Fortune favours Kilanerin
KILANERIN 4-11 GER. O’HANRAHANS 1-9
TWO EXCELLENT goals from wing-forward Patsy Fortune inspired Kilanerin to an eventual eleven-point victory over a battling Geraldine O’Hanrahans side in this Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship Group B game in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Sunday.
After brief lapses through the opening 30 minutes which saw them level at the interval, Kilanerin certainly enjoyed the second-half with their free-flowing passing game proving pivotal as they upped the tempo.
Once they impose this style of possession football on a game there is little the opposition can do to counteract as the New Ross town side found to their cost, conceding three second-half goals as their defence proved unable to cope with this high-octane attacking play.
Geraldine O’Hanrahans opened the game well, and were in contention at the break, as they picked off some fine first-half scores.
But once the tempo of the game increased they hadn’t the fitness to react, and as a result they fell to their second successive defeat.
Emmet O’Toole and Jack Foran exchanged early points, before Mark Lee sent over two excellent long-range frees to leaving the Barrowsiders leading by 0-3 to 0-1 after eleven minutes.
Lee Owley and Lee went on to exchange points as the Geraldines, with Eoin Kelly playing some outstanding attacking football out of defence, led by 0-4 to 0-2 after 19 minutes.
Kilanerin responded with a Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin point, but the decisive breakthrough arrived four minutes before the break when Patsy Fortune got on the end of a sweeping move to finish clinically to the corner of the net, a score that left the sides level (1-3 to 0-6) at the interval.
While a Mark Lee pointed free on the resumption had the Geraldines back in front, they were unable to push on, as Kilanerin gradually imposed themselves on the game.
They responded with a longrange Fortune point followed by a fine Tom Mordaunt effort, while at the opposite end Dylan Egan forced a fine save out of ‘keeper Eoin Lucey.
A 39th-minute Egan point had the sides back level (1-5 to 0-8), but from there Kilanerin assumed control.
Fortune crashed home a great goal, which he followed with a fine point, and when a Lee Owley 49th-minute goal moved them into a 3-8 to 0-8 lead, the result was inevitable.
The Geraldines did respond with a Dylan Egan goal, but a fourth major – this time from corner-forward Owley – embellished Kilanerin’s victory.
Kilanerin: Eoin Lucey; Cathal O’Reilly, Lorcan Clare, Patrick Carton; Paul Carton, Stephen Hughes, Richard Hughes; Tom Mordaunt (0-1), Niall Gethings; Patsy Fortune (2-3), Tommy Boland, Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin (0-1); Jim Hughes, Emmet O’Toole (0-3, 2 frees), Lee Owley (2-1). Subs. - Stephen Neville (0-1) for Ó Súilleabháin, Killian O’Toole for Clare, Stephen Mordaunt (0-1) for Boland, Pat O’Connor for O’Reilly, Dylan Smith for Owley.
Geraldine O’Hanrahans: David Merrigan; Pádraig Bailey, Conor Cleere, Barry Kelly; Matt Crowdle, Eoin Kelly (0-1), Enda Kelly; Danielius Niekis, Jack Foran (0-1); Alan Rhodes (0-1), Stephen Somers, Dylan Egan (1-1); Mark Lee (0-5 frees), Michael Cullen, Michael Cullen. Subs. - Kyle Grangel for Cullen, Paddy Somers for Cullen.
Referee: Martin Quigley (Rathnure).