Kilanerin in total control
KILANERIN ST JOSEPH’S
CRAFTY Kilanerin were so much in control that the result was a foregone conclusion long before the interval as they totally dominated a poor St. Joseph’s side in this Amber Spring and Ashdown Park Hotel, Round 5 Group B Intermediate football championship game played at Bellefield on Saturday afternoon last.
With Kilanerin already assured of a quarter-final spot this was a game where they were just playing for position, while St. Joseph’s are facing a relegation play-off to preserve their status, which in itself will prove a real challenge.
Kilanerin controlled proceedings from the opening minutes as they moved into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead inside the opening four minutes through Mattie Forde, two frees, to go alongside two Peter Hughes points.
St. Joseph’s had to wait until the eleventh minute for their opening score an Eddie Lawlor point, while two minutes later Jamie McMahon found the net to reduce the deficit to 0-5 to 1-1, but thereafter it was Kilanerin who regained the initiative, with Forde swinging over a huge point, while he applied a clinical finish from ten metres for his side’s second goal, Mark Boland having scored the opening goal with a beautiful chip, leaving them leading 2-7 to 1-1 after twenty minutes.
St. Joseph’s were not helped when they had Jason Murphy straight red carded following a verbal altercation with referee Eric Molloy, with matters continuing to deteriorate as Kilanerin added further goals through Niall Hughes and Mark Boland, to lead 4-13 to 1-1 at the interval.
The second half was down to just playing out the thirty minutes with Kilanerin simply going through the motions with just two second half points through Forde frees, while St. Joseph’s could only manage four points of their own through Paul Murphy, two frees, Dean Roche and Jamie McMahon, in what was a total mis-match.
Kilanerin: Tom Hughes; Aidan Jones, Tomas Owley, Reece Owley; Richard Hughes, Colm Kavanagh (0-1), Gavin O’Toole; Niall Breen, Brendan Hobbs; Geroid O’Sullivan (0-1), Mattie Forde (1-7, 0-7 frees), Mark Gethings (0-1); Niall Hughes (1-1), Peter Hughes (0-3), Mark Bioland (2-1). subs: Jim Hughes for Niall Hughes; Eddie Hughes for Jones; Killian O’Toole for Gavin O’Toole; Emmet O’Toole for Breen; Gavin O’Toole for Richard Hughes.
St. Joseph’s: Wayne Carthy; Philip Leninston, Ciaran Kelly, John Fenlon; Eddie Lawlor (0-1), Derek Bergin, Paddy Harnett; Paul Murphy (0-2 frees), Lee Wadding; Jamie McMahon (1-1), Jason Murphy, Gary Byrne; Wally Lawlor, Dean Roche (0-1), Jason Brennan. Sub: Seamus King (0-1) for Brennan.
Referee: Eric Molloy (St. James’).