Tinahely grab six of the best
Visitors ease past Kilcoole
TINAHELY KILCOOLE 6-6 1-12
TINAHELY started their Division 4 campaign with a comfortable victory over Kilcoole last Thursday evening.
Former county player David Dillon rolled back the years and his two goals laid the groundwork for the south Wicklow men.
A rapid start by the visitors saw them plunder two goals and two points in the opening five minutes, it was a lead they never looked like relinquishing.
The opening goal came in the second minute and was scored by Dillon who slid the ball under the advanving Goosebankers’ keeper Luke Doyle after great work out the field by Noel Mulhall and the industrious Daniel Ging.
The next two attacks yielded points for Niall Gorman and Liam Quaille as the visitors exerted complete control.
When wing forward Anthony Phelan added another major after showing terrific pace to round his marker, Kilcoole were in deep trouble.
However, they knuckled down and a run of four points on the trot from Dan Lacey, Patrick Woods, Eamon Hughes and a beauty from distance by wingback James Scullion reduced the arrears.
Unfortunately for Kilcoole everytime they got within touching distance Tinahely hit them with a suckerpunch.
On this occasion wingback David Blake won a kickout, he fed Ging who with great pace burst through the hosts’ defence and as he was about to be shut out he showed great vision to offload to dangerman Quaile and he rocketed an effort past the hapless Doyle.
Moments later, Tinahely had a penalty after Quaille was dragged down. Phelan’s well placed spot kick was superbly blocked away by Doyle to keep Kilcoole in the contest.
Phelan added two more frees which were cancelled out by Patrick Woods and Jim Keddy to leave seven between the sides at the break.
On the resumption, Jim Keddy added his second of the evening before Tinahely kicked on again with a good point from half-time substitute Enda O’Keeffe and that man Dillon palmed a long range Phelan free to the net.
Keddy and Ging traded scores before another Tinahely hammer blow. Dillon found marauding centre back Gavin Kenny and his 40-yard pass landed on the chest of corner-forward Austin Brennan who casually slipped the ball past the exposed Doyle.
In fairness to the men of the Goosebank they kept going with Woods and Philip Brien winning plenty of ball in midfield they added excellent points from Conor Scullion and Killian Hannon before Jay Walsh put Woods in on goal and the big man lashed the ball past keeper Alan Lillis to renew Kilcoole’s interest. When Walsh added another point the gap was down to six.
Once more when Tinahely needed a reaction they got one. Ging, who was everywhere in the second half, collected the ball 50 yards out from the Kilcoole goal he showed a great turn of speed to head straight for the dangerzone and as the Goosebank defence closed in he unleashed a sliced effort off the side of his right boot that left Doyle flapping at air in the hosts’ net.
Aaron McKenna closed the scoring with a good point from 35 yards out for Kilcoole.
A comfortable win for Tinahely with Dillon impressive at midfield and Phelan and Quaile to the fore in the forwards.
Jay Walsh, Patrick Woods and James Scullion were best for Kilcoole.
However, man of the match was county Minor star Daniel Ging who was a real ball of energy for the visitors.
Scorers - Tinahely: David Dillon 2-0, Anthony Phelan 1-2, Daniel Ging 1-1, Liam Quaile1-1, Austin Brennan 1-0, Niall Gorman 0-1, Enda O’Keeffe 0-1.
Kilcoole: Patrick Woods 1-2, Jim Keddy 0-3, James Scullion 0-1, Killian Hannon 0-1, Conor Scullion 0-1, Dan Lacey 0-1, Eamon Hughes 0-1, Jason Walsh 0-1, Aaron McKenna 0-1.
Alan Lillis; Shane Kenny, Ray McGlynn, Danny Quinn; David Blake, Gavin Kenny, Fionn Furlong; Noel Mulhall, Niall Gorman; Daniel Ging, David Dillon, Anthony Phelan; Austin Brennan; Liam Quaile, Aaron Furlong. Subs: Enda O’Keeffe, Thomas Dalton, Eric Donoghue, Damian Cullen, Adam Cullen.
Luke Doyle; Darren Burke, Conor Murphy-O’Toole, Jonathan McGuire; James Scullion, Gary Coady, Killian Hannon; Patrick Woods, Philip Brien; Conor Scullion, Dan Lacey, Eamon Hughes; Jason Walsh, Jim Keddy. Subs: Andrew Watson, Jordan Marah, Aaron McKenna.
Chris Canavan