’Callaghan picked out Aaron Creavin whose shot was blocked by Liam Byrne, but the ball spilled to Josh O’Callaghan who rifled the ball low and hard and it came off the retreating Brendan Whelan and ended up in the back of Brendan Doyle’s goal. Disaster for Ballymanus, 1-4 to 0-3.
Sam O’Calllaghan showed his attacking potential in the next few moments when he fired over a beautiful point after fielding from a long ball before turning and splitting the posts and then he collected another long ball from the midfield and turned and buried it in the back of the net for Kilmac’s second major.
The O’Callaghan brothers, Aaron Creavin and Niall Meldon were in fine form all day in Joule Park Aughrim with Meldon getting my man of the match nod for a sublime showing all over the field.
Ballymanus were in dire straits at this stage. What possession they had they wasted, but they weren’t allowed settle or gather their thoughts by a hungry and superbly prepared Kilmac outfit who turned over the ball time after time in this first half. They also lost midfielder Darragh O’Keeffe to injury and with a poorly populated bench that was always going to be a factor in the end result.
Sugarloaf warrior Stephen Morgan raised the third green flag of the day after a turnover ball by Sam O’Callaghan was passed to Niall Meldon who fed Morgan and there was only one place the ball was going, 3-5 to 0-3, the death knell sounding on Ballymanus’ championship dream for 2018.
And it would only get worse for the Billies. Aaron Creavin, Niall Meldon and Michael Whelan would all point as the first half reached its conclusion to leave Ballymanus with a mountain to climb at 3-8 to 0-3.
The Billies have a reputation as battlers and fighters and fine footballers for a reason, and they showed exactly why they have that reputation in the second half. The problem was that the damage was too severe from that opening half and they would need Kilmacanogue to self-destruct to have any hope of revival.
A quick 1-1 gave them a glimmer of hope; Mark Kenny with a point from distance and a wicked shot from Kevin Byrne finding the back of Niall King’s net, 3-8 to 1-4, 120 seconds into the second half.
Kilmacanogue were always dangerous and much of that danger had to do with the performance of Simon Doyle who dictated matters from his half-back position. Doyle is a superb playmaker for the Kilmac men and much of their momentum comes from his input.
Robert Conan nipped the Billies’ revival in the bud with a lovely point off his left but Kevin Byrne’s charges put the heads down again and drove over four unanswered points from Mark Kenny, Kieran Whelan, Roan Lynch and Mark Kenny again to leave things looking slightly more manageable at 3-9 to 1-8 after 10 minutes.
Ballymanus were without Paddy Byrne (Moyne) for the entire game and it has to be said his absence was keenly felt with Gavan Burke, Paddy O’Donnell and Donal Tuohy looking very capable for the most part.
A point each from Kilmac’s Sam O’Callaghan and Kieran Whelan of Ballymanus left it at 3-10 to 1-9 as we approached the end of the third quarter but further points from Sam O’Callaghan and Aaron Creavin served to knock more wind out of the Ballymanus lungs.
Advantage from Declan Peppard gave Mark Kenny the chance to point but his effort was cancelled out by Michael Whelan from a tight angle at the Rednagh Hill end with 49 minutes on the match clock.
Ballymanus introduced Seanie O’Neill and Paddy Byrne (Gap) shortly after Roan Lynch bagged their final point of the game in the 51st minute.
Another Kilmac turnover allowed Aaron Creavin point his side’s last score of the day and in fairness to the Billies they would lay siege on the Kilmac goal, but they would only register wides as they went in search of goals with Padraig Byrne firing wide from close range and Gavan Burke blocking one of two Roan Lynch shots late on.
Kilmacanogue march on to face the high-flying Tinahely men and it makes for an intriguing game of football with two exciting attacks coming up against two capable defences.
It’s all over for Ballymanus for another year. They produced some scintillating football at times but the defeat to Laragh seemed to deflate their bubble at a key juncture in this year’s championship.
Scorers – Kilmacanogue: Sam O’Callaghan 1-4, Aaron Creavin 0-4, Michael Whelan 0-3, Josh O’Callaghan 1-1, Stephen Morgan 1-0, Niall Meldon 0-1, Robert Conan 0-1.
Ballymanus: Mark Kenny 0-4, Roan Lynch 0-4, Kevin Byrne 1-0, Kieran Whelan 0-2 (1f), Padraig Byrne 0-1.
Niall King; Gavan Burke, Paddy O’Donnell, Donal Tuohy; Simon Doyle, Cian Rafferty, Ben O’Callaghan; Andrew Molloy, Robert Conan; Josh O’Callaghan, Michael Whelan, Niall Meldon; Aaron Creavin, Stephen Morgan, Sam O’Callaghan. Subs: Aaron Brady for B Callaghan, Cormac Kelly for M Whelan.
Brendan Doyle; Glen Farrar, Liam Byrne, Aidan Byrne; Shane Whelan, Brendan Whelan, Colm Coogan; Darragh O’Keeffe, Mark Kenny; Seamus Coogan, Roan Lynch, Philip Coogan; Kevin Byrne, Padraig Byrne, Kieran Whelan. Subs: Paul Murray for D O’Keeffe, Seanie O’Neill for K Whelan, Paddy Byrne (Gap) for C Coogan., Killian Farrar for K Byrne
Declan Peppard (Holly- wood)