Crucial win in absorbing Hurling C'ship game
August 29, 2024
Last Tuesday night in the excellent prepared Buttevant venue, in front of a sizeable crowd, Killavullen prevailed, but only just against Charleville in the latest instalment of the ultra-competitive Avondhu Junior A Hurling championship. Charleville had four players in their 18th year, thus minors, playing on their team, but 3 of those four were involved in the Cork Minor hurling set up last year, and that class was a telling factor.
Charleville got the opening score of the game, but Killavullen replied when Jamie Magner followed up his own goal bound shot that was saved, and finished the rebound to the net. Charleville replied with a nice point, before Liam Fox, planted his feet in midfield and scored from distance. Charleville again replied from open play, before we got a lucky break, when a long range effort for a point from Liam Cronin, deceived the Charleville custodian in the glaring autumn sun, and ended up in the net. Charleville went out to avenge that wrong, and we were thankful to Eoghan Buckley for a timely block on their inside forward to prevent a goal bound shot from close quarters bothering Charlie in our goals. Jamie scored a free from a difficult angle, and Brian Cotter scored a lovely long range point to open up a two goal lead, 2-03 to 0-03 by this juncture, with 12 minutes gone in the opening half.
Charleville were to score a free from distance, on a night where the wind was quite deceptive, and certainly favouring Killavullen in the opening half. Jack O Connor got his hands on a high ball, and scored sharply and Jamie added another free, only for Shane O Sullivan, the Charleville free taker to reply with a similar score. We pushed the margin out further, when Mickey O Connor was isolated with a quick delivery into the full forward line, and he caught the centre, turned and gave the keeper no chance from close quarters for a great goal. Liam Cronin, who Charleville kept largely out of the game, by clever positioning and play on the wings, and not through the centre, scored another score, a point from long range. Charleville replied with a point, and Jamie scored another free in a very entertaining game. Again Charleville replied, only for Eddie Cotter to score from distance and the final score in a good half of hurling went the way of Charleville, from distance, just before the interval. The lead to us at this half time break was 3-08 to 0-08, a lead which flattered us- we were not that superior.
After a quick interlude, as the referee, Dave Twomey was conscious of failing light, and we all now in very late August, Charleville came flying out of the traps for the second half, and in no time at all, had scored 3 quick points, two from free’s. They seemed to take over completely in and around midfield, where Zach Biggane and Kristian O Gorman, Killian Cagney and Mark Kavanagh were now getting on a show of ball, and causing us no end of problems. Darragh O Grady was sprung from our bench to effect a change, replacing Kian Lane, and was effective to stem the tide. Eddie Cotter chipped in with a telling point, under pressure but snapped it over the bar, and Mickey O Connor scored a point, when he had goals on his mind. A timely hook, forced his shot over the bar. Charleville roared into the game though, and scored four points in succession to leave the margin between the teams at four points, after 11 minutes of the half, having elapsed. Jamie scored a crucial free for us to halt the slide, but Charleville replied with a free of their own. With strong urgings from the Killavullen line, Killavullen upped the work rate in the face of the onslaught and grappled a crucial goal, when Patrick O Grady drew the out rushing defender and slipped a peach of a pass to Mikey, who finished superbly to the net. Charleville again set about chipping away at that lead, and scored two frees and a point from open play to leave us leading by five points, with ten minutes to go.
That margin was further reduced with another Charleville point from a 65 metre shot and we had reason to be nervous. Colm Looney came on for Colm O Mahony and immediately made his presence felt, close in on goals. He was unlucky with one effort, just getting bundled over, just in time to prevent getting his shot away, but when another centre went over the full back head, Colm scrabbled the ball over the line when the goal keeper might have been favourite to clear the danger. Big score, in an absorbing game. Charleville did not let up though, and scored a goal of their own from a free, when the raspier of a shot evaded the multitudes stacked up on our goal line. Next up, Charlie effected a brilliant double save and we cleared the ball, up field for Mikey to score another very important point. Padraig Looney replaced Patrick O Grady and keen to make a show, caught the first ball that came his way, turned his man, and beat all comers for pace, and was desperately unlucky to see his shot fizz across the face of the goals and narrowly evade the opposing bottom corner of the net. Charleville stayed on the offensive and scored the last two points of this captivating game to have the margin at the death, only two points, but the five goals Killavullen scored were crucial and we held on to win. The feeling in the Killavullen camp was one of relief, we were not allowed to play well, had a few players that were sub-optimum on the night and effectively dodged a bullet by those crucial goals, at critical junctures in the game.
Great game on a billiard like pitch that Buttevant club are to be commended on, they have spent thousands on it, with sanding and spiking, dressing of it, stitching additional grass seed into it, and kept it lush and very green with a slow release fertilizer. The referee on the night had a full complement of experienced officials who contributed no end to the enjoyable spectacle that the patrons flocked to the venue to see, and were rewarded with a great game.
- Charlie Cremin
- Fionn Magner
- Eoghan Buckley
- Eoin Birchall
- Brian Cotter 0-01
- Liam Cronin 1-01
- Paul O Sullivan
- Liam Fox 0-01
- Eddie Cotter 0-02
- Colm O Mahoney
- Jamie Magner, 1-04 (0-04F)
- Patrick O Grady
- Jack O Connor (0-01)
- Mikey O Connor (2-02)
- Kian Lane
Substitutes.
- Darragh O’Grady for Kian Lane
- Colm Looney (1-00) for Colm O Mahony
- Padraig Looney for Patrick O Grady