A loss under lights in an entertaining game
March 14, 2025
Last night in Charleville, under lights, on a dry but very cold evening, in the splendid facility that is Bakers Road in Charleville, we went under by the narrowest of margins in a very entertaining and absorbing game.
We got off to a dreadful start when Sean Bartley suffered a bad ankle injury and had to be helped off the field and replaced by Niall Feaheny. We were grateful to have the assistance of our medic, Denis Dingivan to assist. The opening score was a two point shot from outside the large arc, scored by Niall but Charleville who were big and strong, and experienced and dominated in and around midfield all night, and that gave them a great platform to get a foothold in the game. They scored a point from a close in free, and shortly thereafter, got the opening goal of the game, with a searching run, from one of their midfields that was not tracked. They tacked on the next point as well but we were right back in the game when Seamus O Mahony finished coolly to the net when he got inside the defensive cover of Charleville. If that was a team goal, the next was a great goal scored by Padraig Looney, down the spine of the Charleville defense, and the referee played a great advantage to allow Padraig to proceed, though fouled. Charleville won a 45 M shot at our goals after a ball was deflected out over the end line, and the Charleville goalkeeper, drilled the ball with consummate ease over the bar. It was a taster for more scores by the same player later in the game.
Owen Magner got a point back for Killavullen but Charleville replied with a point from open play, then a goal and two quick fire points, when we scarcely got out of our own half. Mark Nagle stopped the slide with a fine converted free and Padraig rocked the cross bar, and the ball ricocheted over the line with a great shot on the run, from distance. The concession of free’s and not releasing the ball to our opponents as per the new rules was costly just before the break, when the ball was advanced 50 metres, and the goalkeeper stepped up again, to earn a two point score, from outside the arc. The score at the break was 3-04 to 2-08
Padraig Looney equalized for us on the resumption and Mark Nagle edged us ahead before Sean Palmer put us two points to the fore. We lost the influential Mark Nagle to an injury and he was replaced by Colm Hayes. We went three points up, with a Colm O Mahony score, but that belied that Charleville were very much in the game and but for some last minute brave defending, they would be closer in scores to us. The onslaught did not abate though, and gaining a foothold in the middle third of the field, they tacked on a score from play and then another free, by their goal keeper, and another point from play to draw level.
Colm Looney was introduced for Colm O Mahony. Our passing often went askew and that was to be our Achilles heel all night, coughing up possession in bad areas of the field to loose possession, and the new rules made for quick break outs from defense that can be hard to stop, especially straight down the middle of the field, with willing runners to the left and right. Colm Hayes kicked a nice point for us, from a free after we had dropped some short into the goal keeper’s hands but Charleville took a one point lead when we got cited for decent, and the ball advanced the 50 metres. The Charleville goal keeper drilled the ball over the bar from outside the arc to open up a slender lead. Colm O Mahoney was reintroduced for Mikey O Connor who had given his all, and the final score in an excellent game of football, which swayed back and forth between the two sides was scored by Charleville to eke out a winning lead, 2-14 to 3-09. The referee, Colm Maher contributed handsomely in trying to keep the game flowing, and moving at all times.
The team and those that scored were;
- Michael Walsh
- Cian O Connor
- Brian Cotter
- Patrick Angland
- Tomas Fennell
- Fionn Magner
- Sean Bartley
- Mickey O Connor
- Jamie Magner
- Sean Palmer (0-01)
- Padraig Looney (2-01)
- Owen Magner (0-01)
- Mark Nagle (0-02, -01F
- Colm O Mahoney (0-01)
- Seamus O Mahony (1-00)
Substitutes Utilized;
- Niall Feaheny (0-02) for Sean Bartley (inj)
- Colm Hayes (0-01F) for Mark Nagle (inj)
- Colm Looney for Colm O Mahony
- Colm O Mahony for Mikey O Connor