Kilanerin overcome poor start to see off Ballymitty
KILANERIN RECOVERED from a tardy start to see off Bannow-Ballymitty and claim the All-County Football League Division 2 title in St. Patrick’s Park on Sunday.
The New Ross District outfit were 0-5 to 0-1 to the good after ten minutes and they should have been further ahead, with Niall Harney twice going close to raising the green flag. The first goal chance came on eight minutes when goalkeeper Tom Hughes did well to divert his effort around the post with his outstretched left leg.
Two minutes later the centre-forward was again inches away from hitting the back of the net, but he couldn’t keep his shot down and the ball grazed off the top of the crossbar for a point when a goal was there for the taking.
After weathering the early storm, Kilanerin patiently played their way back into the game, confidently picking off points to eventually get their noses in front at the break (0-6 to 0-5).
Bannow-Ballymitty began brightly and got the first three points in the opening five minutes, with Darren Sinnott, Philly Murphy and Ben Brosnan all finding the range with well-taken scores.
Mark Boland got Kilanerin up and running by converting a seventh-minute free but the south county side continued to play with a real swagger and Barry Sinnott added to their tally before Niall Harney first saw a shot saved and then registered a point when he certainly had a goal on his mind.
Kilanerin made the most of the reprieve and Mark Boland knocked over two points in the space of three minutes midway through the half, before Peter Hughes split the posts in the 20th minute to leave just one point between the sides.
Mark Gethings levelled matters with five minutes of the half remaining and, as the clocked ticked into injury time, Peter Hughes took aim and fired over to put the north county men ahead for the first time.
Kilanerin continued where they left off after the sides changed ends with Mark Boland grabbing the opening score of the half to make it 0-7 to 0-5.
Bannow-Ballymitty finally ended their scoring drought two minutes later when Niall Harney did the needful from a free, but Denis Jones quickly responded to restore the two-point advantage.
It was Bannow-Ballymitty’s turn to enjoy a period in the ascendancy and they tagged on the next three points, through a Niall Harney free, a fine Ben Brosnan score from near the left sideline, and a point from midfielder Micheál Murphy.
Back came Kilanerin again though, and this time they hit three on the trot, with Mark Boland converting a free, Peter Hughes palming a Conor Devitt pass over the bar, and Stephen Hughes calmly fisting the ball over the black spot to give his side an 0-11 to 0-9 advantage on 52 minutes.
A 57th-minute Niall Harney free left just one between the sides but Conor Devitt sealed the win for Kilanerin in the second minute of injury time.
Kilanerin: Tom Hughes; Damien Whelan, Colm Kavanagh, Aidan Jones; Lorcan Clare, Gavin O’Toole, Danny Boland; Mark Gethings (0-1), Stephen Hughes (0-1); Denis Jones (0-1), Tommy Boland, Mark Boland (0-5, 3 frees); Emmet O’Toole, Peter Hughes (0-3), Conor Devitt (0-1). Subs. - Killian O’Toole for Whelan, Bobby Hughes for T. Boland, Dean O’Toole for E. O’Toole, Brian Hughes for S. Hughes, Michael Byrne for D. Jones, Shane O’Toole for Clare.
Bannow-Ballymitty: Adam Diskin; Art Sweetman, David Currid, Nicky Doyle; Mark Wallace, Kieran Butler, Pádraig McCormack; John Sinnott, Micheál Murphy (0-1); Ben Brosnan (0-2), Niall Harney (0-4, 3 frees), Darren Sinnott (0-1); Barry Sinnott (0-1), Philly Murphy (0-1), Gary Morton. Subs. - Conor Anglim for Morton, Darragh Murphy for B. Sinnott, Richie Walsh for Wallace.
Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).