Sean Treacys completely outclassed by Kilmurry in the Munster quarter-final

AIB Munster Junior Club Football Championship Quarter-Final

Sean Treacys 1-6

Kilmurry 2-16

Munster club football proved a bridge too far for Tipperary junior football champions Sean Treacys who came a cropper against a slick and far better Kilmurry side of Cork at Templetuohy on Saturday in the AIB Munster quarter-final tie.

The gulf in standard between the two sides was evident from the second quarter onwards and it proved to be a long afternoon for the Treacy’s lads who, to their credit, fought to the bitter end, even though they were well out of the contest by the half way mark.

The visitors had defeated Sarsfields in the same venue last year in the provincial championship and they showed that they had lost none of their appetite for the game as they ran proceedings more or less from the start. The Tipperary lads were off the pace in a lot of quarters and when Kilmurray turned over possession and hit Treacy’s on the break, there was no answer to their fleet-footedness or their very slick combination play.

Each and every mistake made by a Treacy’s player was seized upon by Kilmurray and the decisive first goal was a case in point. That score came in the 12th minute with full forward Liam Wall not looking a gift horse in the mouth and swinging a looping ball into the empty net after the ball had been turned over on the 21-yard line with the keeper Cathal Kennedy scrambling to get back.

The goal put Kilmurray 1-3 to 0-2 in front with their points coming from Wall, Sean Warren, and James O’Mullane, against Padraic O’Leary scores for Sean Treacy’s.

The goal sucked the life out of the Treacy’s lads and Kilmurray were to kick four points in succession and eight of the next nine scores in the game. Their points from William Ronan, Kyle Kelleher and two from play from Sean Warren gave them a decisive 1-7 to 0-2 lead with 20 minutes played.

A shot in the arm then for Sean Treacy’s with Patrick Deegan goalling in the 21st minute and thoughts perhaps that they could mount a charge. It wasn’t to be though and Kilmurray picked up where they had left off before that goal, with four more unanswered points from Sean Warren (2), Liam Wall, and Brian Hinchion.

The general consensus at the break was that the game was over as a contest. Even if Sean Treacy’s were to up their play by a substantial percentage, they would still have had a massive mountain to climb and though they conceded only 1-4 in the second half, they were unable to make any inroads on the deficit and ended up the half with just 0-4 to their own credit – Kilmurray had also withdrawn many of their star players before the end of the game.

Sean Warren and Padraic O’Leary had traded points before Warren went for a point in the 12th minute, but had to be content with a goal – his shot going in under the crossbar to seal the game much to the delight of the rather vocal travelling support.

Sean Treacys ran down the bench and the fresh legs added to their challenge and helped yielded scores through Padraic O’Leary, Patrick Dawson, and O’Leary again – the Templederry man didn’t see the end of the game though as a second yellow card right at the very death saw him get his marching orders. Indeed, the game took on a bit of an edge in the second half with a number of flashpoints resulting in cards for both sides following a few separate incidents.

Kilmurray were well pleased with their win and even their subs played with real purpose and method – Joe McGinn grabbing two points upon entry to stake a claim in the starting team for the semi-final clash against Feenagh Kilmeedy of Limerick on November 25th.

The end of the road then for Sean Treacys and though they will be disappointed that their provincial campaign never really got up and running, they can take some consolation in that they encountered a really good Cork outfit. Players like Liam Wall, Sean Warren, Kyle Kelleher, James O’Mullane and William Ronan would grace most senior football teams and Treacys simply did not have the answers to the questions being asked of them.

Still though, Patrick Deegan, Michael Feehan, Brian Carey, Padraic O’Leary, Darragh Kennedy, and Sean Hickey were prominent for them while sub Tom Hickey was also to the fore upon introduction at half time.

Scorers: Sean Treacys: Padraic O’Leary (0-5, 0-4f); Patrick Deegan 1-0; Patrick Dawson 0-1.

Kilmurry: Sean Warren (1-7, 0-4f); Liam Wall 1-2; James Mullane, Joe McGinn 0-2 each; Brian Hinchion, William Ronan, Kyle Kelleher 0-1 each.

Sean Treacys: Cathal Kennedy; Brian Nolan, Sean Hickey, Damien Dunne; Paul Nolan, Sean Ryan, Brian Carey; Michael Feehan, Declan Hickey; Darragh Kennedy, Matt Feehan, Patrick Deegan; Patrick Dawson, Padraic O’Leary, James Deegan.

Subs used: Andy O’Brien for Paul Nolan; Eoin Sheldon for Damien Dunne; Tom Hickey for Declan Hickey; Tom O’Dwyer for James Deegan; Darragh Carr for Patrick Deegan.

Kilmurry: Jason McDonnell; Brian Hinchion, Kevin Barrett, Gearoid O’Mahoney; Owen Keane, William Ronan, Toimas Collins; Kyle Kelleher, James O’Mullane; Daniel Cahalane, Lawerence Aisling, Rory Duggan; Ryan Leahy, Liam Wall, Sean Warren.

Subs used: Alexander Aisling for Rory Duggan; Patrick Brehanu for Daniel Cahalane; Greg Barrett for James O’Mullane; Joe McGinn for Sean Warren; Sean Curzon for Kyle Kelleher.

Referee: Timmy McGrath (Limerick)