Réalt na Mara rule over Kilrush in game of swaying fortunes

REALT NA MARA 3-12 KILRUSH 2-12

REALT NA Mara overturned a seven-point half-time deficit to beat Kilrush after an entertaining Greenstar Under-20 football Division 4A championship clash in Ballygarrett on Wednesday.

It looked as though there was only going to be one winner, but a strong second-half showing from Réalt na Mara left them three-point winners.

The sides were level at 1-3 apiece with 20 minutes gone, with James Fleming and Kevin Kenny swapping goals after a Kiran Gigi save prevented Kilrush from making a dream start.

The dangerous Daire Kinsella had brought the visitors level with one of three points before the break, and the remainder of the half was all Kilrush as they hit 1-5 in a ten-minute spell, with captain Conor Byrne accounting for 1-2.

As the half-time whistle blew the visitors led by double scores (2-8 to 1-4,) and it could have been more after Kilrush hit the post with a goal attempt in stoppage time.

The eventual winners began the second-half like a team possessed.

Two goals in the opening five minutes from Conor Dowling and Jordan Goff put them right back in the game (2-8 to 3-4).

Kilrush tried to steady the ship with frees from Daire Kinsella and Kevin Kenny and a James Byrne point from play to push them into a lead of four midway through the second-half (2-11 to 3-4).

From this point on though, it was all Réalt na Mara.

Their defence started to get on top and they rattled off a string of points including a brace from Johnny Sinnott who hit a very impressive 0-4 from wing-back.

They led by three points with five minutes left and, while Daire Kinsella pulled back a point for the visitors, Réalt na Mara substitute Rory O’Connor got the final score for the home side.

Réalt na Mara: Kiran Gigi; Brian Lee, Michael Wafer, Conor Doyle; Seán Noones, Gavin Morris, Johnny Sinnott (0-4); James Costello (0-2), Seán Wafer (0-1); Brendan Corcoran, James Fleming (1-2), Killian Doyle; Tom Hobbs, Jordan Goff (1-1), Conor Dowling (1-1). Subs. - Rory O’ Connor (0-1) for Lee, Joe Burke for K. Doyle, Cian Fortune for Hobbs, Adam Fleming for Noones, Aaron Hall for Dowling.

Kilrush: Conor Kehoe; Paddy Sharry, Garrett O’Connor, Pádraig O’Rourke; Peter O’Neill, Jim Sharry, Kieran Kenny; John Kavanagh, Seán Bookey; James Byrne (0-2), Ned O’Neill (0-1), Seán Kirwan (0-1); Kevin Kenny (1-1, 0-1 free), Darragh Kinsella (0-5, 1 free), Conor Byrne (1-2). Subs. - Liam Sheehan for P. Sharry, inj., Jack Nolan for Kieran Kenny.

Referee: Eddie O’Sullivan (Kilanerin).