DACIA CARS SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Kiltegan record first championship win over Carnew Emmets since 2007
KILTEGAN CARNEW EMMETS 0-12 1-8
IF THERE was a Most Improved Hurling Team prize at this year’s Wicklow GAA awards, then the authorities could go ahead and hand it over to the men of Kiltegan to save them the trip to Arklow.
For the first time since 2007, Nigel Byrne’s men recorded a Senior championship victory over Carnew and they deserved every inch of the scalp because of the passion and the drive and the hurling they produced in Joule Park Aughrim.
It’s also fairly important to stress how frighteningly poor Carnew were in this game. Long after the small crowd had slipped away from the county grounds, manager James Hickey was still speaking to his players inside in the dressing room. Carnew hurling has known some magical days on that field in Aughrim. Sunday was surely among the lowest.
That’s not to take from Kiltegan’s win in the slightest. They came with a plan and a hunger and they outhurled Carnew to a large extent. They dropped Liam Keogh back as a sweeper to frustrate the Carnew attack and it worked. There was a price to pay, however, and that was the freeing up of Willie Collins for Carnew and he did mop up plenty of ball and thwart numerous attacks, but the dividend arrived in the form of Carnew’s final score which, if you take the pure jammy goal out of it, was eight points, three from placed balls, that leaves five points from play in 60 minutes of Senior hurling. Granted Kiltegan only scored eight from play, but they won and that’s all that will be remembered from this encounter.
Every team has off days and Carnew will need to put Sunday’s shift down as a very bad day at the office and try to move on. The difficulty for James Hickey’s side is that there are far too many of these bad days being produced for it to be brushed under the carpet anymore.
If last year’s defeat to Éire Óg and their subsequent departure from the championship at the quarter-final stage was seen as a low point, then Sunday’s performance takes them to the next floor below.
In every aspect of the game they were second best to Kiltegan. The striking was dismal to watch. The lack of a cutting edge in terms of scoring continues to glare like a low sun into the eyes of the Carnew supporters.
But this game is all about Kiltegan, and all about the future. Park the fact that Carnew produced as bad a display of attacking hurling as you’re likely to see all year (defensively they were decent, to be fair) and it has to be said that Kiltegan are a coming team.
They harvested an impressive tally against Bray in their opening game and that should have sounded alarm bells for Carnew. A glance down their team sheet will tell you that this is a team that will not be bullied or brushed aside.
In short, this Kiltegan team are a coming team. There’s at least one more victory within their reach in this championship, maybe more.
The journey home to the foothills of Mount Leinster must have been torturous for James Hickey. He has worked tirelessly to instill a belief and a philosophy into this Carnew side and he then watches as the wheels come off in spectacular fashion.
This was a game Carnew could have won by three or four points at least with what chances they had late on alone and yet it wouldn’t be an outrageous thing to say that they didn’t deserve to win it.
From the opening exchanges it was abundantly clear that Kiltegan had brought a real hunger to the game. In fact, judging by Jonathan Tallon’s demeanor and instructions during the warm up, Kiltegan had targeted a win in this clash in a big way.
They hit the ground running. JJ Phelan and Padraig O’Toole raising white flags in the opening minutes and Seanie Germaine firing wide from play. Early blows delivered. Your turn Carnew.
A poor Kiltegan clearance and Enda Donohue, one of Carnew’s better performers on the day, fired over to get James Hickey’s men off the mark.
Superb work from an inspired Germaine provided Finn the opportunity to open his account and the county footballer obliged with aplomb with 10 on the clock before Steven Coogan swung over and Carnew sent in Drew Brennan to try and stop the rot with Kiltegan leading 0-4 to 0-1.
An Enda Donohue free eased the pressure slightly as Carnew’s Seamus Osborne and Cormac Doyle were swapped. Padraig Doran was started at full-forward but was moved out and Wayne Kinsella sent in.
