Coakley's late strike is crucial as Kilbree overcome St Colum's

Kilbree 2-15 

St Colum’s 2-14 

TOM LYONS REPORTS 

IN a tough, exciting championship battle in Castletownkenneigh on a perfect Saturday evening, Kilbree edged a single-point victory over plucky St Colum’s in the opening round Roinn 1 clash of the RCM Tarmacadam junior A hurling.

Most of the excitement in this contest was packed into the final quarter, the sides level at the three-quarter stage following a brave comeback by the Kealkil side who had trailed at the break by five points.

In the end it took a stubborn show of resistance by the Kilbree men to forge victory as the sides were deadlocked for the third time in the 60th minute. It took a goal in injury time by Darragh Coakley, followed by a point by Don McCarthy, to seal the win, with the outstanding Shane Murnane goaling from a Colum’s free in the dying seconds to reduce the margin to the bare minimum again.

‘That was a really tough battle but that is what you will always get from Colum’s,’ said a relieved Kilbree manager Timmy O’Brien. ‘We played well to dominate most of the game but they came back in the second half. Colum’s are always a hard crowd to beat, but, fair play to our lads, they were never led through the whole game.’

While Kilbree had five different scorers in the first half, all six of Colum’s points came from the one player, Cork minor Shane Murnane, who showed tremendous form, hitting two from play and four from frees. The vital score in the first half, a Kilbree goal, came in the 12th minute from sub Eamonn Shannon, who had been introduced in the second minute for the unfortunate Liam O’Brien, who suffered an ankle injury. The Kilbree points came from ace marksman Don McCarthy (four frees and one from play), Cian Murphy, Martin O’Donovan and Joseph O’Donovan. It was Kilbree, having played with a slight breeze, who led at half time by 1-8 to 0-6.

The third quarter belonged to a revitalised Colum’s. Again, it was a green flag that made all the difference when Murnane cut through in the 35th minute for a rasper of a goal.

When Eddie O’Sullivan followed with a point, the sides were level for the first time. Murnane and O’Sullivan, the first Colum’s player bar Murnane to score, had already pointed in answer to a Joseph O’Donovan point.

Another O’Donovan point had Kilbree back in the lead, 1-11 to 1-10, at the end of the third quarter.

It was point for point in the last quarter as Don McCarthy (3) swapped scores with Murnane (2) and Eddie O’Sullivan. When Tadhg Cronin rifled over a Colum’s point in the 57th minute, the sides were level. Kilbree refused to bow the knee and, with excitement at fever pitch, they rallied and struck for the winning scores.

Scorers

Kilbree: Don McCarthy 0-10 (7f); Eamonn Shannon, Darragh Coakley 1-0 each; Joseph O’Donovan 0-3; Martin O’Donovan, Cian Murphy 0-1 each.

St Colum’s: Shane Murnane 2-10 (6f); Eddie O’Sullivan 0-2; Denis McSweeney, Tadhg Cronin 0-1 each.

Kilbree: William Tyner; Barry Kirby, Seán Deasy, John Clancy; Cian Murphy, Brian O’Donovan, Patrick Shannon; Darragh Coakley, Brian Deasy; Oisín O’Sullivan, Don McCarthy, Michael D Keohane; Martin O’Donovan, Liam O’Brien, Joseph O’Donovan.

Subs: Eamonn Shannon for LO’Brien (inj, 2), Dylan Coffey for M O’Donovan (43), Martin O’Donovan for P Shannon (inj, 53).

St Colum’s: Michael Daly; Pat Daly, Damien Cronin, Donal Hurley; Alan Kelleher, David O’Mahony, Martin Hurley; Tony Harrington, Ben Murphy; Tadhg Cronin, Eddie O’Sullivan, Ruairí O’Connor; Jamie McSweeney, Shane Murnane, JD O’Sullivan.

Subs: Denis McSweeney for JD O’Sullivan (ht), John Bryden O’Connell for B Murphy (inj, 43), Dermot Cronin for R O’Connor (52).

Referee: Mick O’Leary (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna).