Kilshannig make it two from two to make light of new found status

Kilshannig 0-10 Aghabullogue 0-7

NEWLY promoted Kilshannig made it two wins from two outings in the Bons Secour county intermediate football championship when getting the better of Aghabullogue at rain-drenched Cullen last Sunday.

It was a hard-earned victory in testing conditions for the 2019 county junior kingpins, but it was fully deserved, not least because of the manner in which they dug deep to regain the initiative in the last quarter.

Four points ahead with 25 minutes gone in the first half, Kilshannig had good cause for optimism, given that the sodden surface militated against quality forward play and scores were always going to be difficult to come by. Gutsy Aghabullogue had gained parity by the 44th minute, however, and the Muskerry men clearly had momentum behind them at that juncture.

Displaying admirable resolve and resilience, Kilshannig bagged points through Jack Kearney and corner-back Shane Murphy approaching the last ten minutes to get back in front where they remained until the finish.

The win means Kilshannig need just a draw with Kildorrery from their final game in the round-robin series to be guaranteed involvement in the championship’s knock-out stages, and, achieved in the absence of injured Cork star Killian O’Hanlon, it was especially creditable.

It was another O’Hanlon, Killian’s younger brother Éanna, who did much to get them off to a positive start, posting three points, two from frees, in reply to a booming effort from Aghabullogue midfielder Seán O’Connell.

Colm O’Shea was also particularly prominent in a commanding half-back line as Kilshannig held the whip-hand in the first quarter when Aghabullogue had goalkeeper John Buckley to thank for keeping them in the hunt.

Buckley did well to foil a couple of goal attempts by Kilshannig’s Conor McMahon and Barry O’Shea in this period, but Aghabullogue still faced an uphill task after points from McMahon and O’Shea left them trailing by 0-5 to 0-1 inside 20 minutes.

McMahon looked sharp at corner-forward from the outset, but a combination of the sticky pitch and the tenacity of Aghabullogue

defender Conor Smith meant he promised more than he achieved before the break.

It was a similar story at the other end where Aghabullogue’s most threatening attacker Evan O’Sullivan was kept on a reasonably tight rein by gritty Kilshannig full-back Eoghan Burke.

Considering they were on the backfoot for much of the firsthalf, Aghabullogue must have been satisfied after late points by Matthew Bradley and David Thompson – from a free won by Evan O’Sullivan – allowed them to turn over just 0-5 to 0-3 in arrears.

Snapping at Kilshannig’s heels after Luke Casey converted a ‘45 within four minutes of the resumption, Aghabullogue’s prospects took on a rosy hue when they responded to a Kieran Twomey point for the winners with another Casey score from a placed ball and an equaliser from effective substitute Paraic O’Sullivan nearing the three-quarter mark.

The best score of the match followed in the 48th minute, courtesy of Jack Kearney, who put the finishing touch to a sweeping move involving Eanna O’Hanlon, Eoin O’Sullivan, O’Hanlon again and Ciaran O’Sullivan – making it abundantly clear Kilshannig weren’t going to be easily knock off course.

In an absorbing finale, O’Hanlon, from a ‘45, and Kieran Twomey, from a free, landed the points that finally put paid to Aghabullogue’s hopes of collecting the spoils.

On this evidence, however, the Mid-Cork men, who matched Kilshannig in terms of desire and determination, should make a bold bid to keep their title aspirations alive when they square up to Glanmire in their last game in the group stage.

Numbered among their leading lights on this occasion were ‘keeper Buckley, defenders Smith and Billy Casey, midfielder O’Connell, and Casey and Evan O’Sullivan up front.

Half-backs Colm O’Shea, Brian Guerin and Jack Twomey, midfielder O’Hanlon, and Conor McMahon, Barry O’Shea and Kieran Twomey in attack contributed most generously to Kilshannig’s triumph.

KILSHANNIG: G Creedon; C Casey, E Burke, S Murphy 0-1; C O’Shea, B Guerin, J Twomey; C O’Sullivan, E O’Hanlon 0-4 (2f, 1’45); J Kearney 0-1, K Twomey 0-2 (1f), B O’Shea 0-1; D O’Sullivan, E O’Sullivan, C McMahon 0-1 Subs: C Murphy for Casey, 49, G Kennefick for E O’Sullivan, 49, T Twomey for McMahon, 54 AGHABULLOGUE: J Buckley; C Smith, P Twomey, P Dilworth; B Casey, P Ring, A Murphy; S Tarrant, S O’Connell 0-1; L Casey 0-3 (f), M Bradley 0-1, N Barry-Murphy; D Thompson 0-1 (f), E O’Sullivan, I Barry-Murphy Subs: M Dennehy for I Barry-Murphy, 7 (injured), P O’Sullivan for Bradley, 38, MO’Regan for Twomey, 51, D Moynihan for Dilworth, 57

REFEREE: T O’Donovan (Douglas)