Forde fires Kilanerin to first title after late drama
LEINSTER IFC FINAL KILANERIN survived a late penalty scare to secure a deserved two-point win in an exciting final at Wexford Park.
The Wexford club looked to have done enough when leading by three points, but Ballyboughal launched one final desperate attack two minutes into additional time and forced a penalty, after Gerry Seaver was fouled close to goal.
But to the consternation of the visitors’ large following, Ciaran Wynne saw his rising shot strike the crossbar before sliding over for a point, and with the referee calling full-time on the resulting kick-out it allowed Kilanerin to celebrate a first provincial football title.
Kilanerin signalled their intent from the onset with two points from Mattie Forde and Mark Bolan, with Cormac Flynn opening the visitors’ account after six minutes.
Little separated the sides for the rest of the half as they continued to exchange points, with three unanswered points from Wynne (two) and Seaver, leaving them level 0-5 each at the interval.
Kilanerin opened the second half with quick-fire points from Niall Hughes and Dean O’Toole, but Ballyboughal responded, and as the game entered the final quarter the sides were level at 0-8 apiece.
Seaver and Ben Callanan edged the Dublin side into a 0-10 to 0-8 lead, but Kilanerin upped the tempo, with Forde pointing three frees to go along with a Hughes point to eventually edge them to a narrow but deserved victory.
SCORERS – Kilanerin: M Forde 0-6 (4fs), C Kavanagh, N Breen, N Hughes, M Boland, E O’Toole, D O’Toole, T Boland 0-1 each. Ballyboughal: G Seaver 0-4, C Wynne 0-3 (1f, 1pen), C Flynn, J Rodgers, B Callanan, J Ryan 0-1 each. KILANERIN – T Hughes; A Jones, B Hobbs, D Jones; R Hughes, C Kavanagh, G O’Toole; N Breen, N Hughes; M Gethings, M Forde, M Boland; E O’Toole, P Hughes, D O’Toole. Subs: C Devitt for R Hughes (30), B Hughes for Gethings (40), T Boland for Breen (52).
BALLYBOUGHAL – D Downey; C McGinley, N McElligott, G Dungan; T Rooney, C Flynn, J Rooney; R Downey, C Flynn; K Lynch, J Rodgers, C Wynne; B Callanan, G Rooney; G Seavers. Subs: M Provizors for Cathal Flynn (4), W Cooney for McGinley (23), J Ryan for Provizors (35), J Flynn for Downey (BC 60), Provizors for Rooney (60).
REF – C Dwyer (Offaly).