Kavanagh shines as Kilcoole seal final berth
KILCOOLE BALTINGLASS 3-10 2-08
KILCOOLE took on Baltinglass in Avondale on Saturday in the first of the Junior ‘A’ semi-finals and whatever it is about this pitch come championship time, it does not let you down.
This game got under way at an electric pace with both teams fired up but the real fire was about to be lit in the belly of Kilcoole powerhouse Danny Kavanagh.
From Kilcoole’s first attack, a long ball was sent into big Danny and he gathered on his chest, turned and let rip a shot that drilled a shot leaving keeper Patsy Keogh with his first job of taking the ball out of his net.
The keeper took the kick-out only for it to be won by Ronan Keddy and he again sent in a Garryowen to Danny who again he let fire another left footed shot that hit the post and rebounded to Declan Roper but his shot goes wide.
Baltinglass looked shocked and it wasn’t over yet. With only six minutes on the clock, another long ball in and Danny Kavanagh again catches and there’s goal number two.
It was a dream start for the Kilcoole men. It was a one-trick pony situation but when it’s working you only need one pony!
Baltinglass had to regroup and they brought back a corner-forward in front of Kavanagh to see could they cut off some of the supply.
Baltinglass did settle and got two quick pints through Paudie Swinbourne with a free and Brian Lord from play. Kilcoole then won a mark from Jack Bellemy and he set up Lee Dutton for his first and last score for the roaming corner-forward as he had to leave the action after 20 minutes with a knee injury. In came Jordan Murray for Dutton.
Baltinglass turned the screw a bit on Kilcoole knowing they needed scores as they couldn’t let the gap get any bigger.
Baltinglass’s Niall Kirwan was making a few driving runs and was linking up with Paudie Swinbourne. They played a one-two and Kirwan’s shot rattled the cross bar and the rebound was cleared.
But they managed to turn it over and they got two excellent scores through Mick Dowling from wing back with a monster solo run and the other through by Roybn Farrell.
Kilcoole’s keeper tried a quick kick-out but that didn’t go to plan and the ball found Brian Lord to crash to the net. Game on.
Kilcoole tagged on another two scores just before the break from frees from Danny Kavanagh to leave it 2-05 to 1-05 at the half-time.
The second half got underway and Kilcoole had made a change; Luke Evans in for injured Matt Gilbert, their second player to lose to an injury.
Kilcoole got first blood from guess who, big Danny, from a free. Baltinglass responded with a point of their own from John Whelan. This was a very entertaining game to say the least.
The Kilcoole back line were working like a real unit and were full of running and needed to be as the Baltinglass men were not going to shy away from the task at hand.
Baltinglass managed to cut the margin to just two when, again with three men around him, Danny Kavanagh soared up, catches and with the left peg finds the net.
A machine is the only way to describe him when he’s in this sort of form.
With Baltinglass starting to tire a little, Ronan Keddy was starting to show his running ability and with his long stride he was leaving men for dead and he set up Luke Evans but he was fouled and the free was converted by Kavanagh once more.
The crowd tried to get behind Baltinglass to lift them and as they usually do when wearing their jersey they didn’t give up and in the final moments Brian Lord got himself another 1-01.
It would have to be said if it wasn’t for his same number on the opposite side he would been a deserved man of the match.
With the clock running out the ref called for the ball to send the Kilcoole men marching on to the final for the second year in a row on a score of 3-10 to 2-08
Scorers – Kilcoole: Danny Kavanagh 3-07 (4f), Lee Dutton 0-01, Matt Gilbert 0-01 (f), Vinny Quigley 0-01.
Baltinglass: Brian Lord 2-03, Paudie Swinbourne 0-02 (2f), Robyn Farrell 0-01, Mick Dowling 0-01, John Whelan 0-01.
Glen Tighe; Luke O’Reilly, Matt Mannix, Dave Kelly; Dara Keddy, Colm McGovern, Kevin Condon; Ronan Keddy, Vinny Quigley; Jack Bellamy, Matt Gilbert, Cormac Byrne; Declan Roper, Danny Kavanagh, Lee Dutton. Subs: Jordan Murray for Lee Dutton [inj], Luke Evans for Matt Gilbert [inj], Keith Reynolds for Dave Kelly [inj], Eoin O’Brien for Vinny Quigley, Eoin Keddy for Declan Roper, Conor Murphy for Jack Bellemy.
Patsy Keogh; Sean Parke, Jimmy Keane, Paddy Kirwan; Mick Dowling, Mark Shaughnessy, Jimmy Quinn; Niall Kirwan, Lee Furlong; Robyn Farrell, Paudie Swinbourne, Stephan Quinn; Jack Timmons, Brian Lord, John Whelan. Subs: Mark Ashton for Robyn Farrell, John Gillespie for John Whelan, Johnny Donegan for Sean Parke.
Brendan Furlong