Kilbree 4-16

Newcestown 2-11

TOM LYONS REPORTS

HAVING failed to find the net in the first half, after which they trailed by two points, Kilbree hit the goal trail in the second with four green flags that paved their way to their first final in six years.

It had looked good for Kilbree in the opening 25 minutes against the breeze as they built up a lead of four points but then got hit by a Newcestown scoring blitz in the minutes before half time as the St John’s men struck an unanswered 1-3 to lead by two at half time.

The first Kilbree goal arrived in the fourth minute of the second half. From then to the end they were clearly the better side, raising three more green flags in answer to a single one by a game but outgunned Newcestown outfit that was missing some key players on the day.

Newcestown's Niall Murray coming out with the ball past Kevin Keohane of Kilbree.

‘We were happy with the way things were going in the first half and Newcestown were bound to have a purple patch. We didn’t do a whole lot wrong in that first half, but they rattled off 1-3 in their good patch and put it up to us,’ said Kilbree manager Timmy Byrne.

‘At half time the lads said this was not going to be the end of the line for the year and they are so committed and dedicated to winning this championship. They have a great hunger and the effort they have put in over the last eight, nine months is incredible.

‘They fully deserve this shot at the final, a great bunch. We didn’t get any goals against Dohenys or Ballinascarthy in our last two games, so we worked on that and were very happy to see a few going in today.’

In a game that was slow to catch fire, there was nothing between the sides in the opening ten minutes, Newcestown playing with the slight breeze.

Darragh Coakley, a thorn in Newcestown’s side all through, opened the scoring with a point and Murt Kenneally answered for Newcestown. Coakley (free) and impressive midfielder Niall Kelly swapped scores before a Cillian Twohig point saw Kilbree in front by 0-3 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter.

The Kilbree half back line of Shane O’Donovan, Kevin Keohane and Dylan Coffey were getting a firm grip on the game as Kilbree hit two more points from Coakley and Brian Deasy. Newcestown were limited to a pointed free from Oisín O’Sullivan as Kilbree increased their lead with points from Coakley (free) and Twohig.

Only a superb point-blank save from Newcestown goalkeeper Ronan McSweeney from Joseph O’Donovan prevented Kilbree, leading by 0-7 to 0-4, from registering their first goal in the 25th minute.

That save seemed to inspire the Newcestown side, and the momentum swung quickly in their favour as Kelly and O’Sullivan pointed to halve the deficit. Then in the 27th minute a long ball from Padraig Collins was finished spectacularly to the Kilbree net by Eoin Kelly, who had switched successfully to full forward. Another free from O’Sullivan and Newcestown were in front by two at half time, 1-6 to 0-7.

Kilbree's Martin O'Donovan wheels away from the challenge of Newcestown's Mark Courtney.

A good chat at half time had the desired effect on the shell-shocked Kilbree men and the first attack in the second half produced a point from a Coakley free. Two minutes later McSweeney saved superbly from Cillian Twohig, but he could do nothing to prevent Coakley from finding the net in the 34th minute.

Kilbree in front again and this time there was no let-up as they hit the net again two minutes later, through Joseph O’Donovan, and swung over the points at regular intervals from Twohig, Jim Shanahan (2), Joseph O’Donovan, and Deasy.

Newcestown’s only reply came from pointed frees from O’Sullivan and Eoin Kelly as Kilbree led by 2-13 to 1-8 at the end of the third quarter.

After classy midfielder Michael D Keohane and Padraig Collins (free) swapped points we had three goals in a chaotic five-minute spell from the 50th to the 54th minutes. Martin O’Donovan cut through for Kilbree’s third goal but Flor Kenneally answered with a Newcestown goal before Joseph O’Donovan had his second, and Kilbree’s fourth.

Matters quietened down in the closing minutes as Padraig Collins and Andrew Shorten had points for Newcestown and Twohig and Jim Shanahan replied for Kilbree, who now face Bal in the final on Sunday, October 19th.

‘Bal will probably go in as favourites in the final but this group won’t leave us down. They always give 100 percent,’ Byrne added.

‘I couldn’t ask for more from this group of players – anything we’ve asked of them, they’ve done.’

OUR STAR: Niall Kelly, Newcestown, and Cillian Twohig, Joseph O’Donovan and Kevin Keohane for Kilbree all stood out but there was no arguing with Daragh Coakley’s outstanding display at corner forward for the winners, notching 1-5.

Scorers

Kilbree: Daragh Coakley 1-5 (3f); Joseph O’Donovan 2-1; Cillian Twohig 0-4; Martin O’Donovan 1-0; Jim Shanahan 0-3 (1f); Brian Deasy 0-2; Michael D Keohane 0-1.

Newcestown: Eoin Kelly 1-1 (1f); Oisín O’Sullivan 0-4f; Flor Kenneally 1-0; Padraig Collins (1f), Niall Kelly 0-2 each; Murt Kenneally and Andrew Shorten 0-1 each.

Kilbree: William Tyner; Cian Murphy, Liam O’Brien, Joe Bailey; Shane O’Donovan, Kevin Keohane, Dylan Coffey; Brian Deasy, Michael D Keohane; Martin O’Donovan, Joseph O’Donovan, Don McCarthy; Jim Shanahan, Cillian Twohig, Daragh Coakley.

Subs: Brian O’Donovan for MD Keohane (51), Eamonn Shanahan for K Keohane (51), Conor O’Sullivan for D Coakley (56), Gearóid McCarthy for D McCarthy (58), James Clancy for D Coffey (60).

Newcestown: Ronan McSweeney; James Burrows, Niall Murray, Flor Kenneally; Eoin Calnan, Mark Courtney, Paul Kelly; Murt Kenneally, Niall Kelly; Fiachra Ó Donnchadha, Andrew Shorten, Eoin Kelly; Darragh McSweeney, Padraig Collins, Oisín O’Sullivan.

Subs: Humphrey Canty for P Kelly (36), Dan Flanagan for N Kelly (39), Timmy O’Sullivan for D McSweeney (46), Gerard Murphy for O O’Sullivan (50), James Ryan for M Kenneally (55).

Referee: Anthony O’Regan (Kilbrittain).