Last-gasp Downes point floors Kilrush

Kilmurry-Ibrickane 0-11   Kilrush 3-1

THE empire hasn’t yet fallen. One hour and 55 minutes into this gripping two-game duel, Kilmurry-Ibrickane had a clear choice facing them – fight or flight.

 

A man down after Declan Callinan had been sent off on a second yellow and a point adrift of Kilrush, the champions were on their knees. They needed calm heads. Not long after losing their corner-back, Enda Coughlan kicked Kilmurry’s sixth wide, while at the far end of Shanahan McNamara Park, Ruaidhrí O’Connor spurned a great chance to push Kilrush into a two-point lead, shooting high and wide after picking up a break off Jim Young, who terrorised the Kilmurry full-back line when moved to full-forward from midfield.

Grasping the moment, Kilmurry managed to keep their nerve and Ian McInerney’s 60th minute 48-yard free, the fourth converted free won by Evan Talty levelled a pulsating though not often silken game. Twelve minutes into the second half Kilmurry had opted to take off Noel Downes along with Johnny Daly in a double substitution.

Realising that Downes is of significantly more threat on the field than on the bench, the Kilmurry management sent him back on two minutes from the end of normal time. Five minutes later and with three injury-time minutes having ticked by, Downes landed a monster winning point, which landed on Tony Burke’s netting.

Darragh Bolton kicked a half-chance wide a minute later and that was it. Having conceded three goals and lucky not to have let in two more, Kilmurry-Ibrickane will contest their seventh county final since 2002 and their fourth in five seasons.

Anybody who has seen Kilmurry-Ibrickane play football knows that they possess quality players. What the two games against Kilrush has shown is their tenacity and deep resolve to keep battling even when they are not playing, or perhaps not permitted to play, as well as they are capable of. A team of lesser substance would be paying into and not competing in the 2012 county final.

Heading into the dressing room at half-time, Kilmurry must have been puzzled as to the risible nature of their advantage. Having kicked the game’s opening four points, they led 0-5 to 1-1 at half-time. Jim Young coolly stroked home Kilrush’s penalty five minutes before half-time after a push on Stephen Sweeney by Martin McMahon was spotted by referee Pat Cosgrove.

Scoring wise, the opening nine minutes were completely dominated by Kilmurry as Enda Coughlan, Johnny Daly, Martin McMahon and Niall Hickey all pointed from play to establish a 0-4 to 0-0 lead. Coughlan started at midfield and got on a lot of ball in the opening quarter.

Kilmurry were forewarned however as early as the opening half-minute when Peter O’Dwyer made an excellent save from Ruaidhrí O’Connor, who was offered sight of goal by the build-up play of Peadar McMahon and Owen Tarrant. Three minutes later and before Kilmurry had scored, O’Connor had another half goal chance but excellent covering by midfielder Peter O’Dwyer thwarted Kilrush.

As per the replay, Kilrush employed Darragh Bolton as a sweeper while Declan Callinan was Kilmurry’s spare man. He pushed up on Jim Young on Kilrush’s early kick-outs, which allowed Enda Coughlan the opportunity to drop deep, where the surmised kick-outs would break.

A Darragh Bolton pass placed Ruaidhrí O’Connor for Kilrush’s only point in the 10th minute and indeed their sole score until Young’s penalty. Much of the first half play was marked by poor shooting with Johnny Daly, Michael O’Dwyer, Enda Coughlan, Ian McInerney and Darren Hickey kicking Kilmurry wides, while O’Connor, Chris Dixon and John Hayes did likewise for Kilrush.

Martin McMahon’s point was the stand-out score of the opening half, owing to slick build-up play from Coughlan and Noel Downes.  Ian McInerney kicked Kilmurry’s fifth first-half score from a free won by Evan Talty, who came into the starting team at wing-forward in place of Seamus Murrihy.

Four minutes into the second half, Talty was fouled yet again, allowing Johnny Daly the chance to establish a 0-6 to 1-1 Kilmurry lead. That lasted for six minutes, when Ruaidhrí O’Connor applied a dainty finish to a Jim Young flick, following a foul outfield on Niall Brennan. Incredibly, Kilrush were now 2-1 to 0-6 ahead as Kilmurry brought on Odran O’Dwyer and Mark McCarthy.

Almost immediately, Johnny Daly equalised, 0-7 to 2-1, after Talty was impeded by John Hayes.

