Knocknagree advance past Buttevant
Knocknagree 2-19 Buttevant 1-10
AN impressive display by Knocknagree saw them run out comfortable winners over Buttevant in the County JAFC quarter-final at Kilbrin on Saturday.
The opening half was keenly contested with just four points separating the sides. However, on the changeover the Duhallow side laid an early marker and they outscored their opponents by 11 points to three to run out clear winners.
The opening stages saw the sides level for the second time at 0-2 apiece by the 11th minute when Anthony O’Connor, Seamus Madigan, Ryan Fowley and Fintan O’Connor were on target.
Knocknagree created the first goal scoring chance when the inrushing Michael Mahoney was denied by a great save by the Buttevant keeper Ronan Donovan. Nevertheless Knocknagree who looked very dangerous when they surged forward made amends in the 17th minute when a great movement started by Karl Daly saw Andrew Sheehan, John F Daly and Matthew Dilworth link up very well for Anthony O’Connor to score the opening goal 1-3 to 0-2.
Over the next couple of minutes Anthony O’Connor and Denis O’Connell traded a point before a great movement started by Knocknagree’s Andrew Sheehan eventually saw the impressive Eoghan McSweeney cut in from a very tight angle and punch over a point 1-5 to 0-3.
Just when the game appeared to be slipping away from Buttevant they thundered back into the contest in the 22nd minute when a delivery by Kevin O’Keeffe resulted in a punched goal by Ryan Fowley.
Knocknagree recovered well from this set back as their half back line strongly supported their forward lines who worked the ball intelligently and two points in as many minutes by Matthew Dilworth and Eoghan McSweeney moved them 1-7 to 1-3 in front by the 26th minute.
In the run up to the break Buttevant made a massive recovery with Anthony O’Neill and Tadhg Healy winning a lot of possession around the middle of the field. Three rapid points by Ryan Fowley, JD Murphy and John O’Neill saw them come within a point 1-7 to 1-6.
Just when Buttevant looked like heading to the interval trailing by just a point it was Knocknagree that struck for a vital score before the half time whistle that gave them a cushion that they built on for the second half.
In the 29th minute they cut through the spine of the Buttevant defence with Matthew Dilworth and Eoghan McSweeney combining very well to set up James Dennehy who gave the Buttevant keeper Ronan Donovan no chance when scoring a great goal. In injury time both time both sides added a point with Knocknagree holding a 2-8 to 1-7 interval advantage.
On the changeover Knocknagree who had some fine displays by Andrew Sheehan, Killian Buckley, Padraigh Collins, Eoghan McSweeney, John F Daly, Anthony O’Connor and Matthew Dilworth upped their efforts greatly.
They kicked the first four points of this half to move 2-12 to 1-7 clear by the 38th minute. Buttevant tried hard to get back into the contest but they found scores hard to come by in this half with Denis O’Connell accounting for their three points during the third quarter to trail 2-13 to 1-10.
However, there was no denying Knocknagree a place in the county semi-finals. They added six points on the trot before the final whistle by Anthony O’Connor, John F Daly, Fintan O’Connor and Eoghan McSweeney to run out easy victors.
KNOCKNAGREE: P Doyle, A Sheehan, S Daly, G O’Connor, M O’Mahoney, K Buckley, K Daly, D Cooper, P Collins, F O’Connor 0-2 E McSweeney 0-6 J Dennehy 1-0, M Dilworth 0-1, J F Daly 0-2 A O’Connor 1-8 (0-3f. 0-1 ‘45) Subs: D Moynihan for S Daly, P O’Connor for K Daly, T Long for M O’Mahoney (black card) C O’Leary for J Dennehy, T Cooper for P Collins, C White for J F Daly
BUTTEVANT: R Donovan, S Flynn, T O’Sullivan, J O’Riordan, J Buckley, M Broe, D Walsh, A O’Neill, T Healy, J O’Neill 0-1, Seamus Madigan 0-1f. J D Murphy 0-1, D O’Connell 0-4f. K O’Keeffe 0-1, R Fowley 1-2 K Lenahan for D Walsh, Sean Madigan for A O’Neill, K Crowley for J Buckley, J Hallihan for K O’Keeffe.
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