Kiskeam turn up the heat to finish the job against Kilshanning

Kiskeam 2-14 Kilshannig 0-8

KISKEAM turned up the heat during the closing exchanges to keep a stubborn Kilshannig at bay in an entertaining County Junior B Football Championship quarter-final at Kiskeam.

For much of the opening spell, Kiskeam controlled and dictated the pace of the game with a run of telling scores that confirmed their supremacy.

Kilshannig had lost a couple of players drafted into their A team yet they brought plenty of enthusiasm to the challenge but they found it came up short against a Kiskeam side possessing experience and youth.

More importantly, Kiskeam were able to respond tellingly to a Kilshannig revival upon the resumption to rubber-stamp a place in a semi-final against St Michaels.

At the outset, Kiskeam held a definite grip on the proceedings, Daire Murphy and Conor Noonan controlled midfield with Seán Linehan, Jack Daly and Diarmuid Fitzgerald ever alert and determined in defence.

Indeed, Kiskeam’s teamwork and cohesion looked impressive with Killian Murphy and Anthony Dennehy pointing before Noonan powered forward from the centre to net. Kilshannig had entered the fray with a few players elevated to their first team, their cause here not helped here on three players picking up injuries.

Still Kilshannig hung in, making strides, points to Tony Kelly and John Quinn narrowed the arrears 1-8 to 0-4 at the break. And in fairness, Kilshannig applied themselves well on the restart, increasing the urgency and tempo through the solid workrate of Shane Murphy, Eoin Healy, David O’Riordan and Tadgh O’Sullivan.

Points to Bryan Sheehan and Darren O’Riordan brought Kilshannig right back into contention and it took stern defensive work from the Kiskeam rearguard to avoid further danger. Try as they might, Kilshannig just couldn’t penetrate that Kiskeam last line with ‘keeper Daniel Cronin composed between the uprights.

Indeed Kiskeam regained the upperhand, they made possession count, an inviting centre from Anthony Dennehy found his uncle Billy to net. And with Eoghan O’Leary in fine shooting form, it allowed Kiskeam underline their superiority to ease to safety.

KISKEAM: D Cronin; J Collins, S Linehan, J Daly; J Carroll, D Fitzgerald, J McAulliffe; D Murphy, C Noonan 1-1; K Murphy 0-2, B Dennehy 1-5 (0-3f), P O’Mahony; E O’Leary 0-3, D Hallissey, A Dennehy 0-3 Subs: C O’Leary for D Hallissey, B Daly for E O’Leary, D Sheehan for P O’Mahony, John McAulliffe for Jer McAulliffe

KILSHANNIG: G Creedon; C Barrow, D Cronin, B Walsh; D Clogan, S Murphy, E Healy; D O’Riordan, T O’Sullivan; B Sheehan 0-1, D O’Riordan 0-3 (2f), I O’Donoughue; J Quinn 0-1, M O’Connell, D Kearney Subs: T Kelly 0-2 for M O’Connell inj, D O’Sullivan 0-1 for D O’Riordan inj, V Kiely for D Clogan inj

REFEREE: E Walsh (Freemount)