Better balanced Killavullen U21 side advance to the Semi Final
September 07, 2019
Killavullen were the more balanced side in tonight’s quarter final clash against the Liscarroll – Churchtown combination, here after called Liscarroll and won out decisively in the end 1-21 to 1-05.
We started in whirl win fashion and had two points from play within the 1st minute from Mikey O Connor and Sean Woulfe. Liscarroll got a point back from their danger man, Colin O Brien before Jack O Connor turned sharply and sent a ball over the bar from a tight angle. Paul O Sullivan scored well from distance in the 5th minute but Liscarroll got a point back in the 8th minute. Liscarroll took the lead in the next minute when O Brien, on the edge of the square caught a high ball above the Killavullen backs, and gave Podge, in goals no chance with his strong drive. It was important to answer that decisive score with one of our own, and Padraig Looney used his searing pace to get away from his man, and send his shot between the posts to register a point for us. Mikey O Connor corrected his aim, from two earlier attempts from frees and curled in a lovely shot over the bar from right out on the touchline, to regain the lead for us again. Liscarroll answered that back in the 13th minute to equalise but Jack O Connor, who was very sharp at the edge of the square edged us ahead again, in the 15th minute.
The game was won in the next quarter, led by Liam Fox who pulled hard and fast on a ground shot and the ball flashed over the bar. It could easily have be under the bar, but their keeper was relieved to see the ball above his cross bar.. Mikey O Connor scored two mores frees to push out our lead 0-10 to 1-03 at this stage. Our backs had tightened up their marking considerably with Pa Angland, Fionn and Brian Cotter decisive and strong in the full back line. Eoin Buckley was very good at holding the centre back berth, and outside him on the flanks, Mike Fresh and Eddie Cotter were very good. Eddie indeed sent a bullet like shot over the bar on one of his many attacking forays, following quickly by Padraig again and Mikey from another free. Just before the break, Darragh O Grady evaded his tight marker opponent, and slipped between him, and the end line, and finished with aplomb into the net. It was not a bullet, but rather a shot that was expertly placed, beyond the reaches of the goal keeper.
The lead at the break was 1-13 to 1-03 but right at the start of the 2nd half, Liscarroll were quicker out the gates, and scored two points in a row. Padraig Looney stopped their momentum with another lovely score, and Mikey sent another point over from distance in the 11th minute. Padraig scored again in the 16th minute and Eddie Cotter brought the best out of their keeper with a fine drive that he could only parry, but Eddie followed up, and sent the ball over the bar. Padraig got our next score before Liam Fox caught a high ball in front of the main Killavullen contingent of supporters and sent his resultant shot, right down the middle of the two posts to resultant applause. We got another point from Seamus Fox who did an amount of covering and foraging in the middle of the field. We got the final score from the introduced Colm Looney who brought our tally to 1-21. Colm thought that he had goaled just before his point, but the score was cancelled out after the umpire adjudged he had caught it illegally as he bore down on goals. It mattered little in the end, Killavullen marched onto the semi-final, to be played on Monday night next, the 9th again in Doneraile, against St. Dominic’s, the amalgamated team from Glanworth and Shanballymore.
- Padraig Cronin
- Brian Cotter
- Fionn Magner
- Pa Angland
- Michael Fresh
- Eoin Buckley
- Eddie Cotter (0-02)
- Seamus Fox (0-01)
- Mikey O Connor (0-06 , 0-04F)
- Paul O Sullivan (0-01)
- Liam Fox (0-02)
- Sean Woulfe (0-01)
- Darragh O Grady (1-00)
- Jack O Connor (0-02)
- Padraig Looney (0-05)
Substitutes
- Noah Butler for Sean Woulfe
- Mikey Looney  for Brian Cotter
- Cian O Connor for Darragh O Grady
- Colm Looney (0-01) for Paul O SullivanÂ