Kilbree 1-17
Dohenys 0-13
TOM LYONS REPORTS
A REAL old-fashioned goal by Joseph O’Donovan in the 49th minute was the crucial score in this hard-fought local derby in round three of the RCM Tarmacadam junior A hurling championship in Ahamilla on Saturday evening.
When a long free broke on the edge of the Doheny square, O’Donovan ran in to first-time it to the net to put his side six points in front. They never looked in trouble subsequently.
In truth this was a disappointing clash between the near-neighbours, firstly because the intensity in the first half was so severe that the play was littered with rucks and the ball having to be thrown in. A score of 0-6 each at half time, only five of those points coming from play, tells its own story.
Kilbree's John Clancy clashes with Darragh Collins of Dohenys.
Thankfully, the second half opened up more and we were treated to some good patches of hurling, especially from the winners. The difference between the sides lay in the two attacks. Whereas all six starting forwards for Kilbree got their names on the score sheet, totalling 1-16 from their 1-17, only two Doheny forwards managed 0-4 between them, midfielder Bill Murphy accounting for 0-9. Six points from play for Dohenys was never going to be good enough to win, in contrast to 1-12 for Kilbree. This win sees Kilbree topping the group with Dohenys now out of the championship.
‘We knew this was going to be a tough, hard game against Dohenys and that’s the way it turned out,’ said a very satisfied Kilbree manager Timmy O’Brien.
‘Dohenys are a senior club and their fitness would be over ours, and they have some fine hurlers. We have been plagued with injuries and we lost two more, Liam and Don, during the game. With a tight panel, it’s very hard to cope with that.
‘We’ll have to assess all the injuries now and see where we stand for the quarter-final. That said, we played very well in the second half, opened it up a lot more, and the young lads who had to come in did a great job for us.’
In a bruising, close and over-robust first quarter, with play being stopped repeatedly to throw in the sliotar, it was Dohenys who led by 0-3 to 0-2. Midfielder Bill Murphy, making a welcome return, scored all three Doheny points from frees while Darragh Coakley, Kilbree’s top scorer with 0-9, had points from play and a free.
The game was level twice starting the second quarter, Don McCarthy and Cillian Twohig sandwiching a Fionn Herlihy point. Dohenys then hit a good patch, and points from Murphy (play and free) had them two in front. Back came Kilbree before the break, with two Coakley frees leveling the scores, 0-6 each at the break.
Dohenys' Aidan O'Donovan comes up against Kilbree's defender Joe Bailey during the RCM Tarmacadam JAHC in Clonakilty on Saturday evening.
Wise words at half time saw the game opening up in the second half and it looked good for Dohenys, who needed a win or a draw to qualify, when they again led with points from Aidan O’Donovan and Murphy (free). But that was as good as it got for the lads in green.
Kilbree, despite the loss to injury of the influential Don McCarthy and Liam O’Brien, began to take control. With John Clancy, Shane O’Donovan, Kevin Keohane and Cian Murphy dominating a tight defence, Brian Deasy and Michael D Keohane getting on top at midfield and Darragh Coakley, Oisín O’Sullivan, Joseph O’Donovan and Éamonn Shanahan working their socks off in attack, the pressure mounted from the Rossmore men.
Six points in answer to a solitary score from Fionn Herlihy had Kilbree leading at the end of the third quarter, 0-12 to 0-9 – Oisín O’Sullivan, Cillian Twohig, Éamonn Shanahan (2) and Coakley (2) all finding the target.
With Dohenys struggling, after Murphy and Coakley had swapped frees, they were hit a hammer-blow in the 49th minute with Joseph O’Donovan’s goal. The mountain they had to climb subsequently proved too high. In fairness, they never stopped trying but they just couldn’t muster up the green flag they badly needed. Dohenys did manage three points from Murphy (2) and Herlihy, but Kilbree kept them at arm’s length with scores from Coakley (2), Joseph O’Donovan and Michael D Keohane. Doheny goalkeeper Denis Dullea, the ex-Kilbree man, also stood out for Dohenys over the hour.
Scorers
Kilbree: Darragh Coakley 0-9 (5f); Joseph O’Donovan 1-1; Cillian Twohig, Éamonn Shanahan 0-2 each; Michael D Keohane, Don McCarthy, Oisín O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
Dohenys: Bill Murphy 0-9 (7f); Fionn Herlihy 0-3; Aidan O’Donovan 0-1.
Kilbree: William Tyner; John Clancy, Liam O’Brien, Joe Bailey; Shane O’Donovan, Kevin Keohane, Cian Murphy; Brian Deasy, Michael D Keohane; Darragh Coakley, Oisín O’Sullivan, Don McCarthy; Éamonn Shanahan, Joseph O’Donovan, Cillian Twohig.
Subs: James Clancy for D McCarthy (32), Liam Daly for L O’Brien (32).
Dohenys: Denis Dullea; Davey Farrell, Tadhg Farrell, Ellis Farrell; Jerry Collins, Declan Collins, Barry O’Donovan; Jerry Farrell, Bill Murphy; Aaron Mannix, Mark Buckley, Aidan O’Donovan; Darragh Collins, Fionn Herlihy, Ray Jennings.
Subs: Jerry McCarthy for R Jennings (50), Paudie Crowley for A Mannix (55).
Referee: Michael Collins (Clonakilty).
