Carbery champions bounce back from county final defeat to land league title
Carbery champions bounce back from county final defeat to land league title
Kilmacabea 2-17
St Colum’s 0-7
KILMACABEA have rubber-stamped their position as the top junior football team in Carbery.
They completed the double-double when they added the Dubliner Cheese Beara/Carbery Division 1 league title to the championship won earlier in the season, for the second year in a row.
The game, played in Dunmanway, was interesting and lively but there was no doubt about the outcome from as early as the 11th minute when Diarmuid O’Callaghan kicked Kilmac’s first goal to increase their lead to seven points.
The gap was ten by half time, following a second goal, from Donncha McCarthy, and the second half was merely academic.
‘We had the advantage of being involved in championship football up to a few weeks ago while Colum’s probably haven’t kicked a ball since last July,’ said Kilmacabea manager Noel McCarthy.
‘It was an unfair contest in that sense as our lads were much fitter and sharper. We played some good football again today and that’s a good sign of the team. To win silverware is nice at any time.
‘We needed this run-out to shake off the cobwebs of the county final defeat because it would have been a pity to finish a good year on that down note.
‘We’re still not over the county final but it’s a learning process and we have a lot of young lads who are developing all the time. This will put them in the right frame of mind for the winter break. It’s been a long season since last February.’
From the word go the fitter Kilmacs grabbed control of the game and swept forward looking for scores. Niall Hayes, Darren Whooley, Sam O’Driscoll and Clive Sweetnam put up the shutters at the back and midfielder Martin Collins made a lively start to the game.
Points from Dan Lynch, Ger O’Donovan (2) and Donie O’Donovan had the Kilmacs four points to the good before Whooley and Richie O’Sullivan set up Diarmuid O’Callaghan for the first goal of the game in the 11th minute.
A Dan Lynch point had Kilmacs eight points to the good, 1-5 to 0-0, by the end of the first quarter and it was not until the 16th minute that St Colum’s opened their account from a Jamie McSweeney free.
That signalled an improvement in their play, with Damien Cronin, Seamus McHugh, Dermot Cronin, Wesley O’Connor, Jamie McSweeney, Cormac O’Connor and Denis McSweeney all to the fore.
Two further points, play and free, from Jamie McSweeney resulted from an upping of the pace by the Kealkill men, with Ger O’Donovan responding from a free as the Kilmacs missed two clear chances of goals.
Colum’s attempted comeback was halted in its tracks in the 26th minute when the goal the Kilmacs were threatening finally arrived, Richie O’Sullivan setting up Donncha McCarthy for a nice finish.
Clive Sweetnam finished the first-half scoring with a point and it was Kilmacabea in front at the break by 2-7 to 0-3.
There was no let-up from the Kilmacs as the second half began, despite introducing some subs, and points from Ian Jennings, Dan Lynch and Timmy Nyhan stretched their lead.
As goalkeeper Matt O’Neill managed the back line in impressive fashion, the Kilmacs were well-served up front by Lynch, Nyhan, Jennings and O’Sullivan.
It was 2-12 to 0-4 by the end of the third quarter following points from Jennings and a quiet Daniel O’Donovan, with a single reply from wing back Seamus McHugh.
As the game played out to its inevitable conclusion, the Kilmacs took their tally to 2-17 with scores from Lynch (2), Ger O’Donovan, play and free, and Richie O’Sullivan.
In fairness to Colum’s, they never stopped trying and added to their total with points from Denis McSweeney (2) and Cormac O’Connor.
Scorers
Kilmacabea: Dan Lynch, Ger O’Donovan (2f) 0-5 each, Diarmuid O’Callaghan, Donncha McCarthy 1-0 each, Ian Jennings 0-2, Clive Sweetnam, Donie O’Donovan, Timmy Nyhan, Richie O’Sullivan (1f), Daniel O’Donovan (1f) 0-1 each.
St Colum’s: Jamie McSweeney 0-3 (2f), Denis McSweeney 0-2, Seamus McHugh, Cormac O’Connor 0-1 each.
Kilmacabea: Matthew O’Neill; Mark Jennings, Niall Hayes, Darren Whooley; Declan O’Sullivan, Sam O’Driscoll, Clive Sweetnam; Daniel O’Donovan, Martin Collins; Dan Lynch, Ian Jennings, Diarmuid O’Callaghan; Donie O’Donovan, Richie O’Sullivan, Ger O’Donovan.
Subs: Donncha McCarthy for S O’Driscoll (10), Timmy Nyhan for D O’Donovan (ht), Liam Thompson for D O’Callaghan (ht), Niall Bowkett for D O’Donovan (42), Peadar Ó Laoire for N Hayes (42), Niall McCarthy for M Jennings (52).
St Colum’s: Mícheál Cronin; Donal Hurley, Martin Hurley, Mike Casey; Seamus McHugh, Damien Cronin, Eddie O’Sullivan; Dermot Cronin, Wesley O’Connor; Cormac O’Connor, Jamie McSweeney, Tony Harrington; Dan Lucey, John Paul O’Sullivan, Denis McSweeney.
Sub: Stephen Cronin for D Lucey (40).
Referee: Connie Murphy (Kilmeen).
