Spoils are shared in big Gorey Dist. derby
Castletown held by closest rivals
CASTLETOWN 2-9 KILANERIN 1-12
FIERCE RIVALS Castletown and Kilanerin settled for a share of the spoils as an unanswered rally of 1-4 in the final 13 minutes of regulation time saw Kilanerin force parity on a 1-12 to 2-9 scoreline in a slow-burning Tom Doyle Supplies Senior football championship Group A encounter played in front of an intrigued crowd at Páirc Uí Shíocháin, Gorey, on Saturday.
The reigning Leinster Intermediate champions had largely edged this first derby between the sides since 2014, with their sensible tactics up front yielding a narrow 0-8 to 0-6 lead by the 35th minute.
But Castletown then went into overdrive, reeling off 2-4 without reply to firmly turn the tables in their favour.
Emerging star Liam Coleman began the purple patch with his first-ever point at this level, while the in-form Jonathan Bealin followed with a towering point on 40 minutes.
And when Coleman broke through one minute later, Robbie Brooks did well to pass to Jody O’Shaughnessy, and the captain swept stylishly to the net to open up a 1-7 to 0-8 lead.
Castletown turned over possession from the subsequent kickout, and although Tom Hughes saved smartly on Ben Brosnan, the rebound popped up kindly for Coleman to finish to the empty net. Bealin (free) and Donnacha Holmes tagged on further points and the sudden seven-point cushion seemed unassailable at this stage considering the tightness of the exchanges before that.
But Kilanerin had other ideas as a Seán Forde point preceded a similar score from his uncle Matty, and when the latter’s effort at goal on 50 minutes was spilled by Anthony Masterson, Emmet O’Toole was on hand to fist to the net.
O’Toole added a free as the gap was reduced to one, and when Conor Devitt was unleashed six minutes from time he fired over a half-goal chance for what proved to be the last score of the contest.
Earlier, Bealin was the standout performer for the maroon and whites, as he was their sole scorer in the first-half, kicking two brilliant points from play and a brace of difficult frees from his hands for good measure.
Devitt was equally as menacing at the other end, with three points from play to help Kilanerin into a wafer-thin 0-6 to 0-5 interval advantage.
Castletown: Anthony Masterson; Peter Devine, Danny Gardiner, Frank Roche; James Holmes, Conor Carty, Pierce Maxwell; Stephen Moloney, Liam Coleman (1-1); Donnacha Holmes (0-1), Jonathan Bealin (0-7, 3 frees), Jody O’Shaughnessy (capt., 1-0); Brendan Halpin, Ben Brosnan, Robbie Brooks. Subs. - Killian Pierce for J. Holmes, inj. (5), Richard Farrell for Moloney (37), Andy Merrigan for Brooks (51), Ross Bealin for Halpin (51).
Kilanerin: Tom Hughes; Rhys Owley, Denis Jones, Aidan Jones; Mark Gethings, Gavin O’Toole, Páuric Hughes; Niall Breen, Niall Hughes; Dean O’Toole (0-2), Conor Devitt (04), Mark Boland (capt., 0-2); Emmet O’Toole (1-1, 0-1 free), Matty Forde (0-2), Bobby Hughes. Subs. - Seán Forde (0-1) for D. Jones, inj. (18), Ben O’Connor for Boland (53), Tommy Boland for B. Hughes (60+1).
Referee: James Owens (Kilrush).