Comfortable for Kilcoole

Poor second half for Donard

KILCOOLE DONARD-THE GLEN 2-11 0-5

KILCOOLE moved comfortably into the Junior ‘C’ football final when they outclassed Donard in this semi-final played in front of a reasonable attendance in Ballinakill on Thursday last. In the final they will meet Tinahely who overcame Éire Óg on an adjoining pitch also in Ballinakill on the same night.

The first half of this game was evenly contested with both sides enjoying periods of supremacy. Donard began particularly well and put the Kilcoole full-back line under pressure in the opening minutes. Corner forwards James Eagar and Des Mann were being fed the ball and it looked that they might do a lot of damage.

Wing forward Darren O’Neill opened the scoring with a point after two minutes with James Eager scoring their second point a minute later.

Kilcoole midfielders Philip O’Brien and Patrick Woods began to steady the ship for the Goosebank side and their forwards began to come into the game.

Jason Walsh at full forward was showing for more ball and appeared at this to be the “go to” man in the attack.

Philip O’Brien opened the Kilcoole account in the fourth minute and Jason Walsh brought the sides level four minutes later.

Midfield exchanges were still evenly matched with Pat Flynn and Rory Toomey ensuring that Donard were getting their share of ball. James Eager put them ahead again with a tenth minute point.

The Kilcoole half-back line, ably marshalled by the veteran Gerry Murray in the centre, began to close off any gaps through Jason Walsh had the sides level again but Des Mann put the Western men ahead again from a free on the quarter hour.

The game went through a ten-minute period of stalemate with no score at all. Donard lost full-back Colm Toomey to a red card following an incident over a line ball. Kilcoole were dominant in the period before half-time and added two points from Jason Walsh and Jordan Murray, both from frees, to lead by 0-5 to 0-4 at the half-time break.

Kilcoole too lost a man to a red card when Jamie Murray incurred the wrath of the referee just before the break.

When Rory Toomey brought the sides level with a Donard point in the first minute of the second half, it looked that we were set for a good contest in the second half. The opposite proved to be the case.

Donard had a very disappointing second half and Toomey’s point proved to be their last score of the game. Jordan Murray came hugely into the game for the Goosebank men and with Garry Coady and the now roving Jason Walsh, the scores began to come.

Points from Conor Scullion, two from Jordan Murray (one a free), and one point each from Jason Walsh and Garry Coady had the Kilcoole men ahead by double scores 0-10 to 0-5 after 12 minutes.

When overlapping corner-back Darren Burke came forward to score Kilcoole’s first goal at the three-quarter stage the game was gone from Donard. They did make the occasional attack forward, but their opponents were now playing with the confidence of a winning team and quickly repulsed any danger.

Kilcoole were somewhat wasteful with chances as the last quarter progressed. They had built up to seven wides before the end (six in the first half). Jordan Murray got their second goal after twenty minutes and Patrick Wood added a further point, their only score of the final ten minutes. Just before the end, Donard lost Darren O’Neill to a red card.

The fact that this game lost three players to red cards would convey a completely false impression of the manner in which the game was played. It was sportingly contested throughout.

Scorers - Kilcoole: Jordan Murray 1-3, Jason Walsh 0-4, Darren Burke 1-0, Philip O’Brien, Conor Scullion, Gerry Coady, Pat Woods 0-1 each.

Donard-The glen: James Eagar 0-2, Darren O’Neill. Des Mann, Rory Toomey 0-1 each.

Luke Doyle; Darren Burke, Stephan Kelly, Jonathan Maguire; James Scullion, Gerry Murray, Chris Carroll; Philip O’Brien, Pat Woods; Jordan Murray, Garry Coady, Conor Scullion; Jamie Murray, Jamie Walsh, Jim Keddy. Subs: Shane Evans, Conor O’Toole, Barry Doyle, Glen Dunne.

Enda Walsh, Gavin Walsh, Colm Toomey, Mick Foley; Gerry Daly, Brendan Daly, Shane Eager; Pat Flynn, Rory Toomey; Nicky Donovan, Oisin Adler, Darren O’Neill; Des Mann, Ed Flynn, James Eager. Subs: Dean Mann, Philip Matusla, Colm O’Neill.

Ian Culbert.