Mallow and Kilworth must go again
Mallow 1-20 Kilworth 2-17
PARITY at 60 minutes, the result of what was one of the most entertaining and nail-biting PIHC games in quite some time when Mallow and Kilworth squared off in Castletownroche last Saturday afternoon.
In windy but otherwise ideal conditions for hurling a real game broke out between two sides that many thought would be poles apart when it came to the challenge that is championship hurling.
Mallow, as pre-game favourites, had to only show up according to people in some quarters while for Kilworth this was seen as a free shot at taking out one of the big sides in premier grade hurling.
Of course neither bench would admit anything of the sort, before during or after, however when all was said and done it was Mallow that would be the happier, considering the men in red really did get out of jail here.
Mallow hurled well in parts, far too few parts to put away a dogged, fired up and genuine premier hurling side. Mallow started well, looked comfortable despite having to bounce back from two first half goals, but could never put anything like a serious gap between the sides.
Players of the calibre of Cormac Murphy, Alec Luttrell, Sean Hayes and Pa Herlihy were always likely to play a significant part here but in the first half it was midfielder Paul Lyons that grabbed to attention with four points of the highest quality.
A position that often gets over looked, corner back, really came to the fore in this one for Mallow with the hugely talented Ronan Sheehan giving yet another magnificent display.
Sheehan plucked balls from the sky he had no right to even contest and started many Mallow attacks with pin point accuracy to the forwards.
One 60 yard pass to Sean Hayes late on was so good it drew praise from fans on both sides of the aisle.
For Kilworth, you can’t look past the threat that Will Condon always brings to a game and credit to the centre forward he again delivered in spades with a wonderful contribution of 2-3 from play.
Eoin Carey and Noel McNamara chipped in with six between them in the opening half, while Liam Whelan was another to impress with Brian Tobin and Paddy Moakley providing steel in the middle third.
Both camps could have realistically considered their sides’ efforts to be enough to take the spoils on a normal day but in reality when Mallow started clawing their way back into it late-on a draw looked the only fair result.
“Happy enough with the draw really,” said Kilworth selector Shane Tobin when he got a chance to draw breath at the finish.
“We had a bad start but we fought back and led coming into the last 10 minutes but we retreated late on - overall happy enough to get the draw and be back at it again time.
“Our fellas gave it their all. We knew Mallow would come back at us – we got up three points late on and maybe if we had tagged on one or two more it would have been enough for us to hold out but Mallow are a big strong team, they were in the final last year and they managed to get the draw.
“We thought we had it there at the end with the last one but it was just wide but we are happy with the draw, we will come back for the replay and we will relish it again.”
Similar sentiments from the other dugout with Mallow manager Fergal McCormack full of praise for the opposition but the Cork hurling legend also felt his side didn’t rise to the heights he felt they were capable of.
“It is a funny one really. We were lucky to draw but after a good start I thought we were going to go well but they are a seriously good side. They have some very good players.
“We found it hard to come to terms with them and I think in the modern game sweepers come very much into play so when we pushed up in the second half with Alec Luttrell it changed the game for us.
“I think we will have better days at the office as will they. It is two very evenly matched teams going at it and I am sure it will be something similar the next day. We will need to improve, but I think we are capable of that.”
In front of a large, vocal and thoroughly engaged crowd the players served up a real cracker with quality scores, huge hits, wonderful defending and no shortage of drama from the first to the final whistle.
Mallow may have been favourites to progress pre game however after 30 minutes the men in blue had shattered predictions of their demise as they headed for the dressing rooms up by one (2-11 to 1-13) and that after playing against a strong breeze.
Centre-forward Condon starred for Kilworth with a pair of top class goals (13 and 30 mins) while with Cormac Murphy’s solo goal and eight minutes their only major of the game.
Murphy added another point soon after while Mallow’s regular talisman Sean Hayes smashed over five from placed balls, a feat he matched in the second period to ultimately level the tie.
Red cards for Kilworth’s Dave Twomey and Mallow’s Donal Relihan 10 seconds into the second period set the tone for the final 30 as no quarter was asked or conceded in a game that delivered on nearly every level.
Credit to both sides for the way they stuck in their late on with Kilworth deserving great credit for their dogged resistance while Mallow’s never say did attitude should stand them in good stead if they go further in this competition.
Prediction for the next day? Not a chance. Mallow have used their get out of jail card so they will need to show up while for Kilworth, they now know how good they can be, they just need to do it all over again.
MALLOW: A Long; R Sheehan, F O’Neill, J O’Hanlon; A Luttrell 0-1, P Healy 0-1, D Moynihan; P Lyons 0-4, D Sheehan; K Mills, C Murphy 1-2, D Relihan; D Hayes, P Herlihy 0-2, S Hayes 0-10 (8f, 1.65) Subs: G Hayes for K Mills (52), C O’Connor for D Hayes (55)
KILWORTH: K Walsh; M McNamara, K Lane, N Byrne; D Twomey, M O’Connor, J Saich; B Tobin, P Moakley; T Twomey, W Condon 2-3, L Whelan 0-1; E Carey 0-4, N McNamara 0-7 (6f), J Sheehan 0-2
Subs: C Donnellan for T Twomey (50), J McCarthy for L Whelan (55)
REFEREE: S Stokes (Tullylease)