Diarmuid Ó Mathúna 1-17

Kilbree 0-15

TOM LYONS REPORTS

DIARMUID Ó Mathúnas won the battle of the heavyweights to advance to the last four in the RCM Tarmacadam Carbery junior A hurling championship.

In this junior A quarter final in perfect conditions in Ballinacarriga on Sunday, eight Mathúna players shared in the scoring, whereas the Kilbree scores came from five.

A key stat is that whereas Mathúna’s managed 1-11 from play, Kilbree only hit 0-4, 0-11 of their total coming from placed balls.

It was the Castletown men four to the good at half time, a lead they still held at the three-quarter stage despite the free-taking heroics of Kilbree’s Darragh Coakley, a second-half sub, who raised seven white flags from placed balls in that half. At the other end of the pitch, Caolán O’Donovan was again the scoring hero with 0-8 to his credit, six from frees.

Kilbree's Kevin Keohane is pursued by Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's Robbie Lucey. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

‘It was tough, hard hurling, real championship stuff,’ said a relieved Mathúna manager, Pat Lucey.

‘We got a good start, targeted that, six points up, but frees were keeping them in it. They had only two from play in the first half. They were hanging in there but Kilbree are never gone. But to a man, every one of our lads put their shoulder to the wheels, no holding back.

‘We played as a team today. When we won the ball, we played to the best man available up front.’

Mathúnas got off to a flier in this game with Caolán O’Donovan hitting three frees and one from play, as Kilbree hit a few wides before registering their first score in the eighth minute, a Joe O’Donovan point.

Ted Lordan’s goal, set up by O’Donovan, in the 15th minute had Mathúna’s six to the good at the end of the first quarter.

Kilbree began to find their feet in the second quarter, outscoring the opposition by five points to three. Shane O’Donovan, Michael D Keohane and Jim Shanahan, three frees, got their names on the score-sheet, with the hardworking Kevin O’Donovan, Caolán O’Donovan and Ted Lordan answering for Mathúnas. It was 1-7 to 0-6 at half time.

Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's Conor O'Sullivan tries to cut loose from Kilbree's Cillian Twohig. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

A much more determined Kilbree began the second half, but in the first minute they were fortunate to see Joe Bailey clearing a Kevin O’Donovan shot off the goal line with his legs. In the third quarter, they split eight points with the opposition, Coakley hitting all four from frees. Mathúna’ replied through Kevin O’Donovan, Caolán O’Donovan (free) and Conor O’Sullivan (two points).

Lack of penetration meant Kilbree were limited to two Darragh Coakley pointed frees as the more clinical Mathúna forwards answered with four, with Mícheál O’Sullivan Jamie Lucey, Caolán O’Donovan and Ted Lordan impressing.

It was Mathúna’s six in front with five minutes remaining but three points from Darragh Coakley and outstanding centre back Kevin Keohane cut the lead to a dangerous three entering injury time.

Again, Kilbree lacked the cutting edge to get that vital goal and Mathúnas closed out the game with scores from Jamie Lucey and Jamie Fleming.

‘We’ll have to focus now on the next one, a right hard semi-final against Ballinascarthy,’ said Lucey. ‘But if you want to bring the ‘Flyer’ home, you have to beat the best.’

OUR STAR: Darragh Coakley almost swung it for Kilbree in the second half but, once again, it was Caolán O’Donovan, especially with his long-range frees, who proved the match winner for Mathúnas.

Scorers

Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas: Caolán O’Donovan 0-8 (6f); Ted Lordan 1-1; Kevin O’Donovan, Conor O’Sullivan 0-2 each; Patrick Crowley, Jamie Fleming, Jamie Lucey, Mícheál O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Kilbree: Darragh Coakley 0-8 (7f); Jim Shanahan 0-3 (3f); Shane O’Donovan, Kevin Keohane, Joseph O’Donovan, Michael D Keohane (1f) 0-1 each.

Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas: Mícheál O’Driscoll; Matt Daly, Seán Crowley, Conor O’Sullivan; Jack O’Callaghan, Cathal Mangan, Jeremiah Hurley; Robbie Lucey, Kevin O’Donovan; Matthew Draper, Ted Lordan, Mícheál O’Sullivan; Jamie Lucey, Caolán O’Donovan, Jamie Fleming.

Subs: Eoghan Mangan for R Lucey (15), Patrick Crowley for M Draper (41), William Horgan for E Mangan (55).

Kilbree: William Tyner; Olan Murphy, Liam O’Brien, Joe Bailey; Shane O’Donovan, Kevin Keohane, Jonathan Deasy; Brian Deasy, Michael D Keohane; Gearóid McCarthy, Joseph O’Donovan, Brian O’Donovan; Jim Shanahan, Cillian Twohig, Martin O’Donovan.

Subs: Darragh Coakley for J Shanahan (ht), Cian Murphy for L O’Brien (37), Damien O’Gorman for M O’Donovan (47).

Referee: Kieran Galvin (O’Donovan Rossa).