Pure bliss as Kilcoole secure JAFC crown
Goosebank men finally end the hurt
KILCOOLE VALLEYMOUNT 0-14 0-13
FOR two years running they left the field in Joule Park Aughrim and returned to a deathly quiet dressing room having been beaten in the Junior ‘A’ football decider.
On Sunday, long after the crowd had departed from the county grounds, the roars and cheers and shouts of joy from the Kilcoole camp could be heard coming through the concrete walls like thunder as they celebrated their victory over Valleymount like men who knew all too well the taste of bitter defeat.
This was as good a game as you’re likely to see in club football anywhere in the country.
Up and down the field we went on top of a heavy surface, pure football was the name of the game, splendid points, dogged defending, leaders stepping up, supporters on the edge of their seats, and credit to both teams for a superbly entertaining battle that brightened up the dreary autumnal afternoon.
The trembling in Ciaran Dutton’s voice when speaking after he watched captain Danny Kavanagh lift the cup in the stand will tell you all you need to know about what this victory means and how deep the hurt of 2016 and 2017 went. 2016 was bearable he says. 2017 was raw. He didn’t have the words to describe what this win meant for Kilcoole GAA Club. Sometimes you don’t need words.
‘It was never going to be an easy game,’ said Dutton. ‘Very tough for us. We don’t make games easy for us in Kilcoole, we like to bring it to the wire. But we knew the work we had to do today to get the result. Luck? We didn’t need luck today. It was just hard work and battling and, you know, the lads deserve it,’ he added.
Kilcoole had numerous warriors who stood tall in this game. Halfback Peter O’Brien was one of those, working tirelessly all over the field, winning key ball and fighting hard for the cause.
‘Amazing. He was gone for a few years, came back this year and he’s made such a difference,’ said his proud manager.
Asked to sum up what the victory meant for him after the difficult defeats in the last two years, Dutton doubted whether he could find the words.
‘I don’t know if I can to be fair,’ he said. ‘The tone of my voice probably says it all, that’s how much it means to me and the club. It’s ironic – 26 years ago we beat Valleymount here (in the Junior final),’ he said.
There were plenty of highs and a few lows from the 2018 season for the men from the Goosebank. Becoming league champions was certainly one of the highs, after a pulsating game against Baltinglass. Taking to the field without their talismanic midfielder Ronan Keddy for Sunday’s county final was leading the low department.
‘Ronan was a huge loss today, from the last day,’ said Ciaran Dutton. ‘But look, we’re training from last January, lifting truck tires in the muck, the dirt. Two years previous I wasn’t that upset, last year I was upset, this year I thought we had done enough and prepared enough to get through it. And you know what, it’s all about having a team and becoming a team,’ he said.
‘Vinnie (Quigley) was amazing, always is. I mean the emotions of Vinnie, Dara and the likes of them lads, they’re playing since they were 17 and won nothing in our club, that’s how much it means to them. The younger lads out there today might never win another county final,’ he added.
Both teams had periods of domination during this game. Both sides made changes to their starting 15 ahead of the throwin. Ronan Keddy would play no part. Vinnie Quigley took up the midfield role – and what a job the Goosebank veteran did for the 55 minutes he battled out on the field!
Cormac Byrne was the addition to the starting 15, taking up position at centre half forward where Quigley had been named.
Darragh Browne didn’t start for Valleymount, the energetic and capable Shay Geoghegan took up his position with Mark Carroll being drafted back to half-back from half-forward where he picked up Luke Evans for a time.
Both sides were incredibly focused ahead of the game but whether it was the pain of the defeats on 2016 and 2017 or just being in a positive space, Kilcoole hit the ground running in impressive fashion, romping to a 0-4 to 0-0 score after eight minutes.
Vinnie Quigley was taking charge at midfield and Kilcoole were dominant in their half-forward line and the four white flags were raised by Danny Kavanagh (three, one free) and one from Colly McGovern who galloped up from centre half back and collected a Matt Gilbert sideline ball before thumping over the bar at the Rednagh Hill end.
Their slow start was soon forgotten as Valleymount came raging back into this game with points from the impressive Jamie Miley, Steven Byrne and corner-forward James Fitzpatrick to leave Valleymount just a point behind at 0-4 to 0-3 with 15 gone.
Back came Kilcoole. Points from Luke Evans and Matt Gilbert had the Goosebankers leading by 0-6 to 0-3 with Ciaran Dutton sending Lee Dutton into the fray in place of an injured Declan Roper with 20 on the clock.
