DOUBLE GLORY
the ’45, and took a chance. It was a cracking strike that sailed over the crossbar.
Just when it looked like Crossabeg-Ballymurn would pull away, their determined opponents responded. Darragh McPhillips knocked a long-range free into the goalmouth, and it broke to Wallace who made no mistake from close range, smashing to the net.
While Wallace added a late point, the Over The Water lads managed to find three more. Cummins, Patrick Redmond and Bernard were all on target as their club went in at the break a goal ahead (0-10 to 2-1). Meanwhile, Josh White-Keating was sin-binned before the break, adding to the St. James’ woes.
When Brody Murphy lofted over a nice score to start the second-half, it looked like the flow of the game would continue. St. James’ had other ideas as Callum Gamble and McPhillips hit the target to pull their side within two.
The next goal was always going to prove vital and it came when Aaron Cummins’ long-range strike found the net six minutes into the second-half.
They had a chance for another shortly after but Brody Murphy side-footed a penalty wide.
After Keelan Foley pointed to put four between the sides with ten minutes remaining, Crossabeg-Ballymurn wasted little time in hitting back. Patrick Redmond coolly fired a penalty to the James’ net, low to his left.
Josh White-Keating kicked a nice free but it didn’t stir a revival. Crossabeg-Ballymurn finished in the ascendancy, kicking scores from Cian Kinlough and Cummins to wrap up a memorable double for this superb set of players. KILRUSH CAPTAIN Kevin Kenny netted twice in the final 16 minutes to propel his side to the Gorey Guardian Juvenile football Roinn 1 shield in St. Patrick’s Park on Friday.
The goals were coming. The Our Lady’s Island/St. Fintan’s combination were doing everything in their power to keep the electric attacker at bay, relying on both fair means and foul in the process.
However, as legs started to tire, Kenny’s pace and direct running became almost unstoppable. Others chipped in too. James Byrne had a super game for the victors, while Tom Kinsella really sprung to life as the game wore on.
It was Kinsella’s pass that produced the opening goal. Just moments earlier Josh Burke had made a fine save from the Kilrush wing-forward, but there was nothing the OLI/St. Fintan’s stopper could do to deny Kenny when he was played in on the left of goal.
Two minutes later James Byrne pointed to put six between the teams (1-6 to 0-3). The shield was sewn up ten minutes from time when the Byrnes, Martin and James, combined to release Kenny. The hotshot still had plenty to do but made no mistake, drilling high to the net.
Kenny and Ben Popplewell traded late points as the game meandered to an end. It was a nice reward for a solid performance for the Gorey District side, although the first-half was a tight, lack-lustre affair.
James Byrne opened his account in the fourth minute but there would be no further movement on the scoreboard until Shane Pettit equalised from a free in the 22nd minute. In the meantime Seán Kirwan drilled narrowly wide across the face of goal for Kilrush, while their opponents missed several makeable dead balls.
The end of the first-half provided a glimpse of what was to come after the break as Kilrush started to dominate. They took the lead when Kenny kicked a free in the 25th minute, and the scorer then saw two efforts saved by Josh Burke.
Tom Kinsella made it 0-3 to 0-1 at the break, and Kenny then popped over a free shortly after the restart. James O’Leary and Shane Pettit responded to narrow the gap to one (0-4 to 0-3), but the longer the game went on, the more Kilrush drove clear to take the shield in style.