LARAGH LAND CUP IN STYLE
Hosts too good for Kilbride
LARAGH KILBRIDE 1-17 0-7
LARAGH held a very successful Cullen Cup day recently and despite early torrential rain in the morning the sun shone allowing a great day enjoyment for the club and guests.
The main event of the day’s activity was the Cullen Cup final between the home side and Kilbride which doubled as a league fixture. If there was any added pressure on the Laragh men to put on a show in front of a large crowd, it certainly wasn’t evident as the home side mixed with experience and youth certainly fulfilled their part.
Kilbride for their part were down a number of players due to other commitments but played their part in a game played in excellent conditions.
Laragh were off and running early with Myles Conway scoring off his left in the first minute. Kilbride responded with a point from the boot of David Balfe after Andrew O’Brien was fouled.
Laragh set the tempo in this game very early and the pace of Mark Miley was a particular threat to Kilbride and the young wing forward was involved in a lot of everything positive from Laragh throughout.
Miley kicked his first score on a counter attack and set up John Nolan for another shortly after. Nolan was instrumental in the middle of the field and was particularly prominent from the placed ball and added a free for himself to give Laragh a three point lead on 10 minutes.
Miley initiated a Laragh attack on the left wing involving his two wing back which afforded Myles Conway with a fraction of space and the full-forward fired a rocket into the corner of the net much to the delight of the strong home crowd.
Conway was proving a handful for the Kilbride back line and a battle with Patrick Donoghue for the 60 minutes was really intriguing. Conway showed quick train of thought to supply Miley from a quick free, who duly pointed with aplomb.
Eamon Kennedy was nearly in one on one with Simon Creighton with 15 minutes gone but opted for the safer route of assisting Conway to fire over another score for himself.
Tom McKeon pulled one back for Kilbride who at this stage had kicked five wides, before the centre forward turned provider for Tom Walsh who added a third for Kilbride. Mark Miley added another point for himself after a Damian Hanlon sideline found him in space.
Liam Magee reduced the deficit to six points before another move again involving Miley and Conway resulted in the latter seeing his goal bound effort saved by Simon Creighton in the Kilbride goal. Aaron Lynham added the final point of the half on thirty minutes in which was played at a frantic and enjoyable pace.
John Nolan pointed a free to get the second half under way and the midfielder showed immense vision to play a lovely through ball into Lynham who fired over to keep up their momentum.
Simon Creighton was very busy in the Kilbride goal and was proving to be a thorn in substitute Steve Olahan’s side who not for the last time of the day was denied by the Kilbride goalkeeper with his goal bound effort.
Nolan added two more points for himself from play and Conway added a fifth point in a row for the Laragh men.
Kilbride lost centre-forward Tom McKeon to a black card halfway through the half after a comical exchange of whoops and hollers with his opposing number and his loss was cancelled out with Mark Miley exiting the fray after picking up a knock earlier in the half.
Eamon Kennedy extended the lead for Laragh after all the excitement had died down before Kilbride finally got back on the scoreboard after a baron half hour through the boot of David Balfe after Richard Ward battled his way up the park before being fouled.
Myles Conway finished off with the three remaining Laragh scores which were sandwiched between another Balfe point and one from Andrew O’Brien but the Kilbride men couldn’t find their way through a Laragh defence which was verbally marshalled by Gary Cullen and Alan Smyth who were encouraging their defensive colleagues up until the final whistle.
We were however, treated to a highlight reel save for the third time from Creighton who tipped a Steve Olohan effort onto the crossbar just on the final whistle.
With a 1-17 to 0-7 victory, Laragh captain Alan Smyth accepted the cup from Marie Cullen and also two valuable league points which should see them plying their trade in Division 2 next year.
LARAGH: Pater Merrigan; Ross Doonan, Alan Smyth, Stephen Curley; Craig Miley, Gary Cullen, Jack Dunne; David McDonald, John Nolan (0-5, 2f); Dan Power, Damien Hanlon, Mark Miley (03); Aaron Lynham (0-2), Myles Conway (1-6), Eamon Kennedy (0-1). Subs: Steve Olohan for D Power (inj), Jamie Cullen for M Miley, Simon Byrne for A Lynham and John Hayes for E Kennedy.
KILBRIDE: Simon Creighton; Matthew Creighton, Patrick Donoghue, Niall Donoghue; Michael Ruttle, Richard Ward, Keith Murdant; Finn Craul, Tom Walsh (0-1); Liam Magee (0-1), Tom McKeon (0-1), David Balfe (0-3, 3f); Aaron Renehan, Andrew O’Brien (0-1), Michael McCarthy. Subs: Mark Renehan for K Murdant; Murdant for McKeon (BC).