Kilbrittain 2-17
Cloughduv 1-17
OLIVER O’BRIEN REPORTS
KILBRITTAIN have taken a step closer to the knock-out stages of the county premier junior hurling championship.
The Black and Amber followed up their derby win against Barryroe with a second Group 2 victory, this time over Cloughduv in Newcestown on Sunday.
Cloughduv were first to open the scoring with two neat points from Aaron Elliott and Aidan O’Leary before a deft hand pass from Kilbrittain’s Conor Hogan fed Josh O’Donovan to put a point on the scoreboard.
Another Kilbrittain score followed from Mark Hickey before Cloughduv responded with their third via Mark Verling, but this was the last time Cloughduv would be ahead in the match.
After winning the ball with a well-timed shoulder, Kilbrittain’s Ronan Crowley stepped up to add a point before Hogan supplied Bertie Butler with the ball in the square, to net the only goal of the first half.
By the time Kilbrittain’s goalkeeper, David Desmond, pulled off an important save, in the tenth minute, Kilbrittain had added to the tally with a further two points from Hickey.
A good start from Kilbrittain wasn’t going to go unchallenged and Cloughduv managed a nice sequence to set up centre forward Aidan Murphy for their fourth point in the 11th minute, but that would be their last for the rest of the half.
Meanwhile the Carbery men pushed on, Cloughduv’s full back had his hands full with speedy Conor Hogan and Hickey was on form securing another two frees, before his goal chance saw the ball work its way back out to the safe hands of Josh O’Donovan in midfield for another point.
Kilbrittain's Aaron Holland under pressure from Cloughduv's Mark Verling.
Right half back Aaron Holland was in control of his patch throughout and with ten minutes to half-time he drove the ball to Hickey who converted a beauty of a point.
Kilbrittain kept pushing forward, putting two more points on the board. At speed, Crowley won the ball and offloaded to Luke Griffin who belted over his first before Butler joined in again with a point at his ease.
While both sides had racked up a string of wides, including nine for Cloughduv and 11 for Kilbrittain, at the break the Carbery side had still steamed ahead by 1-11 to 0-4.
Upon the resumption the battle for possession was intense and while Kilbrittain owned the opening five minutes, they hit three wides, and Cloughduv took advantage of the next available opportunities. The first two from the astute Verling, a point and a free, before sub Mark Walsh and full forward Aodh Twomey both pointed over, the latter being set up with a lovely pass from Walsh.
Kilbrittain were determined and, while they harvested another wide, captain Philip Wall then made a bold break and found Griffin with precision, and he sent his second point soaring over the bar.
O’Donovan and Hogan both pointed, interposed by Cloughduv’s ninth point through Walsh, this time supported by Verling. Next, Crowley found Wall in the half-forward line, and he weaved through Cloughduv’s defence before popping Kilbrittain’s next point over the bar. Then Cloughduv’s Seán O’Leary struck over before they had their own goal chance which hopped instead into a point, courtesy of Twomey. With 17 minutes to go, it was 1-15 to 0-11. Butler and O’Donovan struck another two points while Cloughduv matched them with two from Verling and sub Éoin McNabola.
Three points from Cloughduv, including a free from Verling, another from Murphy and midfielder Eoghan Clifford, saw them tighten the margin, 1-17 to 0-16. Undaunted, Kilbrittain continued and with minutes to go Crowley dropped a ball into the square from 40 yards out, with which Griffin billowed the net. Cloughduv responded with another point from substitute Max O’Leary and a fine goal in extra time from Twomey but Kilbrittain held on to record another win.
Scorers - Kilbrittain: B Butler, L Griffin 1-2 each; J O’Donovan 0-4; M Hickey 0-3 (3f); R Crowley, C Hogan, P Wall 0-1 each.Cloughduv: A Twomey 1-2; M Verling 0-3 (2f); A Murphy, M Walsh 0-2 each; A Elliott, A O’Leary, S O’Leary, E McNabola, E Clifford, M O’Leary 0-1 each.
Kilbrittain: D Desmond; D Considine, T Sheehan, J Hurley; A Holland, T Harrington, C Sheehan; S Sexton, J O’Donovan; M Hickey, P Wall, R Crowley; C Hogan, L Griffin, B Butler.
Subs: N O’Donovan for S Sexton (50), C Ustianowski for C Hogan (56).
Cloughduv: S O’Donoghue; J Moynihan, P O’Driscoll, L Kelleher; S Barry, O O’Driscoll, W Ahern; E Clifford, A Elliott; M Verling, A Murphy, C Canty; S O’Leary, A Twomey, A O’Leary.
Subs: M Walsh for S Barry (30), E McNabola for C Canty (30), C O’Leary for A O’Leary (46), M O’Leary for W Ahern (54).
