Kilcoole intent on going the distance
KILCOOLE 0-20 LARAGH 1-11 LAST year’s Junior A finalists Kilcoole laid down a marker that they intend going one step further this year after getting the better of a hard working but limited Laragh side at Ashford last Saturday evening.
Some sublime point scoring from distance by Lee Dutton, Matthew Gilbert and Daniel Kavanagh was ultimately the difference in a match that had the intensity that you would expect from championship football.
Kilcoole started brightly with an early Matthew Gilbert free been added to by an excellent Daniel Kavanagh point off his left boot after been giving too much leeway by his marker. Laragh replied with two settling frees from John Nolan leveling matters after seven minutes.
This signalled a takeover from Kilcoole as they reeled off five points on the bounce. County hurling star Ronan Keddy got the first of these after a galloping run, Kavanagh popped his second after turning his marker clinically before Dutton, Gilbert and classy wing forward Cormac Byrne got in on the act.
Laragh manager Declan Byrne made some positional switches at this time to try and stem the tide. Keith Lawlor pulled one back after sloppy play in defence by the Goosebankers. Lee Dutton got his second of the day soon after with a mammoth effort that landed on the roof of the net.
Back came Laragh with roaming full-forward Mark Miley, who was now operating around the middle of the field, getting on the end of a cute offload by Dan Power to split the uprights.
Kavanagh added a free before Kilcoole were reduced to 14 men. Wing back Keith Reynolds hit Laragh’s Lawlor hard but in the referee’s view dangerously and after taking his time Noel Kinsella gave the Kilcoole man his marching orders
As Kilcoole replaced Jordan Murray with Jack Bellamy to try reorganise, Laragh ploughed on with another Nolan free before they got a much needed goal. Miley claimed possession again, he threaded an intricate ball into Steve Olahan who transferred to Aaron Lynham baring down on goal and he drilled his effort low and hard past the exposed Kilcoole net minder to leave the minimum between the sides, 0-09 to 1-5 at the break.
A game that ebbed and flowed turned Laragh’s way on the resumption. Playing their extra man in front of the full-back line, the supply lines to danger man Kavanagh were cut.
By the time Kilcoole figured the system out Laragh had taken a three-point lead. Miley had tied the scores up, before Myles Conway with an excellent left footed effort nudged them ahead, a free from Nolan and Olahan with a tidy point after good possession football stretched the lead.
Kilcoole needed to get something going and they brought on veteran Vinny Quigley from the bench.
He brought a calmness that was lacking in the opening minutes of the half. Luke Evans kicked a morale boosting point for them into the village end goal to close the gap. Laragh spurned some good chances with poor wides and a couple of efforts hitting the uprights.
The winning of the game was a five minute spell between 45th and 50th minute when Kilcoole scored four on the spin from Kavanagh, Gilbert, Dutton and a massive free from Gilbert again after Laragh indiscipline had referee Kinsella move the kick in 15 yards to the 50 yard line to lead by two. Steve Olahan got one back for Laragh after a clever free by Nolan gave him space.
Another run of scores for the Goosebankers saw Declan Roper score a beautiful curling effort from out on the left wing, Dutton with a point from the next parish, Gilbert with a well worked team score and Roper again polishing off a free flowing wave of a move that tore through the heart of the Laragh defence.
Laragh kept going and sub James Nolan got a point back before Keddy put a dagger through their heart with his second of the day. A slaloming run led to him cutting back in on his left boot before clipping a beautiful score, his fist pumping celebration to the Kilcoole support on his way back to position said he believed it was the insurance point. Moments later Kavanagh rounded out the scoring with a sensational point from out on the left touchline near the endline that somehow found the target.
A match that had a bit of everything where Kilcoole seemed to be cruising till the sending off, Laragh seemed to be about to kick on in the early stages of the second half before the Goosebankers got their mojo back to dig out a confidence boosting victory.
Laragh had an excellent display from Mark Miley with Myles Conway and Steve Olahan toiling hard.
For Kilcoole, any one of Kavanagh, Dutton, Gilbert and Keddy could have got man of the match. Dutton gets the nod for some of the eye-catching scores he struck when the game was there to be won.
Scorers -Kilcoole: Daniel Kavanagh 0-5 (2f), Lee Dutton 0-5, Matthew Gilbert 0-4 (2f), Declan Roper 0-2, Ronan Keddy 0-2, Luke Evans 0-1, Cormac Byrne 0-1.
Laragh: John Nolan 0-4 (4f), Aaron Lynham 1-0, Steve Olahan 0-2, Mark Miley 0-2, Keith Lawlor 0-1, Myles Conway 0-1, James Nolan 0-1.
Kilcoole: Glen Tighe; David Kelly, Colm McGovern, Luke Reilly; Dara Keddy, Eoin O’Brien, Keith Reynolds; Luke Evans, Ronan Keddy; Cormac Byrne, Matthew Gilbert, Lee Dutton; Jordan Murray, Daniel Kavanagh, Declan Roper. Subs: Vinny Quigley, Jack Bellamy.
Laragh: Peter Merrigan; Ross Doonan, Gary Cullen, Jamie Cullen, Jack Dunne, Ciaran Byrne, Andrew Kenny; David McDonald, John Nolan; Aaron Lynham, Steve Olahan, Keith Lawlor; Dan Power, Mark Miley, Myles Conway. Sub: James Nolan
Referee: Noel Kinsella