Byrne goal crucial as Kilross triumph
KILROSS GAELS 2-11 ST. JOSEPH’S 3-5
A SCORING burst of 1-3 without reply in the third quarter tilted the scales in favour of Kilross Gaels in Taghmon on Friday when they surmounted a half-time deficit of 3-3 to 1-6 to advance to the Greenstar Wexford District Under-20 football Roinn 1 championship final.
St. Joseph’s remained in contention to the end of an evenly-contested game, but their failure to score from play throughout the second period undid their prospects.
The influential Charlie Heffernan pointed in the 34th minute to narrow the deficit to 3-3 to 1-7, and a sublime pass from county player Liam O’Connor unlocked the Bishopswater side’s defence shortly afterwards.
His crossfield drive from the left found county Minor hurling goalkeeper Cian Byrne in space, and the corner-forward produced a composed finish to give the Kilmore and St. Mary’s (Rosslare) combination a lead they maintained to the last whistle.
Further points from Byrne (free) and Chris O’Connor made it 2-9 to 3-3 by the 43rd minute, but it wasn’t a straightforward march to a final clash with Crossabeg-Ballymurn by any means.
Free-taker Cian Carty kicked the fourth of his five points for St. Joseph’s before a positional switch paid off for Kilross when Jack Meyler – moved from defence to attack – picked off his first point after an effort from Charlie Heffernan came back off the post in the 50th minute (2-10 to 3-4).
Carty raised another white flag before late arrival Gloudie Makiese, a member of the county Minor panel in 2018, was introduced to bolster their victory bid.
And Kilross had a scare in added time when his delivery into the goalmouth was almost gathered by Josh Guerrine, but they cleared their lines before Jack Meyler kicked their final point seconds before the finish.
The sides had swapped early points from Carty (free) and Rían Stafford before Cian Byrne gave Kilross the lead, but they were rocked by a piece of opportunism in the seventh minute when a quickly-taken Eoin Kinsella free rattled the net (1-1 to 0-2).
St. Joseph’s only held that lead for 90 seconds though, as Charlie Heffernan punished a defensive error to grab a goal that was quickly followed by a pointed Byrne free (1-3 to 1-1), shortly before a Chris O’Connor shot struck the crossbar.
In an entering half of swaying fortunes, the advantage changed hands again when Cian Carty placed Kyle Turner for the second Joseph’s goal in the twelfth minute.
Then it was the turn of Kilross for another spell of supremacy, with points from Charlie Heffernan, Cian Byrne (free) and Rían Stafford leaving them with a 1-6 to 2-1 lead after 21 minutes.
Given the pattern of the play, it was no surprise that the town team turned that deficit around by half-time, as a burst of 1-2 from Cian Carty – with the goal coming in the fourth added minute after a low drive across the square by Ciarán Paige – left them with a 3-3 to 1-6 interval advantage.
Their goalscoring knack deserted them, though, on the re-start, with the combined side always looking the more likely to succeed after that green flag from Cian Byrne.
Kilross Gaels: Danny Holden; Brad Koolhoff, Jack Doyle, Jack Meyler (0-2); Kevin Power, Liam O’Connor, Seán Carley; Páraic Reville (capt.), Reece de la Cour; Rees Broaders, Charlie Heffernan (1-2), Chris O’Connor (0-1); Cian Byrne (1-4, 0-3 frees), Rían Stafford (0-2), Conor Roche. Sub. - Rían Doyle for Roche (48).
St. Joseph’s: Jordan Howell; Mark Shortall, Chris Curran, Warren O’Connor; Josh Kavanagh, Gary Hall-Roche, Dale O’Reilly; Tommy Sheridan, Ciarán Paige (capt.); Darragh Howell, Cian Carty (1-5, 0-5 frees), Kallum Broaders; Eoin Kinsella (1-0 free), Kyle Turner (10), Josh Guerrine. Subs. - Liam Godkin for Hall-Roche, inj. (HT), Gloudie Makiese for O’Reilly (53).
Referee: Pádraig McMahon (Shelmaliers).