Kilbree 0-13

Dohenys 0-12

JOHN MURPHY REPORTS

DEEP into stoppage time of this RCM Tarmacadam Junior A Hurling Championship (JAHC) quarter-final at windy Enniskeane on Sunday, Dohenys won a crucial free.

Up stepped prolific marksman Euan Lehane, who, like his opposite number, Jim Shanahan, had been impeccable in his accuracy. Lehane’s last-ditch effort had the distance but tailed off at the last moment in the swirling cross-field wind to drop narrowly wide.

From the puck-out, the final whistle went, and relieved Kilbree players and mentors breathed a sigh of relief. Dohenys could not hide their disappointment – they had taken this one down to the wire, the teams level on eight occasions, before finally going down by a single point.

‘Look, we got one hell of a fright here,’ Kilbree manager Timmy Byrne said. ‘Dohenys were well prepared, solid in defence, and dangerous in possession. We got over the line, but shot far too many wides – we have to get our radar up front corrected. Don McCarthy is crucial to our team. We badly needed him today, and he stepped up and scored those last three frees under severe pressure.’

Kilbree's Eamonn Shanahan forcing his way past Dohenys' Ellis Farrell.

Euan Lehane got the scoring show on the road for Dohenys, finding the range twice in the first four minutes. A neat move involving Joseph O’Donovan and Liam Daly saw the latter bisect the uprights for the Blues' opening score. Martin O’Donovan and the hard-working Cillian Twohig extended the advantage, but Lehane, who accounted for all of Dohenys’ first-half scores apart from an excellent Mark Buckley point, had the losers ahead, 0-4 to 0-3, by the 11th minute.

Eamonn Shanahan had one of the scores of the match, but Kilbree shot three bad wides on the trot as the tempo increased. Joseph O’Donovan and Eamonn Shanahan dovetailed in a neat move as Jim Shanahan followed with two more scores. Lehane converted another free, followed by a Mark Buckley score, as Dohenys moved to within one, 0-7 to 0-6.

Dohenys' Euan Lehane cuts inside Kilbree's Dylan Coffey.

Bill Murphy had now moved outfield from his full-forward slot, and his experience, allied to the mazy runs of Fionn Herlihy from around the middle third, were a major boost for Dohenys. Lehane pointed a free before Jim Shanahan replied with a Kilbree '65'. Undaunted, Paudie Crowley scored from an acute angle as Dohenys ramped up the pressure. Euan Lehane (free), a stunning Mark Buckley point, a Jim Shanahan free, and a delighted Joseph O’Donovan point left it balanced on a knife’s edge, 0-10 apiece.

Excitement was at fever pitch as a long-range Dohenys point by Bill Murphy edged the Dunmanway team in front. Fionn Herlihy stretched the lead to two, but Kilbree were starting to apply pressure. The concession of frees proved costly to Dohenys, as Don McCarthy split the posts in the 57th, 59th, and 61st minutes to push Kilbree in front, 0-13 to 0-12. They stayed there to book a semi-final spot.

OUR STAR: The experienced Don McCarthy was coolness personified for Kilbree, as he converted those last three frees.

Scorers

Kilbree: Jim Shanahan 0-4 (3f, 1 65); Don McCarthy 0-3f; Liam Daly 0-2; Martin O’Donovan, Cillian Twohig, Eamonn Shanahan, Joe O’Donovan 0-1 each.

Dohenys: Euan Lehane 0-7f; Mark Buckley 0-2; Paudie Crowley, Bill Murphy, Fionn Herlihy 0-1 each.

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

Subs: Brian O’Donovan for Liam Daly (48), Jonathan Deasy for Jim Shanahan (56), Oisín O’Sullivan for Kevin Keohane (56).

Dohenys: Stephen Daly; Ellis Farrell, Gavin Farr, Tadhg O’Leary; Jerry Collins, Declan Collins, Jamie Dullea; Jerry Farrell, Fionn Herlihy; Euan Lehane, Aaron Mannix, Mark Buckley; Darragh Collins, Bill Murphy, Paudie Crowley.

Subs: Kieran Forbes for Jerry Collins (48), Seán Murphy for Paudie Crowley (54).

Referee: Tommy Barry (Bantry Blues).