Kilrush substitute David O’Shea could have goaled a minute previously, when a Shane Hickey hand-pass was cut out by Peadar McMahon, who temporarily freed O’Shea. 

Ten minutes from time Odran O’Dwyer held off Chris Dixon to curl over a superb score after Darren Hickey had found the Kilmurry veteran with a nice pass on his outside. A minute later though, the ball was again nestling in the Kilmurry net after O’Shea goaled. He was fed by Jim Young, who profited from a high Peadar McMahon delivery. Darren Hickey was finding Jim Young a serious handful while there never seemed to be a Kilmurry defender available to mop up breaks off Young in front of the full-back line.

The Kilrush support in the packed stand sensed that The Shams were about to cause a major shock. That sense of hope increased when Callinan was sent off with Kilrush 3-1 to 0-9 up. Yet when it was put up to Kilmurry, they didn’t buckle. Instead, McInerney and Downes delivered inspirational scores, which were classy in terms of their execution but even more impressive when the context of the game is factored in. Both scores were delivered in moments of extreme pressure as Kilmurry’s season swayed in the balance. 

On an afternoon when their full-back line were troubled by a succession of high balls, Thomas and Paul O’Connor were steady in the half-back line, though the full-back line will want more cover between those lines on Sunday. Enda Coughlan did well in the opening quarter at midfield, while he kicked a vital second-half free.

Evan Talty won crucial frees at wing-forward, while Michael O’Dwyer restrained John Hayes from roaming forward. McInerney and Downes contributed hugely when it really mattered while Odran O’Dwyer added invaluable experience and know-how to the Kilmurry full-forward line.

All is fairly rosy in the Kilmurry garden this week but had they lost, the decision to take off Noel Downes would have been dissected into the winter months. That’s forgotten now however, as Kilmurry seek a 13th championship title for their parish.

Kilrush can reflect on a huge improvement the longer their championship campaign wore on. Yet to build on this, they must encourage Donal O’Sullivan, Peadar McMahon, Jim Young and David O’Shea to park any thoughts of packing it in. All four will be needed come the 2013 championship if Kilrush are to get going again.

Last Saturday, their full-back line excelled, while Jim Young and Ruaidhrí O’Connor launched a two-man war on the Kilmurry full-back line. O’Sullivan, McMahon, subs David O’Shea and Niall Brennan all made valiant contributions. The fact that Kilrush scored just one point however, illustrates they primary area they need to work on.

Kilmurry Ibrickane: Peter O’Dwyer; Shane Hickey, Darren Hickey, Declan Callinan; Thomas O’Connor, Paul O’Connor, Martin McMahon (captain); Peter O’Dwyer, Enda Coughlan; Evan Talty, Michael O’Dwyer, Ian McInerney; Niall Hickey, Noel Downes, Johnny Daly.
Subs: Odran O’Dwyer for Noel Downes, Mark McCarthy for Johnny Daly (both 42 minutes) and Noel Downes for Niall Hickey (58).
Scorers: Johnny Daly (0-3, 2f), Enda Coughlan (0-2, 1f), Ian McInerney (2f), Martin McMahon, Niall Hickey, Odran O’Dwyer, Noel Downes (0-1 each). 
Wides: 6; Frees won: 31; 45s: 1.
Yellow cards: Thomas O’Connor, Declan Callinan, Martin McMahon, Peter O’Dwyer.
Red card: Declan Callinan.
Kilrush: Tony Burke; Cathal Lyons, Chris Dixon, Niall Gilbride; Con O’Brien, John Hayes, Matthew Moloney (captain); Donal O’Sullivan, Jim Young; Stephen Sweeney, Peadar McMahon, Padjoe McGrath; Darragh Bolton, Owen Tarrant, Ruaidhrí O’Connor.
Subs: Niall Brennan for Con O’Brien, Paddy Clancy for Padjoe McGrath (both 35), Niall Clancy for Stephen Sweeney (all 35), David O’Shea for Owen Tarrant (41).
Scorers: Ruaidhrí O’Connor (1-1), David O’Shea (1-0), Jim Young (1-0 pen). 
Wides: 5; Frees won: 26; 45s: 1.
Yellow cards: Chris Dixon, Donal O’Sullivan, Darragh Bolton, Ruaidhrí O’Connor, Matthew Moloney.
Referee: Pat Cosgrove (Corofin).