Dunlavin joy after victory over Kilmac in IFC final
THE roar that greeted Marty Caplis’ point at the end of the Darcy Sand Intermediate Football Championship final between Dunlavin and Kilmacanogue was as profound as it was loud, and it released a surge of joy and sense of release, both on the field and in the crowd as, finally, Jonathan Daniels’ men had played their way back to the top table and in doing so had honoured the memory of their friend and Marty’s brother, Louis Caplis.
In his post-match speech Dunlavin captain Sean Phelan paid tribute to the late Louis who passed away last year saying that the team had been driven on this year to do him proud and that they had felt his presence with them in games before dedicating the win to his late friend. It was a powerful moment to behold.
A victory in a GAA match or any other match can never assuage the hurt and pain of the loss of a loved one but through unity and the pursuit of sporting success and by trying to be the best you can be it is perhaps possible to pay tribute to someone dear and to give those left behind strength and hope for the future.
Future is a word that the proud club of Dunlavin need have absolutely no fear of when it comes to Gaelic football.
Their resounding victory over a gallant Kilmacanogue has returned them to the summit of Wicklow GAA club football while they also had victories at under-15 and under-13 level via St Nicholas last weekend which speaks volumes towards the work being done at juvenile level on the Kildare border.
Sunday’s win was as much a tactical one as it was one of heart and courage.
The performance of MJ Moran in his marking job on Kilmacanogue’s Simon Doyle was immense and while the neutrals were robbed of watching one of the county’s most creative players at full flow, all Dunlavin cared about was limiting his influence and giving them a headstart towards lifting the cup. Moran was awarded the Man of the Match award after the game and it was fully deserved.
Jonathan Daniels’ men were excellent on the day. Relentless in defence, hungry in attack, probing, hunting, scavenging, plotting, thinking, believing, defeat was quite simply not an option last Sunday and men like Eoin Murtagh, Paul Murtagh, Aaron Phelan, Sean Phelan, Mark Reid, Shane O’Rourke, Cian O’Sullivan and Shane Carthy were accepting nothing other than victory.
Gary Allen started the game in place of Tomas Lawlor, bringing county experience to the centre half forward position. Eoin Murtagh wore 14 but lined out at midfield while the excellent Shane O’Rourke went inside with Shane Carthy and Cian O’Sullivan but roamed freely.
Kilmacanogue looked to kick ball early in this game, trying to pick out Sam O’Callaghan with long balls but it would fail to gain them any foothold in the game as Dunlavin opened up a 0-3 to 0lead after seven minutes through Shane O’Rourke (free), Darragh Dillon and O’Rourke from play.
It would be 20 minutes in before Mark King’s men registered a point as the force of the Dunlavin pressure took hold on the Sugarloaf men.
They had opportunities, Simon Doyle struck the post and Niall Meldon dropped one short to the excellent Tom McGuirk but it would be a Sam O’Callaghan free that got them on the board.
Mark King was trying things, he brought Sam O’Callaghan out the field and left Conor Finn and Josh O’Callaghan inside but very little was getting past a dogged and well positioned Dunlavin defence with Paul Murtagh putting in a massive shift across the 45.
Cian O’Sullivan and Shane O’Rourke opened the lead to 0-5 to 0-1 after 23 minutes before a foul by Sean Phelan on Josh O’Callaghan allowed Sam the chance from a free and he duly obliged.
Kilmacanogue needed a boost before the break and they had one golden chance that could have changed the course of this game but the mighty Tom McGuirk got his hand to a punched Josh O’Callaghan effort after superb work by Gavan Burke and Niall Meldon to prevent an almost certain goal and send the teams in with Dunlavin leading 0-6 to 0-2 with the aid of the breeze in the second half.
Mark King sent in Kevin Redden early in the second half and a wicked score from Niall Meldon brought it back to a one-score game at 0-6 to 0-3 despite the dominance of Dunlavin.
A rapid double of points from Shane O’Rourke and Cian O’Sullivan quickly doused any Kilmac hopes of a speedy comeback but credit to the Kilmac men they enjoyed a purple patch of sorts and pulled the deficit back to two points at 0-8 to 0-6 thanks to three pointed frees from Sam O’Callaghan.
Jonathan Daniels unleashed Daniel Dawson from the bench as he looked to quash this Kilmac insurrection and points from Cian O’Sullivan and Shane O’Rourke (free) gave them breathing space again.
Sam O’Callaghan reduced the deficit once more but without the creativity of Simon Doyle and with the relentless Dunlavin pressure the Surgarloaf side just couldn’t penetrate the west side’s defence with any real threat.
Two stunning Tomas Lawlor points given the context and phase of the game opened the gap to five at 0-12 to 0-7 and although O’Callaghan would convert another free and Harry Cloeburn would leave the field on a black card the last word fell to Marty Caplis who dropped over a pure peach before turning and punching the air with the delight with the roars and cheers of the wonderful Dunlavin