Easy for Easkey in one-sided semi-final
Andrew Kilcullen scores 1-14 as Sligo champs hammer Leitrim’s Carrick to qualify for a Connacht decider
Connacht GAA Club JHC Semi-Final
Easkey
Carrick HC (Leitrim)
T3-25 1-6
ELL US something we don’t know. We already were fully aware of Easkey’s prowess prior to last Saturday’s Connacht GAA Club Junior Hurling Championship semi-final against Leitrim champions Carrick Hurling Club at Markievicz Park. Easkey’s 25-point win at Markievicz Park, 3-25 to 1-6, ended up being a futile exercise in terms of gauging the west Sligo side’s worth ahead of their provincial final showdown with Galway’s Ballygar Hurling Club on Saturday week at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence.
Talisman Andrew Kilcullen scored 1-14 against an overwhelmed Carrick, with Joe McHugh – who
POISED: Rory McHugh in action for Easkey against Carrick. was surprisingly scoreless in the recent county final defeat of Naomh Eoin – chipping in with 1-3. The Gordon brothers, goalkeeper Jimmy and wing-forward Mikey, between them scored 1-3.
It is not unusual for a goalkeeper to score in hurling but at least netminder Jimmy’s 53rd minute goal jolted the Easkey fans, previously lulled into a semi-trance by their team’s metronomic scoring. Easkey were awarded a free out and the goalkeeper took it, booming it upfield. His counterpart, Carrick’s overworked Lorcan Donnellan, failed to hold the sliothar and it slipped into the net, with Andrew Kilcullen waiting to snaffle any rebound.
The goalscorer’s brother, Mikey, who came on after 38 minutes, put himself in the frame to start against Ballygar by shooting three points.
In a one-sided second-half, one that began with Easkey holding a 1-13 to 0-4 advantage from a dominant opening period, a particular score of note was Fionn Moylan’s superb effort from along the right wing. This was Easkey’s 20th point and an example of what Moylan is capable of.
Easkey, who went into this fixture as county champions for a third successive season, had a reshuffled pack – into the team were Shane Molloy, Fionn Moylan and Ronan Molloy, with Bernard Feeney, Fionn Connolly and Mikey Gordon dropping to the bench. Against opponents that they were expected to dismiss (although not as easily as this), Easkey could afford such personnel changes.
Easkey shot an unanswered 1-8 in the opening 18 minutes. Thomas Cawley landed a brace of good scores and Andrew Kilcullen was proficiently popping points from a variety of distances and angles. Finnian Cawley was feeding good ball into Easkey’s vibrant attack and his midfield accomplice, Niall Kilcullen, was the orchestrator of the Sea Blues’ 17th minute goal. He followed
GOAL DELIGHT: Andrew Kilcullen,
Junior Hurling Championship semi-final against Carrick Hurling Club (Leitrim) at Markievicz Park. Easkey won by 25 points.
up a dymanic run through the centre with a goalbound effort that Carrick’s Lorcan Donnellan saved – the sliothar broke to Niall’s brother, Andrew, who buried it. Carrick finally got off the mark with a deft point from a sideline cut – Clement Cunniffe, for years a stylish hurler, was the scorer – he scored all six of his side’s points.
Joe McHugh was also getting involved – he set up Finnian Cawley’s 28th minute point – and Andrew Kilcullen completed Easkey’s firsthalf score with a wonder point from long-range.
Easkey began the second period looking to wrap up proceedings early – Finnian Cawley sidestepped a would-be challenge before giving a pass inside to Andrew Kilcullen, whose goal shot was kept out by Lorcan Donnellan.
With Carrick attempting to halt the blue tide, Easkey kept adding points – Joe McHugh scored from distance and substitute Fionn Connolly got a nice score. This stroll in the winter sun was given a different sheen when Jimmy Gordon’s goal made it 2-22 to 0-6.
One of Easkey’s smartest moves yielded their third goal – Mikey Gordon and James Weir worked the ball to Joe McHugh, who netted with a firm, angled drive. Points from Andrew Kilcullen, his 14th, and Mikey Gordon, his third, put the seal on a game that had long since lost its allure due to Easkey’s total control.
Conor Beirne, Carrick’s only other scorer aside from Clement Cunniffe, goaled in stoppage time when he pulled accurately on a breaking ball in Easkey’s goalmouth. It was barely a consolation.
Player of the Match: Andrew Kilcullen Easkey: Jimmy Gordon (1-0), Shane
Molloy, Gavin Connolly, Daniel Rolston, Ronan Molloy, Eoghan Rua McGowan, Dónall Hanley, Finnian Cawley (0-1), Niall Kilcullen, Fionn Moylan (0-1), Rory McHugh, James Weir, Thomas Cawley (0-2), Andrew Kilcullen (1-14, 7f), Joe McHugh (1-3)
Subs used: Bernard Feeney, Fionn Connolly (0-1), Mikey Gordon (0-3), Ian Barrett, Emmett Brennan
Carrick Hurling Club (Leitrim): Lorcan Donnellan, Hughie Glancy, Tom McNabola, Cian French, Shane Crowe, Conor Beirne (1-0), Cian Mallon, Brendan Delaney, Enda Moreton, Donal Moreton, Clement Cunniffe (0-6, 4f, 1 ‘65’, 1 sideline), Paul Earley, Seán Ó Riordan, James McNabola, Liam Phelan Subs used: Dessie Beirne, Paddy Keane, Pierce Kenny, Fergal Gilmartin, Ralph McKeon
Referee: Matthew Farrell (Roscommon)