Kilbrittain 0-14

Kilmeen 0-14

JOHN MURPHY REPORTS

A LATE free from Luke Griffin earned Kilbrittain a share of the spoils in balmy Ballinascarthy on Sunday evening.

Kilmeen had looked on course for a win in this Bandon Co-op Carbery JAFC Roinn 2 clash, but Kilbrittain struck with the last play of the game.

It’s a result that throws the cat amongst the pigeons ahead of the final series of games with Carbery Rangers and Kilbrittain leading the group on three points and scheduled to meet.

Kilmeen’s inability to close out games from winning positions was something selector Timmy O’Brien conceded was a worry.

‘We should have closed out the game, we were ahead by three points, yet failed to supply the finishing touches,’ he said.

‘We played neat, positive football in the opening half, but again having done all the hard work fell away and allowed Kilbrittain to come back at us.’

Certainly, Kilmeen began like a steam train and with ace full forward Cillian Twohig pulling the strings, they had two points on the board from the aforementioned after good work by dominant midfielders Brian Deasy and Oísin O’Sullivan.

Kilbrittain were strangely lethargic, but leading sharpshooter Luke Griffin had them up and running after nine minutes. The amount of turnovers conceded by the Seasiders was noticeable and Joe O’Donovan pushed the Blues further ahead, 0-3 to 0-1.

Griffin (free) and a marvellous score by Twohig were followed by the first of three points from the impressive Jason Murray.

Conor Hogan’s speed and agility was a plus for Kilbrittain and he found the range in the 20th minute. Shane O’Donovan, Mark Hickey, Adam Griffin and Luke Griffin traded scores as the tempo increased. Joe Bailey and Ronan Crowley got in on the scoring act but the irrepressible Twohig had the last say leaving it 0-8 to 0-7 at the short whistle.

Philip Wall was introduced at the break, but while the Kilbrittain momentum and effort was notched up a ramp, it was Kilmeen who found the range first courtesy of a smashing white flag from Murray.

Kilbrittain were grateful to Wall as two dangerous Kilmeen attacks were nipped in the bud, the ball taken to safety from beneath the crossbar.

Griffin pointed a free following a solo from Seán Sexton in the 39th minute. But it was Twohig who stretched the lead further with a couple of superb frees.

Kilbrittain continued to empty the bench but it looked as if the Blues held all the aces entering the home straight, 0-14 to 0-11 ahead. However, their old failing came back to haunt them, as three unanswered points from Ronan Crowley and two sublime scores by Griffin saw them snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.

Kilbrittain manager Cian O’Leary was pleased with the invaluable point, but felt that it had taken his side too long to make their mark on the game.

‘Look, we kicked some bad wides, especially in the first half. We seemed anxious, shooting hurriedly and not putting the scores on the board. This championship is a minefield. Anything can happen, so with that improved second half, this is an invaluable result for us,’ a clearly relieved O’Leary said.

OUR STAR: A few in the frame, including Kilbrittain marksman Luke Griffin. However, Cillian Twohig was imperious as a field marshal, while bisecting the uprights with consummate ease.

Scorers

Kilbrittain: Luke Griffin 0-8 (6f); Ronan Crowley 0-2; Conor Hogan, Adam Griffin, Mark Hickey, Seán Sexton 0-1 each.

Kilmeen: Cillian Twohig 0-8 (5f); Jason Murray 0-3; Joe O’Donovan, Shane O’Donovan, Joe Bailey 0-1 each.

Kilbrittain: Owen McCarthy; Eoin O’Neill, Eoin Byrne, Darragh Considine; Loughlin O’Donnell, Tomás Sheehan, Gavin O’Shea; Mark O’Shea, Colm Sheehan; Ronan Crowley, Luke Griffin, Adam Griffin; Conor Hogan, Mark Hickey, Seán Sexton.

Subs: Philip Wall for Mark O’Shea (ht); Conor Ustionowski for Mark Hickey (45); Gavin Kenny for Gavin O’Shea (50), Fionn Ustionowski for Seán Sexton (54).

Kilmeen: Ruairi O’Sullivan; Olan Murphy, Cian Murphy, Tim Bailey; Shane O’Donovan, Oísin Harrington, Johnny Deasy; Brian Deasy, Oísin O’Sullivan; Jason Murray, Kevin Keohane, Joe Bailey; Damien O’Gorman, Cillian Twohig, Joe O’Donovan.

Sub: Eoghan McCrohan for Jason Murray (53).

Referee: Kevin Crowley (Ballinascarthy).