Assured win for Doyle’s Kiltegan
KILTEGAN completed a good week of league action for them with a comfortable enough win over a subdued home side in Tinahely on Saturday last.
With these two due to meet in championship action in the coming weeks it was anything but a phoney war as both went for it but the more experienced Kiltegan men fully deserved the win.
Ironically the result of this game was identical to the score in the west men’s win earlier in the week in Coolkenno.
On a slippery surface after a heavy downpour just before throw-in, it wasn’t until the opening stages of the second half that the misfiring west team finally made their dominance pay. Twelve wides over the hour may be of some concern to Trevor Doyle but the way young players like Adam Wynne, Brian Kearney, Liam Keogh and Colm O’Connor are settling in to his plans will be a huge bonus.
Cathal Fitzgerald got the first score of the game for the visitors in the opening seconds and Alan Dillon pointed soon after to tie things up.
Dillon was the outstanding player for the home team and caused endless problems for the Kiltegan back line, when he departed in the second half any chance Tinahely had of getting back in the game died.
Kiltegan were to shoot nine wides in the first half as they struggled with the conditions, they enjoyed plenty of possession thanks to their dominance around the middle third.
Alan Nolan put Tinahely ahead for the only time in the game in the 15th minute after a foul on Dillon. Anthony Furlong levelled it up after good work by Mark Ryan chasing down what looked like a lost cause in the corner. Tony Darcy pointed another free in the 22nd minute as Dillon was stopped again and Colm O’Connor went in to the book for his troubles.
Seanie Furlong fielded a high ball, sold a couple of dummies and nearly got in for a shot at goal but for a good intervention from Jamie Cullen.
The Kiltegan dangerman was now in on the edge of the square and had a point to push Kiltegan ahead. Some good build up play from Tinahely was rewarded with another Dillon point after he was found by a clever Rory Stokes pass and at the break it was tied at 0-4 each.
The game changing moment arrived in the opening minutes of the second half, a long Seanie Furlong delivery deceived Niall Byrne and struck the post and Cathal Fitzgerald reacted fastest to finish to the net.
The first mark of the day arrived soon after as Adam Wynne fielded a Byrne kick-out and a foul on Mark Ryan offered Seanie another tap over.
Another Furlong free and a long-range point from the hard-working Ronan Byrne pushed the gap to seven after 43 minutes.
Alan Dillon benefitted from good work from Oisin Furlong and Michael Byrne to knock over two points as the home team fought back.
The Furlong brothers had a point each and over lapping wing back Liam Keogh curled over another and the gap was now out to seven. Alan Dillon notched another and Rory Stokes pointed a free as Tinahely came again. Corner back Jamie Cullen also got up to shoot a fine point but it was Kiltegan who finished the stronger and Keogh and Ronan Byrne left the half back line again to shoot another couple of points to cap off fine showings from them.
Tinahely will be disappointed with this showing after a couple of good away wins recently. Manager John Smith has a young team at his disposal with seven under-21s lining out so plenty of cause for optimism going forward.
Kiltegan will cause problems for the more fancied teams in the championship and have plenty of talent still to come back from injury.
Tinahely: Niall Byrne, Jamie Cullen (0-1), William Dillon, James Tyrrell; Oisin Furlong, Conor Hatton, Curtis Keating; Brian Walsh, Michael Byrne; Alan Dillon (0-5), Stephen Dillon, Rory Stokes (0-1f); Alan Nolan (0-1f), John Blake, Tony Darcy (0-1f). Subs: Jason Cushe for Darcy, Anthony Phelan for Nolan
Kiltegan: Fergal Harmon, Adam Wynne, Blaine Harmon, Brian Kearney; Liam Keogh (0-2), Ronan Byrne (0-2), Colm O’Connor; Rory Finn, Stephen Farrell (0-1); John Farrell, Seanie Furlong (0-6, 2f), Cathal Fitzgerald (1-1); Anthony Furlong (0-2, 1f), Mark Ryan, Mikie Foley. Subs: Dan Kearney for B Harmon, Luke Byrne for A Furlong, Faustas Andrukas for O’Connor.
Referee: Anthony Nolan