Killavullen dig deep to advance to the Junior A Final.
November 17, 2024
Killavullen had to delve into the deepest reserves of their courage and stamina before they could see off Killeagh in the County Junior A Semi Final, earlier today, in Rathcormac. At a stage mid-way through the second half, Killeagh had eradicated a four point interval lead to draw level, but crucially Killavullen got the next score, and ultimately prevailed.
Killavullen got the opening score of the game, when a long delivery into the goal mouth area, was knocked down by Colm O Mahony to Eddie Cotter to raise the opening white flag. Jamie Magner got our second point from a free, from a huge distance, and it, was just on the field of play, so close was it to the side lines, and with the aid of the wind that was in our assistance in the opening half, we were having the better of the exchanges. Colm O Mahony was hugely influential during the entire game, and he scored the next point for us, in the 4th minute. Liam Fox added our fourth point in the sixth minute when he clipped over a nice point, after Eddie Cotter was significant in the build-up. Killeagh got their opening score when the talismanic and youthful Dan Walsh scored a beauty of a point, from out on the tram lines on the far side of the pitch. Colm scored another point and was causing consternations with every centre that came his way. Killeagh scored their second point in the 9th minute from their centre forward Keane Buds. Jamie scored again for us in the 11th minute from open play, in a game where the hits and physicality were intense and immense. In the quarter final last week, Dan Walsh was incredibly accurate from the dead ball and his prowess did not drop one iota today either. He scored for his team against the wind, in the 15th minute. A huge score came our way in the sixteenth minute when a goal mouth shot from Eddie Cotter was partially expertly saved by the youthful custodian from Killeagh in Fionn Murphy and as the sliotar skidded across the goal line, Michael Cagney followed up the shot and pushed the ball over the line. 1-06 to 0-03 was the score line now.
Dan Walsh set about reducing that lead, and scored another free in the 18th minute and Killeagh were thankful to their full back who somehow blocked bravely a goal bound shot from Colm at close quarters. Padraig Looney was the recipient of very tight, intense marking but he got away from his man, to shoot over the bar in the 25th minute. Dan Walsh scored a cheaply conceded free in the 28th minute and he followed that up with a fine point, which showed his craft and why he was a Cork minor hurling player in 2023, to leave the score at the interval 1-07 to 0-06. This was game of massive passion, where every free was hard earned, and a day that favoured no nonsense brave defenders and we have those lads in our team. Our full back line of Eoghan, Fionn and Eoin never flinched in their application all day, no matter what way the ball came into their area. Our half back line were again magnificent, with Liam, Brian and Paul unwavering in the purpose.
On the resumption, our metal was truly tested. Killeagh were now playing with the aid of the wind and registered the opening score of the half, from another free, from a huge distance, scored by Dan Walsh again. The lead was reduced to two points, when their full forward Darragh Motherway scored from the full forward berth, and the lead was just a single point, when Ben Walsh scored from inside his own half with a monster free. We sprung Darragh O Grady from the bench for Mikey O Connor to try and get on the ball, and influence the game. Killeagh had gained the ascendancy especially in their back line, when, with the aid of a sweeper, they repelled a lot of our forward gusto’s. They brought the game to a level score situation with another free, hard earned on the day, and scarce, but again Dan Walsh was unerring in his placement of the ball between the posts and now we faced a battle royal, with 15 minutes to go.
We stood up against the onslaught though and our defenders were magnificent in seizing back the momentum, and Eddie Cotter scored when we needed a reprieve. Colm O Mahony caught a great ball that hung in the wind, and pivoted and scored to open up a two point cushion. The same player scored again in the 19th minute and in a game where everything was hard won, this was massive. Jamie scored another point from a difficult angle against the wind that pushed out our lead to four points in the 20th minute. Owen Magner came from the substitutes for Michael Cagney to try and wrestle possession in a game where time on the ball was priceless. Dan Walsh scored another free for Killeagh from distance, but we answered that back from Owen, when he cleverly clipped in, a fine point from his roving position in the half forward line. His brother Jamie added another converted free when Liam Fox was very brave in trying to gather in possession. Killeagh were grateful for the agility of their goal keeper when he somehow managed to get his body in the way, of a kicked effort on goal from Colm when he was been held back. On another day, a penalty would have been awarded but nothing was given on this day, by the referee Mark Maher from St, Finbarr’s club who greatly added to the excitement of the game – he had a very consistent performance. From the resultant 65 metre shot, Jamie was again unerring and faultless.
Killeagh introduced Dan Landers from the line, and this player’s size and aerial ability was a new threat to the Killavullen rear-guard and while he was magnificent in fetching the ball, he was never able to get a shot away when he came down from the clouds. Credit the Killavullen full back line. Killeagh got another point back from their midfielder Ben Walsh and then another point back from Dan Walsh again. We were hanging on, and our anxiety was not helped when we struck the post, high up when we craved a point, any point. Padraig Looney was unlucky to see a great run end in naught, when he sped towards goals but his hand pass, to tee up Patrick O Grady just got intercepted at the last moment, and the danger was averted. Killeagh got another point back from Darragh Motherway but we concluded the scoring with another free from Jamie, not an easy score, with the wind, and the adrenalin and the angle, but he nailed it, and the crowd behind his shot told him so, every before the umpire had to reach for his white flag. The puck out was the signal for the referee to bring ecstatic responses from the huge travelling Killavullen support
Final Score Killavullen 1-15 – Killeagh 0-14
- Charlie Cremin
- Fionn Magner
- Eoghan Buckley
- Eoin Birchall
- Brian Cotter
- Liam Cronin
- Paul O Sullivan
- Michael Cagney (1-00)
- Jamie Magner, (0-06, 0-04F, 0-01 x 65M)
- Mickey O Connor
- Liam Fox (0-01)
- Eddie Cotter (0-02)
- Colm O Mahoney (0-04)
- Patrick O Grady
- Padraig Looney (0-01)
Substitutes.
- Darragh O Grady for Mickey O Connor
- Owen Magner (0-01) for Michael Cagney
Tracton were to win the other semi-final, and so, this small village, only seven miles from the urban sprawl of Carrigaline will be our opponents in the final, to be played on the weekend of the 1st of December. This club won the Cork Intermediate Hurling championship in 1991 so have history and custom, and thus will be formidable.
A huge thank you to the wonderful Killavullen support who, initially were warmed up on the N73 dash by Donnacha O Callaghan, in aid of Ballygown school and then scurried along to Rathcormac to support the Blues. Magnificent support – huge crowd in Pairc na Bride to witness an adsorbing contest.