A wide each from frees followed before Danny Kavanagh swung over for Kilcoole. Valleymount midfielder Liam Miley fired wide after 25 before swinging over a beauty off his left and then Lee Dutton announced his arrival with a bomb after 27 to make it 0-8 to 0-4 after 27.
And then James Fitzpatrick took over. Two exceptional points from out on the wing brought Valley- mount right back into the game before Brian Miley and Liam Miley completed a stunning comeback to send the sides in level at the break at 0-8 apiece.
Four minutes into the second half Valleymount introduced Brian Flynn for Mark Carrroll. Kilcoole got off the mark first through a Danny Kavanagh free before the only real moment of controversy arrived when Jack Bellamy’s lofted effort at a point seemed to have drifted wide of the top of the left upright at the dressing room end but was adjudged as a point after referee Darragh Byrne consulted with his umpires behind the goal.
The game was nip and tuck all over the field at this stage with no quarter given or asked. A superb mark from Declan Cahill saw him offload to Stephen Flanagan who fed the ball to Brian Miley who swept over to reduce the arrears to one with 37 gone.
A foul by Brian Flynn on Peter O’Brien allowed Matt Gilbert the chance from a free and he abliged with aplomb before Danny Kavanagh popped over from the 21 to leave things looking good for Kilcoole at 0-12 to 0-9 after 41.
The next 10 minutes belonged to Valleymount in terms of scoring. They sent in Gary WWalsh for Shay Geoghegan at the same time that Peter O’Brien fouled James Fitzpatrick and Liam Miley stroked over the free.
Jack Miley went wide after a thundering run up the field at the
end of the third quarter before Lee Dutton proved wayward at the other end.
Substitute Gary Walsh earned the same result from his effort after 17 but Brian Miley showed the way when he came off a break 55 out from goal and drove hard before splitting the posts.
Ciaran Dutton sent in Eoin Hanney moments before Brian Miley drew the sides level with a pointed free after a handling error in the Kilcoole defence.
Wides would come back to haunt Valleymount. They collected two in as many minutes before Kilcoole withdrew the immense Vinnie Quigley and replaced him with Eoin O’Brien.
Dara Keddy fired a ball in to Matt Gilbert and the talented corner-forward drove over to make it 0-13 to 0-12. Declan Roper returned to the fray in place of Eoin Keddy and his first action was to drive for Paul Miley’s goal and win a free which Danny Kavanagh pointed.
Vallleymount were not done yet. Jack Miley reduced the arrears to one and you wondered if they could get the equaliser or even rattle the back of Glen Tighe’s net to cause heartbreak again.
Up the field they came searching for survival. All hands were to the Valleymount pump. Their superb supporters in the stand were in full voice, roaring them on. The ball came to full-back Stephen Cahill who fired a shot into the grey skies, but it tailed across the face of the goal and the danger was averted.
Referee Darragh Byrne sounded the full-time whistle shortly after to spark magic celebrations among the Kilcoole players and supporters.
The hurt and the suffering of previous years was now assuaged. They had emerged from a savage battle as county champions. Voices trembled with emotion, tears fell, words were not needed.
Scorers – Kilcoole: Danny Kavanagh 0-7 (4f), Matt Gilbert 0-3, Colly McGovern 0-1, Luke Evans 0-1, Lee Dutton 0-1, Jack Bellamy 0-1.
Valleymount: Brian Miley 0-4 I1f), James Fitzpatrick 0-3 (1f), Liam Miley 0-3, Jamie Miley 0-1, Steven Byrne 0-1, Jack Miley 0-1.
Kilcoole: Glen Tighe; Luke Reilly, Matt Manix, Keith Reynolds; Peter O’Brien, Colly McGovern, Dara Keddy; Vinnie Quigley, Jack Bellamy; Luke Evans, Cormac Byrne, Eoin Keddy; Matt Gilbert, Danny Kavanagh, Declan Roper. Subs: Lee Dutton for D Roper (20, inj), Eoin Hanney for L Evans (39), Eoin O’Brien for V Quigley (55), Declan Roper for E Keddy (56).
Valleymount: Paul Miley; Robbie Behan, Steven Cahill, Jeff Kemmy; Shay Geoghegan, Stephen Flanagan, Jack Miley; William Kavanagh, Liam Miley; Declan Cahill, Jamie Miley, Mark Carroll;
James Fitzpatrick, Steven Byrne, Brian Miley. Subs: Brian Flynn for M Carroll (34), Gary Walsh for S Geoghegan (43), Glen Cullen for J Fitzpatrick (58).
Referee: Darragh Byrne (Ballymanus). Linesmen: Damien Byrne (Kiltegan), Stephen Canavan (Avoca).