MCLOUGHLIN ‘OUT FOROR FORESEEABLE FUTURE’
Castlelyons 1-16 Kanturk 1-13
A storming finish allowed Castlelyons draw on all their experience to quell Kanturk to a rip roaring Co. Premier IHC opening round at Castletownroche last Sunday evening.
From one of those evenly balanced battles that could have gone either way but at the end, the tenacity and resolve carried the day for Castlelyons. Unquestionably, a terrific encounter was diminished somewhat by a shoulder injury picked up by Kanturk inter-county player Lorcán McLoughlin in the 15th minute.
For a lengthy time, the setback failed to hinder Kanturk to challenge seriously for the spoils yet with the game up for grabs, the Duhallow side lacked penetration to counter Castlelyons momentum that yielded four consecutive points to put a degree of daylight between the pair.
Kanturk mounted a series of late assaults that earned frees outside the two metre line. Firstly, Anthony Nash lashed the sliothar on a nine man wall in the Castlelyons goal line, the ball diverted over the crossbar.
A follow up free further out, again, a typical Nash lifting the ball into the air and making a few strides saw Castlelyons ‘keeper James Barry prove equal to the strike and the full time whistle sounded.
In the presence of a large attendance, a fast paced opening saw Kanturk points to James Fitzpatrick and Ian Walsh sandwiched by Castlelyons Robert Feeney and Anthony Spillane.
Though the East Cork outfit nudged ahead from a Niall O’Leary flag, Kanturk took delivery of a major strike in the 8th min, Walsh fed Liam O’Keeffe to goal. That score lifted Kanturk, shining facets in their play surfaced from the McLoughlin brothers, Darren Browne, Lorcan O’Neill and Aidan Walsh.
Points to Walsh and Lorcán McLoughlin boosted their side’s cause before the setback of McLoughlin’s injury and withdrawal from the proceedings.
The tempo dropped, at times, the sides bemoaned translating possession into scores from both play and frees. A scoring drought ended once Colm Spillane obliged from a 65, only for Walsh and full-back Donough Dwane reply for Kanturk to hold a 1-7 to 0-7 advantage at the break.
Again, the game ebbed and flowed upon the restart, for a spell, the shooting was poorly directed, compensated by well struck points to Spillane and Donnacha Kenneally.
Clearly Castlelyons were up for the challenge, Colm Barry, Cian O’Leary and Spillane wielded an enormous influence in defence as did Tom Carroll and Anthony Spillane coupled with the twin introduction of substitutes Aidan O’Sullivan and the lionhearted Timmy McCarthy.
Indeed the game swung in the direction of Castlelyons in the 41st minute Anthony Spillane placed Alan Fenton to shoot low past Anthony Nash for a 1-10 to 1-9 grip. Kanturk hung in, on three locations, Martin O’Riordan, Kenneally and O’Neill pointed to offset Castlelyons points to force parity for the fifth occasion.
With the tension and excitement mounting, the balance of power shifted to Castlelyons and a productive flourish yielded a sequel of points to the Spillanes, substitute O’Sullivan and Keith O’Leary that secured a clear grip.
Kanturk refused to accept they were facing a lost cause, Nash off target with a number of earlier long range efforts saw a free diverted over the crossbar by a nine man massed Castlelyons wall.