Leadership the key for Kilrush

Kilrush 1-8   Ennistymon 0-6

A MONTH ago, Kilrush were delighted to put their relegation worries behind them. Now they are 10 days away from a county semi-final meeting with Kilmurry Ibrickane. So how did they get from there to here against an Ennistymon team who racked up eight and nine-point wins over Miltown and Liscannor in their earlier rounds?

Therein lay Ennistymon’s problem. Such was their superiority over their August opponents, they weren’t afforded the opportunity to find out how they might react to a tight, intense tussle.

After losing to Éire Óg, Kilrush beat Miltown by a point and Shannon Gaels by three, after extra time. Their panel isn’t as deep as Ennistymon’s but their starting team and impact subs know how to dig in and grind away.

After an electric start, during which they kicked the opening three points in the first three minutes, Ennistymon folded. They looked jittery on the ball, their forwards’ work rate declined when the Kilrush backs had possession and the winners took over in the middle third of the field.

Ennistymon couldn’t match Donal O’Sullivan’s ball-winning ability or his physicality, while John Hayes and Matthew Moloney excelled in an excellent Kilrush half-back line. With Cathal Lyons and Chris Dixon reading the game superbly in their full-back line, once those opening minutes had passed, Kilrush simply shut out Ennistymon, who lacked the leadership offered by O’Sullivan, Hayes, Moloney, Peadar McMahon and David O’Shea, when he came on as a substitute.

Joey Rouine (two) and Ronan Linnane kicked Ennistymon’s opening points, two of which were a result of Moloney and Hayes giving away possession.

However, over the following 27 minutes, Kilrush outscored their opponents by 0-6 to 0-1 with Padjoe McGrath landing four points, three from frees. Two of those frees were from 40 yards or more, following frees won by Peadar McMahon and Hayes, while McGrath also landed a monster point from play, following a period where Kilrush held onto possession, didn’t panic and eventually created an opening. McGrath contributed hugely in the first half but was substituted halfway through the second period, having run out of steam.

Kilrush looked much more comfortable when holding onto the ball and playing a short game than they did letting in first-time ball to their full-forward line, which was without Darragh Bolton. He was employed in a roving role downfield and though he was followed by Oisín Vaughan, Bolton picked up plenty of loose ball.
Jim Young kicked Kilrush’s remaining first-half points from a long-range free, after Stephen Sweeney was fouled and from a 45’.

Danny Rouine landed Ennistymon’s fourth point from a free won by Oisín Vaughan seconds after Dixon made an ill-judged clearance.

Ennistymon tried to shake things up at half-time, bringing in Willie Murphy and Seán O’Driscoll. A Michael McDonagh point from play suggested they might be about to turn it on but the following 18 minutes were scoreless. While the goal was scored a minute later, Peadar McMahon’s 20th minute point was a pivotal moment. He intercepted a cross-field kick from Laurence Healy before speeding away from the Ennistymon defence and notching a critical point, which put Kilrush 0-7 to 0-5 ahead.

A minute later, John Hayes was fouled about 50 yards from the Ennistymon goals. Spotting Matthew Moloney loose at the stand side, Hayes placed a dropping ball in front of Moloney, who judiciously flicked it on to Ruaidhrí O’Connor. Although the net didn’t shake, the flag went up and barring an implosion, Kilrush were in the semi-final. O’Connor’s finish was clinical, although the fact that the ball must have gone through a hole in the Quilty net led to a couple of tense moments before Kilrush realised they had goaled.

Laurence Healy pointed from play, while Robert McDonagh rattled the post, going for a point. Ennistymon, who only scored two second-half points, just couldn’t locate the key to unlocking Kilrush. Six minutes from time, David O’Shea went for glory and shot high and wide in his effort for a point, when Peadar McMahon was free inside him. A minute into injury time though, O’Shea was back on good terms with his forward colleagues when he won a free, which Jim Young pointed from 40 yards out. That was about it, although there was time for Kilrush corner-back Niall Gilbride to bravely block a goal effort from Ennistymon’s Seán McConigley.

Third choice Kilrush goalkeeper Calum Bond was very sound in goals. His kick-outs were those of a player used to playing in goals, while he attacked a high Ennistymon delivery, at the expense of a 45’. Regular goalkeeper Tony Burke was out with a groin strain, while his deputy Fergal Maguire was also injured.

Elsewhere, Kilrush defended manfully, while in O’Sullivan they had the dominant figure in the middle of the park.

Although beaten, this display shouldn’t disguise the fact that Ennistymon have made significant progress in 2012. With a couple of exceptions, they are a very young team and provided they are hungry enough, this defeat will make them stronger in 2013. They need to produce a couple of leaders, along with Laurence Healy, who can help dig them out a win when the pressure is on.

Kilrush manager Aidan Moloney said, “We looked solid all the way through, apart from a bad start when we looked shaky. I thought the defence was outstanding all the way through and our midfield was superb. They kept going right to the end. Jim’s frees were great and Donal had superb interceptions and won a lot of 50/50 balls.

“It will take Ennistymon a bit of time to get that experience. Donal O’Sullivan and Peadar McMahon spent a long time getting it. It showed out there. We kept possession well. We tried to hold onto it and cut down our kicking a little bit because we felt it wasn’t working.”

Kilrush: Calum Bond; Cathal Lyons, Chris Dixon, Niall Gilbride; Matthew Moloney (captain), John Hayes, Con O’Brien; Jim Young, Donal O’Sullivan; Padjoe McGrath, Peadar McMahon, Stephen Sweeney; Ruaidhrí O’Connor, Eoin Tarrant, Darragh Bolton.
Subs: Niall Clancy for Stephen Sweeney (37), David O’Shea for Padjoe McGrath (43) and Niall Brennan for Darragh Bolton (58).
Scorers: Padjoe McGrath (0-4, 3f), Jim Young (0-3, 2f, 1 45’), Ruaidhrí O’Connor (1-0) and Peadar McMahon (0-1).
Frees for: 22; wides: 7; 45s: 2.
Yellow cards: 0.

Ennistymon: Paudie Brennan; Oisín Vaughan, Laurence Healy, Michael Devitt; Enda Ralph, Micheál O’Loughlin, James Murphy (captain); Ronan Linnane, Michael McDonagh; Alan Horan, Joe Dowling, David Murphy; Danny Rouine, Joey Rouine, Seán McConigley.
Subs: Willie Murphy for Alan Horan, Seán O’Driscoll for James Murphy (both half-time), Kevin Scales for Joe Dowling (38), Robert McDonagh for Michael McDonagh (43) and Cathal McConigley for David Murphy (54).
Scorers: Joey Rouine (0-2), Danny Rouine (f), Ronan Linnane, Michael McDonagh and Laurence Healy (0-1 each).
Frees for: 16; wides: 5; 45s: 2.
Yellow cards: David Murphy, Micheál O’Loughlin, Laurence Healy and Willie Murphy.
Referee: Rory Hickey (Éire Óg).