Doyle’s exhibition in vain
KILANERIN 1-13 ST. PATRICK’S 1-10
THE NEW season began in earnest in Kilanerin on Friday night where the hosts boasted over twice as many individual scorers as St. Patrick’s on the way to securing a 1-13 to 1-10 opening win in Division 3 of the EBS All-County Football League.
That said, John Doyle gave an exhibition in point scoring for the Ballyoughter men, kicking the first two points (one free) on the way to a personal haul of 0-7, four from play, with a kicking style similar to David Clifford.
Kilanerin opened their account with a brilliantly-taken goal on seven minutes, as midfielder Patrick Fortune put in the hard yards to latch on to lively debutant Conor Kinsella’s popped pass before thudding low to the net.
The accurate Doyle made it 0-3 to 1-0 soon after, but Colin Breen finished a move that began from his initial mark, while Peter Hughes and Robert Murphy added quick points to open up a three-point cushion.
However, St. Patrick’s levelled once more, when Doyle’s sliderule pass found Alan Murphy, and the youngster rolled the ball confidently into the far corner of the dressing-room end net.
The next four points came from Kilanerin, including three on the trot from Lee Owley (one free), as the lad nicknamed ‘Scholesy’, Conor Kinsella, continued to show well up front.
Garbhann Finn got across his line quickly to smother a good goal chance for Tommy Dunne before points from Ciarán Murphy and Doyle again made it 1-7 to 1-5 by the 19th minute.
Conor Hughes responded for Kilanerin, but St. Patrick’s would have been quite content with their first-half showing after a brace from Doyle helped cut the gap to 1-8 to 1-7 at the interval.
He also supplied their first point after the break, but when he hobbled off with a knock on 38 minutes, so too did his side’s chances diminish.
Meanwhile, Kilanerin rang the changes at the break, and two substitutes, Paddy D’Arcy and Conor Byrne, supplied three points between them as they stretched 1-13 to 1-8 in front with nine minutes remaining.
Thereafter, Tommy Dunne pegged two back for the visitors, Brian Murphy whacked the crossbar right near the end, and Michael Carroll was also denied at close-range by replacement stopper Eoin O Lúasaigh as Kilanerin deservedly hung on.
The new rules didn’t really feature in the game, with no sin-binning and the only offensive mark called by Dunne on 18 minutes, although he was wide from his attempt.
There was confusion in the final quarter, however, when Dermot O’Leary called for a mark, but as Damien Grannell was inside the 45-metre line when delivering the kick-pass, it was correctly overturned.
Kilanerin: Garbhann Finn; Cathal O’Reilly, Lorcan Clare (capt.), Ben Morris; Stephen Neville, Cillian O’Toole, Robert Murphy (0-1); Stephen Hughes (0-1), Patrick Fortune (1-0); Gearó id O Súilleabháin, Peter Hughes (0-2), Conor Hughes (0-1); Conor Kinsella, Colin Breen (0-1), Lee Owley (0-4, 2 frees). Subs. - Eoin O Lúasaigh for Finn (HT), Paddy D’Arcy (0-2) for Morris (HT), Conor Byrne (0-1) for C. Hughes (HT), Andrew Murphy for Breen (HT), Colm Noctor for Neville (44), Seán Bardon for O Súilleabháin (46).
St. Patrick’s: Enda Murphy; Conor O’Leary, Joe Cousins, Dermot O’Leary; Hughie Doyle, Kyle Byrne, Michael Carroll; Darragh Byrne, Peter Roche; Ciarán Murphy (capt., 0-1), John Doyle (0-7, 3 frees), Ollie Gahan; Alan Murphy (1-0), Tommy Dunne (02), Shane Finn. Subs. - Brian Murphy for K. Byrne (36), Darren Whelan for J. Doyle, inj. (38), Damien Grannell for Finn (39), Michael O’Brien for Roche (44), Tommy Morris for D. Byrne (45), Marcus Myles Sheridan for C. O’Leary, inj. (50).
Referee: Aidan Foley (Shelmaliers).