Kinsella, Carnew’s captain for 2018 certainly lived up to that billing when he won a ball out on the stand side, Rednagh Hill end, and drove forward before pointing with a beauty to reduce Kiltegan’s lead to one.
Germaine widened the gap from a free before sweeper Liam Keogh went wide from midfield and then a foul on Finn by Padraig Doran gave Germaine another chance and the Baltinglass native split the posts to make it 0-6 to 0-3.
Enda Donohue pointed a free but the last word of the first half would go to Rory Finn who fired over to send Nigel Byrne’s team in leading 0-7 to 0-4 and well on the way to a big win.
Donohue would pull Carnew back to within one with two excellent scores from play in the early stages of the first half and his under-hit free would sail all the way to the back of the net after seven minutes to give James Hickey’s men a one-point lead at 1-6 to 0-8 after Padraig O’Toole had increased his tally moments before.
Now we had a game on our hands. Germaine from a free levelled matters, before a stunner from Finn returned Kiltegan to the front. Seanie Kinsella replied with a bomb but Germaine from the sideline gave the Kiltegan supporters plenty to shout about.
Carnew introduced Graham Keogh and Michael Collins to try and turn this game in their favour but their wides tally started to increase with worrying pace. Two misses from Wayne Kinsella, Donohue astray from a free, Graham Keogh wayward from the sideline but protesting that it was over, Michael Collins off target from play before, finally, Enda Donohue converted a 65 to make it 1-8 to 0-11.
A foul by the excellent Willie Collins on Aaron Byrne left Seanie Germaine the chance to give Kiltegan the lead again and he didn’t let his side down and suddenly the time was getting tight and Carnew were in serious trouble.
Carnew had late chances. Padraig Doran whipped the ball across the face of the uprights and wide before Paudi McGing got on the end of a monstrous cross-field ball from Enda Donohue, but the midfielders subsequent effort veered wide and time ran out, the final whistle sounded, Kiltegan were victorious.
Colm Keogh, Bryan Kearney and Eoin O’Neill enjoyed a good day in the full-back line and are a combination that can hurl and that can hurt.
Ronan Byrne had a big game while Rory Finn brought his toughness to the game and bagged three fine scores.
Aaron Byrne, Padraig O’Toole and JJ Phelan populated a very useful half-forward line while Liam Keogh did well in his sweeping role and that left Seanie Germaine and Steven Coogan up front. Germaine is going to seriously worry full-back lines in this championship. But for John Walshe having an excellent game at the back for Carnew this man might have had a much greater return than five points.
Not so long ago Steven Coogan thought he might never hurl again. He scored a point on Sunday and will only improve.
Defensively, Carnew more than held their own. Willie Collins thrived as the free man, while Walshe and Aaron Kinsella were impressive.
It’s further out the field that Carnew are struggling. They have time to turn things around but it will need to happen sooner rather than later.
Scorers – Kiltegan: Seanie Germaine 0-5 (4f), Rory Finn 0-3, Padraig O’Toole 0-2, JJ Phelan 0-1, Steven Coogan 0-1.
Carnew: Enda Donohue 1-6 (2f, 1 65), Wayne Kinsella 0-1, Seanie Kinsella 0-1.
Kiltegan: Luke Byrne; Colm Keogh, Brian Keanrney, Eoin O’Neill; Seamus Coogan, Ronan Byrne, David Williamson; Rory Finn, Padraig Byrne; Aaron Byrne, Padraig O’Toole, JJ Phelan; Liam Keogh, Seanie Germaine, Steven Coogan. Sub: Eoin Coogan
Carnew Emmets: Bob Fitzgerald; Willie Collins, John Walshe, Aaron Kinsella; Conal McCrea, Martin O’Brien, John Doyle; Paul Nolan, Paudi McGing; Seanie Kinsella, Enda Donohue, Wayne Kinsella; Cormac Doyle, Padraig Doran, Seamus Osborne. Subs: Drew Brennan, Timmy Collins, Graham Keogh, Michael Collins.
Referee: Kieran O’Shea (Tinahely)