Kilbree 1-15
Clonakilty 0-15
TOM LYONS REPORTS
ONLY a goal separated the sides at the end of this tense RCM Tarmacadam JAHC Roinn 3 clash in Ahiohill on Saturday evening – and it was Kilbree’s goal in the 53rd minute that made the difference.
In truth, league champions Kilbree could and should have won by much more. That they didn’t was down to poor starts in both halves and a lack of accuracy in shooting in a second half they dominated.
Having built up a six-point lead in the first quarter, Clonakilty were only a point in front at half time, having played with the breeze. Despite yielding territorial dominance in the third quarter, they still led by two at the end of the quarter. The scores were level when Darragh Coakley struck for the only goal of the game – there was no catching the winners subsequently.
Kilbree's Liam Daly and Clonakilty's Aaron Cullinane in a race for possession.
‘We wouldn’t be too happy with the first half and there were a few things we addressed at half time in the dressing room. We needed to work harder and I think we did that in the second half,’ said delighted Kilbree manager Timmy Byrne.
‘Clon are a serious outfit, very hard to play against, and our lads deserve great credit for being able to stand up to a challenge like that. I think we outhurled them, our hurling was much sharper in the second half. We did let a lot of wides out there, which is our main worry. If our radar was on, we probably would have won by a bit more.’
With Timmy McCarthy and Eoin McCormack grabbing control at midfield, and the White brothers, Seán and Brian, dangerous up front, Clon got off to a great start. Three points, two from frees, from Brian White, two from play by Seán and a sixth from Cian O’Donovan had the green and red in front by 0-6 to 0-1 after 12 minutes, the only reply coming from Cillian Twohig.
Jim Shanahan pointed two frees for Kilbree, sandwiching a Seán White effort, and Clon led by 0-7 to 0-3 at the end of a lively first quarter.
Kilbree's Dylan Coffey tries to stop a shot from Cian O'Donovan of Clonakilty.
The second quarter saw Kilbree coming to grips with the pace of the game, Eamon Shanahan and Darragh Coakley very prominent. Coakley hit two sweet points while Jim Shanahan and Cillian Twohig added two more. Tim McCarthy had Clon’s only score in the second quarter. It was definitely advantage Kilbree at half time as they trailed by only a point, 0-8 to 0-7, with the breeze to their backs in the second half.
However, it was again Clon who got off to a flyer in the second half as Brian White pointed two frees. The hard-working Eoin McCormack added another and the gap was back to four points.
Kilbree were beginning to hurl much better now – Joseph O’Donovan and Kevin Keohane had points for the winners before White pointed another free. Shanahan (free) and Michael D Keohane pointed to cut the lead to a single point. Another White free made it two of a difference, 0-13 to 0-11, in Clon’s favour at the end of an entertaining third quarter.
Kilbree manager Timmy Byrne.
Points by Darragh Coakley and Cillian Twohig had Kilbree level by the 47th minute. They hit the front for the first time two minutes later when man-of-the-match Eamon Shanahan split the posts. Another White free levelled matters again but the crucial score arrived in the 53rd minute – Darragh Coakley, set up by Jim Shanahan, found the Clonakilty net.
White (free) and Shanahan (free) swapped points and the closing minutes saw Clon laying siege to the Kilbree goal in search of a green flag to rescue the game.
With 13 players guarding the Kilbree goal area, David Lowney had a shot well saved by goalkeeper William Tyner, and White had two close-in frees blocked. A schimozzle saw Thomas Clancy being red-carded and there was no way through the rock-solid Kilbree defence as they held out to register a welcome win.
OUR STAR: Good performances on both sides including Brian and Seán White, Clonakilty, Kevin Keohane and Darragh Coakley, Kilbree, but the accolade goes to Kilbree corner forward Eamon Shanahan whose work rate and influence on the game were huge.
Scorers
Kilbree: Darragh Coakley 1-3; Jim Shanahan 0-5f; Cillian Twohig 0-3; Kevin Keohane, Michael D Keohane, Joseph O’Donovan, Eamon Shanahan 0-1 each.
Clonakilty: Brian White 0-9 (7f); Seán White 0-3; Eoin McCormack, Tim McCarthy, Cian O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Kilbree: William Tyner; Brian Deasy, Liam O’Brien, Joe Bailey; Shane O’Donovan, Kevin Keohane, Don McCarthy; Martin O’Donovan, Michael D Keohane; Darragh Coakley, Joseph O’Donovan, Liam Daly; Eamon Shanahan, Cillian Twohig, Jim Shanahan.
Sub: Oisín O’Sullivan for L Daly (43).
Clonakilty: Edward Morrissey; Ciarán Crowley, Sean Coffey, Kieran Calnan; Aaron Cullinane, Thomas Clancy, Des Kenneally; Eoin McCormack, Tim McCarthy; Matt Murphy, David Lowney, Cian O’Donovan; Seán White, Kevin Cormican, Brian White.
Subs: Kevin Bracken for K Calnan (38), Tadhg Healy for M Murphy (52), James Murnane for T McCarthy (54).
Referee: Michael O’Mahony (Kilbrittain).
