Avondhu hand out lesson to Kiskeam
is that they came up against a team containing a depth of quality comparable to any of the leading contenders in the race for the title this year.
Avondhu reached the semi-finals last year, and, while they were comprehensively mastered by eventual champions Carbery Rangers at that stage, the fact that so many of their players were involved in club games in the preceding few days meant there were mitigating reasons for their tame capitulation.
It’s a problem Avondhu will probably have to contend with again further down the line in this season’s campaign, but if they are given a reasonably fair crack of the whip by the fixture-makers, they will surely prove a handful for any opposition.
Their extended run in 2016 has obviously helped in developing a healthy team spirit among the players and they certainly looked a well-drilled and cohesive unit as they clinically dismantled Kiskeam’s challenge in what was never a true contest.
To their credit, Kiskeam stayed well in touch during the opening 20 minutes, but they were fortunate not to concede two goals in this period, with Joseph Dennehy and AJ O’Connor both stopping shots on the line to prevent Avondhu from putting the finishing touch to a couple of incisive raids.
It proved to be a case of third-time lucky for Avondhu, however, after Tomás Clancy and Ryan Harkin were involved in another slick build-up, which enabled Colm O’Neill to rifle in a goal that made it 1-5 to 0-3 in the 23rd minute.
O’Neill was in razor-sharp form up front for Avondhu, making a mockery of the strategy devised by Kiskeam in a bid to limit his influence.
Renowned man-marker AJ O’Connor was entrusted with the task of keeping tabs on the Ballyclough wizard, with full forward Daniel Fitzgerald filling the role of a sweeper in front of the full-back line.
It was all to no avail, however, as O’Neill gave O’Connor a torrid time, while Fitzgerald was rendered virtually redundant as an extra defender due to the manner in which Avondhu dominated possession further out, not to mention their powerful running-game from deep, with half backs Tomás Casey, James Loughrey and Padraig Clancy particularly effective in that regard.
It yielded another rich dividend nearing half time when Padraig Clancy scorched up the left flank before taking a return pass from Colm O’Neill to drill an unstoppable shot to the corner of the net.
Leading by 2-7 to 0-4 at the break, Avondhu wasted little time in tightening the screw on the resumption, tacking on points through Ryan Harkin, (whose goal-attempt was touched over the bar by Kiskeam ‘keeper Anthony Casey), Tomas Clancy, Harkin again and Cian O’Riordan inside 35 minutes.
They had stretched the gap to 17 points, 2-18 to 0-7, before Anthony Casey proved his worth again with a fine save from Avondhu midfielder Padraig De Roiste, but Casey was powerless to prevent substitute Sean Walsh from adding to the winners’ goal-tally in the 56th minute.
Although clearly out of their depth, Kiskeam never stopped trying and they were rewarded for their spirited play with late goals from Michael Herlihy, who converted a penalty and Gene Casey, which served to put a more respectable appearance on the scoreboard at the finish.
Aside from custodian Anthony Casey,Tomas Dennehy, Michael Herlihy, Joseph Dennehy, Padraig O’Leary and Billy Dennehy, surprisingly called ashore early in the second half, were numbered among the few Kiskeam players to emerge reasonably unscathed from the proceedings.