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You are > Home > GAA: Kilmoyley cause for double celebration
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Thursday, November 20, 2003
GAA: Kilmoyley cause for double celebration
By: Paul Brennan
Credit Union Senior Hurling League Final
Kilmoyley 0-11, Causeway 1-5
THE Ballyduff minor hurlers might have had the luxury of collecting championship and league honours by virtue of winning the same match, but Kilmoyley’s senior hurlers had no such luxury afforded them. Nonetheless, the duly added the League title to their county championship honour last Sunday when they overcame Causeway in a drab Division One League Final that had little of the bite or gusto of the Minor decider that preceded it at a grey Austin Stack Park.
It may seem simplistic, naïve even, but the reality is that Kilmoyley won because, for them, right now winning is a habit they are used to. That, and the fact they have hurlers that can grind out a result even when not overly consumed with enthusiasm.
Since winning their third consecutive county championship, Kilmoyley have been occupied with the Munster Club Championship game against Toomevara and a few competitive games in the Munster Senior League, their involvement in which concludes next Sunday in the final against Na Piarsigh of Cork.
With one eye on that Munster League Final, manager John Meyler admitted that the Kerry champions found it hard to motivate themselves fully for this final. However, it is a further sign of his team’s depth and resolve that they could grind out a winning performance here, with only one hand on the hurl, so to speak. And they did it without the help of the injured Shane Brick. Causeway, meanwhile, had just been trying to keep their wrists and limbs loose by way of the odd training session in preparation for this final.
However, in the early exchanges it looked as if Causeway had been involved in the hard training and competitive hurling as they really took the game to Kilmoyley, providing a couple of early scares to test those powers of resolve, none more so than John Mike Dooley’s fifth minute goal, which he gave keeper, Joe Walsh, no chance with when he lashed the ball home from 20 metres.
By the time Tom Murnane got Kilmoyley’s opening point after 13 minutes, Causeway had registered 1-2, with Shane Harty then pointing a ‘65’ to complement his earlier 70-metre converted free. Causeway’s early gusto soon abated, however, after that determined first quarter, as the early colour drained from the game as fast as the fading afternoon light.
Kilmoyley’s key players, like James McCarthy at centre back, captain Maurice Murnane at centrefield, and Ollie Diggin, Tom Murnane and Christy Walsh up front, began to impose themselves on the game more, and with Maurice Murnane and Diggin using their bulk, Kilmoyley began to peg back their neighbours.
Tom Murnane knifed a well-worked score after 18 minutes, and then Diggin converted a 25-metre free after John Fitzgerald had pulled wildly across Michael Regan, earning a booking for his misdemeanour.
As Causeway fell away from the game, points from Padriag O’Sullivan and Diggins (2) had the game tied up, 0-6 to 1-3, at the break, with Stephen Goggin only managing a late wide for Causeway.
Billy Brick entered the fray at half time for Kilmoyley in an effort to jazz up their attack a little more, but his first effort after three minutes went wide. Dooley broke through at the other end but was equally wasteful, before he then fielded a huge Eamon Fitzgerald clearance, drew the foul from Brendan Harris and pointed from 21 metres.
Like in the first half, it proved another false dawn for Causeway, as they went another 17 minutes without a score. On a heavy, sticky pitch, Causeway’s lack of autumn hurling told against Kilmoyley, who drew on the advantage of their recent competitive hurling, and although they spilled some poor wides, (something they need to address before next Sunday) three more points from Diggin (two frees) put Kilmoyley 0-9 to 1-4 ahead after 47 minutes.
Billy Brick also had a first time pull stopped on the line by Mick Burke as Kilmoyley began to assert themselves on the game.
The hurling might have lacked a little zip, but there was plenty of up close and personal stuff among the players, with Dooley picking up a yellow card for an illegal tackle on Sean Griffin.
Dooley responded with a close range free, but Maurice Murnane immediately replied with a raking score from 70 metres out, as Kilmoyley began to turn the screw. Causeway continued to probe, with Dooley and John Joe Canty trying coming close to breaching Joe Walsh’s goal, but Kilmoyley stood firm.
Christy Walsh closed out the scoring with a huge point from 70 metres, while Dooley had one last snap shop saved on the line by Jow Walsh, as Kilmoyley secure the double, ahead of the Munster League Final on Sunday.
Kilmoyley: J Walsh, I Brick, P Regan, B Harris, C Harris, J McCarthy, S Griffin, M Murnane (0-1), P Deenihan, O Diggin (0-6, 2f), D Young, T Murnane (0-2), P O’Sullivan (0-1), C Walsh (0-1), M Regan. Subs: B Brick for P Deenihan, R Gentleman for P O’Sullivan, J Murnane for B Harris, S Fitzgerald for M Regan.
Causeway: M Burke, M Dillane, M Leahy, E Fitzgerald, G Canty, D Leahy, J Fitzgerald, S Harty (0-2, 1f, 1 ‘65’), F O’Carroll, S Sheehan, B Walshe, S Goggin, C Dineen, J J Canty, J M Dooley (1-3, 0-3f). Subs: G Barrett for G Canty, T Flynn for C Dineen, C Harty for B Walshe.
Referee: B Dunne (Ballyheigue)
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