Goals see champions Kilmoyley to the good against Crotta O’Neills

Kilmoyley 3-16 Crotta O’Neills 0-14

DEFENDING champions Kilmoyley were comfortable and, in the end, convincing winners in their first round game in this season’s County Senior Hurling Championship in the Austin Stack Park last Saturday, but their overall performance was somewhat indifferent at various stages in the encounter.

Although they were always looking likely winners after they had scored a somewhat fortuitous goal midway through the first half, it wasn’t exactly a vintage Kilmoyley performance against a side who were for various reasons short almost half of their regular starting fifteen.

In the circumstances they were forced to play their most prolific attacker Shane Nolan in midfield, and, while he contributed a lot in that sector, scoring the bulk of his side’s scoring returns from placed balls their attack as a result lacked a cutting edge. Kilmoyley by contrast had a much more potent scoring spread, even if they leaned heavily on the returns from Daniel Collins, especially from placed balls. Two pointed frees from him in response to a similar return from Shane Nolan meant that the encounter was deadlocked on two points apiece after ten minutes.

A goal from a long range free from Daniel Collins after the Crotta goalkeeper Adam O’Sullivan who performed extremely well throughout was rather unlucky in his efforts to control the delivery afforded Kilmoyley a lead they subsequently never surrendered. Some very good scores from such as Adrian Royle,

Paudie O’Connor and Philip Maunsell meant that they retired for the interval 1-9 to 0-6 ahead, and while Crotta reduced the deficit to four within eight minutes of the restart Kilmoyley always had the ability to respond largely due to the unerring returns from frees from Daniel Collins who registered three in a seven-minute spell to leave his side 1-12 to 0-9 ahead entering the final quarter.

Thereafter the eventual outcome had a certain air of inevitability about it with Crotta relocating Sean Weir in attack in an effort to revitalise their fading hopes. Paudie O’Connor continued to offer energy and industry in abun- dance in midfield for Kilmoyley and when Collins created the chance for Maurice O’Connor to score Kilmoyley’s second goal from close range in the fifty second minute the end result was a foregone conclusion.

Collins sealed the result with his second and his team’s third goal at the end of normal time, thereby ensuring what was a pretty predictable outcome to a contest which, quality wise, fell short of what one anticipates at this level.

Kilmoyley without the services of their inspirational defender Tom Murnane will be glad to have negotiated the first hurdle in defence of their crown, while Crotta will be hoping that they will have a full complement of players available for their next outing which is a make or break situation for them. KILMOYLEY: Aiden McCabe, Seanie Nolan, Colman Savage, Flor McCarthy, Jordan Brick, Dougie Fitzell, Kieran McCarthy, James Godley, Paudie O’Connor (0-1), Luke Fitzell, Daniel Collins (2-8, 1-7f), Sean Maunsell, Maurice O’Connor (1-2), Adrian Royle (0-3) Philip Maunsell (0-1). Subs: Robert Collins (0-1) for J Brick, Joseph McElligott for A Royle.

CROTTA O’NEILLS: Adam O’Sullivan, Jack Twomey, Sean Weir (0-1), Darragh Behan, Mike Lynch, Tomas O’Connor, Eamonn Shanahan, Shane Nolan (0-11, 10f), Jeaic McKenna, Bill Keane, Tom ‘Blond’ McElligott Cyril Lynch, Padraig Quille (0-2), Tom Cronin, Raymond Nolan. Subs: John Quilter for M Lynch (blood), Mike Lynch for J Quilter, Thomas Quinlan for J Twomey, John Quilter for B Keane, Darragh Kennelly for T Cronin, Keith Hannafin for T McElligott.

REFEREE: Dave Copps (Cork)

Photo by Domnick Walsh Kilmoyley’s Colman Savage and Tom Cronin, Crotta O’Neills, in action during the County Senior Hurling Championship First Round at Austin Stack Park, Tralee.