Kilmurry 4-16
Feenagh-Kilmeedy 0-2
BRENDAN KENNEALLY REPORTS
KILMURRY will meet Kerry club Listowel Emmets in the AIB Club Munster Junior Football Championship final after both clubs enjoyed facile wins in their respective semi-finals on Saturday afternoon.
The Mid Cork side were ‘at home’ to Limerick champions Feenagh-Kilmeedy at Cloughduv, and simply tore the opposition apart to win by 26 points.
Kilmurry dominated from the start. Kyle Kelleher and James O’Mullane were already prominent at midfield, backed by fleet-footed defenders in Brian Hinchion, Gearóid O’Mahony and Tomás Collins. Up front Liam Wall led the line with dash, with Seán Warren and Lawrence Aisling very active also.
Liam Wall put the first point on the board after four minutes and doubled his side’s advantage in the eighth minute. Already the signs were ominous for the Limerick side. Seán Warren set up Rory Duggan for a point in the 11th minute before cornerback Brian Hinchion made it 0-4 to 0-0 two minutes later, and Warren immediately added another.
Two further points from Seán Warren followed before Ryan Leahy had a superb point in the 23rd minute. At last the Limerick men got a score on the board when Colm Ryan took a good point from 30 metres out in the 25th minute; he was their only scorer with one in each half. One minute later Seán Warren had his fourth point and Kilmurry led by 0-9 to 0-1 at half time and were clearly the much better side.
Kilmurry introduced Seán Curzon and Pádraig Berhanu for the second half and the latter signalled his arrival into the fray with a point within a minute of the resumption. A superb raid involving five players ended with Liam Wall blasting home the first goal in the 34th minute. With the outcome of the contest well decided the only matter of interest now was the margin of victory.
In the 46th minute Pádraig Berhanu cut through the Feenagh-Kilmeedy defence before delivering a perfectly-timed pass to Liam Wall who palmed the ball home. It was now 2-10 to 0-2. Berhanu and Brian Hinchion added points before Berhanu scored Kimurry’s third goal in the 55th minute. The winners maintained the relentless pressure, O’Mullane again gave the assist for another Berhanu goal, before Lawrence Aisling kicked a brace and long-serving Greg Barrett and debutant Joe O’Mullane closed the scoring with a point apiece.
Scorers - Kilmurry: L Wall, P Berhanu 2-2 each; S Warren 0-4; B Hinchion, L Aisling 0-2 each; R Duggan, R Leahy, G Barrett and J O’Mullane 0-1 each. Feenagh-Kilmeedy: C Ryan 0-2 (1f).
Kilmurry: Jason McDonnell; Brian Hinchion, Kevin Barrett, Gearóid O’Mahony; Alexander Aisling, William Ronan, Tomás Collins; Kyle Kelleher, James O’Mullane; Daniel Cahalane, Lawrence Aisling, Rory Duggan; Ryan Leahy, Liam Wall, Seán Warren.
Subs: Seán Curzon for R Leahy, Pádraig Berhanu for D Cahalane (both ht), Joe O’Mullane for A Aisling, Greg Barrett for Js O’Mullane (both 40), Owen Keane for S Warren (49).
Feenagh-Kilmeedy: Dan Gayer; Bobby Donegan, Maurice Fitzgibbon, James O’Regan; Seán Kelly, Bryan Hannigan, David Boyce; Patrick Donnelly, Dylan Murray O’Connor; Diarmuid Ryan, Cian O’Connor, Diarmuid Coleman; Ruairí O’Connor, Luke Ryan, Colm Ryan.
Subs: Michael O’Connor for D Murray O’Connor, Patrick O’Doherty for D Coleman (both 44), Darragh Lynch for B Hannigan (inj, 48), Patrick O’Connor for M Fitzgibbon (50), Liam O’Gorman for R O’Connor (56).
Referee: Seán Joy (Kerry).
