Sensational comeback sends Kiltegan through

KILTEGAN 3-12 ÉIRE ÓG 2-13

KILTEGAN are in the Junior A hurling final after they produced a sensational comeback to topple Éire Óg Greystones in this gripping Junior A hurling championship Semi-Final at Pearse Park, Arklow last Wednesday evening.

A lightning start from the sea siders blew Kiltegan completely out of the water early on and the signs were ominous for the Carlow border men as they trailed by 11 points after 20 minutes. What’s more they were hardly in the game and scarcely won any ball in that opening as it seemed set that Greystones would canter to victory.

Alas Kiltegan steadied the ship in the final minutes of the half to trail by just 5 at the interval and set up what was to be a great second half.

Two goals in the space of 4 minutes, entering the home straight, from John Keogh and Fergal Farrell proved decisive for Kiltegan as they closed out the game to claim a deserved two point victory.

It was Éire Óg though who started completely on the front foot. They were cleaning up around the middle which was allowing them to supply quality ball into their forward line.

The full forwards particularly caused serious headaches for the Kiltegan backs with the deadly accurate Martin Joyce, target man Daniel Salmon and the lightening pace of Hughie O’Neill combining brilliantly to bamboozled their markers early on.

Two long range efforts from Mark Ruddy and a Martin Joyce 65 eased Éire Óg into the game nicely as Kiltegan simply couldn’t get a foothold in the match. They did have half a sniff of goal but midfielder MJ Moran had his effort snuffed out by a combination of goalkeeper Paul Gaskin and a couple of Greystones backs.

Every time Hugh O’Neill got the ball he looked dangerous and in the 8th minute he picked up the ball, before turning and ghosting past his man to create an overlap. He waited till the opportune moment before offloading it to Daniel Salmon who made no mistake from 14 yards, with just the keeper to beat and give Greystones the first major of the match.

It was only a matter of minutes before Éire Óg hit Kiltegan with the double whammy of a second goal. A long Paul Gaskin puck out from the town end flew straight into the welcome hand of Martin Joyce on the 45 before the corner forward took off and arrowed the ball into the top corner of Luke Byrne’s net.

The signs looked ominous for Kiltegan who were being completely over run around the middle and whenever they were getting their hands on the ball a combination of poor passing and poor option taking was letting them down.

Aaron Byrne finally opened their account from a close in free after 11 minutes but for the next 10 the match continued on in the same vein as the opening 10 as Greystones tagged on scores through Joyce and Ruddy as well as a Hughie belter from the 45 side line on the stand side.

Gradually though Kiltegan were ever so slowly creeping into the game as they cut down on the errors and tightened up on the Greystones forwards.

John O’Keefe was outstanding for the winners on the day and the Kiltegan wing back won a number of key balls and his deadly accurate passing was key to starting the Kiltegan comeback.

He set them on their way for their first goal as Fergal Farrell pulled on the half volley after a hand pass in from midfielder Mark Pierce after 24 minutes.

The sides traded scores before Christy O’Toole closed the half with a fine point after being well set up by O’Keefe as Kiltegan trailed by just 5.

Although Kiltegan upped it at the end of the first half they came out a completely different animal in the second period. Greystones played their part as the intensity and hits racheted up. Mark Pierce was like a man possessed at midfield for Kiltegan while Pauric O’Toole was carrying strong and the rest of the inside forwards looked dangerous.

Éire Óg opened once more with a pair points from Joyce and O’Neill but unlike the first half there was no collapse from Kiltegan thereafter as the deadly accurate Aaron Byrne kept them in touch.

John Keogh goaled for the winners in the 46th minute to reduce the lead to 3 and you got a sense that Kiltegan had the momentum and would push on for the win.

Greystones attacked straight away but a huge and fair shoulder from Kiltegan corner back on the much bigger Salmon halted the attack in what proved to be a decisive moment in the match as they went back down the pitch and pointed through Byrne.

The comeback was completed when Fergal Farrell gobbled up a rebound from the unfortunate Gaskin, who saved brilliantly from Pauric O’Toole’s initial effort, to give Kiltegan a one point lead.

Joyce hit two great frees for Greystones to swing the lead once more but it was to be Kiltegan’s day as they got the closing three scores from Byrne (2) and O’Toole to come through in what was an enthralling semi-final.

Scorers - Kiltegan: Aaron Byrne 0-9 (9f), Fergal Farrell 2-0, John Keogh 1-0, Pauric O’Toole 0-1, Mark Pierce 0-1, Christy O’Toole 0-1.

Éire Óg: Martin Joyce 1-7 (0-5 frees), Hugh O’Neill 0-3, Daniel Salmon 1-0, Mark Ruddy 0-2, Patrick O’Sullivan 0-1.

Kiltegan: Luke Byrne; Gavin Keogh, Michael Mangan, James O’Brien; Jamie Daly, Mattie Doyle, John O’Keefe; MJ Moran, Mark Pierce; Aaron Byrne, John Keogh, Christy O’Toole; Fergal Farrell, Padraig O’Toole, Eoghan McGonigle. Subs: Nigel Nolan for Gavin Keogh (25 mins), Peter Byrne for Eoghan McGonigle (41 mins).

Éire Óg: Paul Gaskin; Shane Mulford, Mark Barry, Seán Luby; Conal Deeney, Micheal Arrigan, Breandan Donoghue; Seán Lawless, Patrick O’Sullivan; Brian Lawless, Mark Ruddy, Jason Chatham; Hugh O’Neill, Daniel Salmon, Martin Joyce. Subs: Phelim Byrne for M Ruddy (52 mins), Jack Connors for D Salmon (55 mins).

Referee: Ciaran Manley