Kilsheelan Kilcash make it two wins on the trot with the easy dismissal of Aherlow

FBD Senior Football Championship - Group 1 - Round 1

Kilsheelan Kilcash 4-15

Aherlow 1-12 

By John O’Shea

Kilsheelan Kilcash, last year’s beaten semi-finalists, made it two wins from as many outings when they overcame the challenge of last year’s Intermediate champions, Aherlow, in this Group 1, Round 2 game of the FBD Insurance Co. Senior Football Championship. at Leahy Park, Cashel, on Sunday afternoon.

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This 12-point victory gives them one leg in the knockout stages and was achieved without the services of goalkeeper Evan Comerford, defender Emmet Butler, and attackers Liam Freaney and Mikey McGuire, who were all absent on the day. 

Aherlow were without the services of Raymond Hennessy at full back, who was absent through injury.

Kilsheelan Kilcash hit the ground running and had the ball in the Aherlow net from their second attack after just two minutes of play. 

They had great movement all round, but particularly in attack, where they pulled out wide the Aherlow defence. Micheál Freaney was causing problems early on, and his two-pointer on the quarter-hour mark gave them a 1-4 to 0-2 cushion. 

Aherlow were given a lifeline on nineteen minutes when Sean Bourke got onto a rebound off the goalkeeper to crash home at the far end. Kilsheelan replied on the double with Tommy O’Connor floating over a two-pointer and Micheál Freaney getting in for his second major, seven minutes before the break. 

Barry Kehoe added a third two-pointer to go nine points to the good before Aherlow got in for two minors in succession. Kilsheelan really put the game out of Aherlow/s reach with a third goal on the stroke of half-time to lead at the break, 3-9 to 1-5.

Aherlow needed a near miracle if they were going to salvage anything from the contest, but it was Kilsheelan who drew first blood after the restart, getting the opening minor after six minutes. 

They didn’t make any inroads to Kilsheelan’s advantage during the third quarter and trailed by ten points after 45 minutes. 

Kilsheelan made the changes during the final quarter, but still kept their advantage. Ben Carey put over a two-pointer for Aherlow, but again the South men replied with a fourth goal from Michael Bates. 

They had the ability to counteract each time that Aherlow got a score, all through the game and eventually ran out 15-point winners.

Kilsheelan Kilcash won the toss and elected to attack the dressing room end for the opening thirty minutes. From the throw-in, they attacked at pace, and Barry Kehoe set up Shane Garland for the opening score, a point within 60 seconds.  

They were quickly up to the pace of the game, and from their next attack down the open side, Conor Neville set up Micheál Freaney to blast low past Gary Quirke. 

Aherlow eventually got their account going after five minutes, when Ben Carey found Sean Bourke out on the left and the corner forward curled a good ball inside the post. The South men were full of running at this early stage, opening gaps in the Aherlow rearguard at will and creating chances. Jamie Roche set up Shane Garland, who doubled his tally.  Garland was providing a link between defence and attack with strong running.

Liam Carew doubled Aherlow’s tally from a free, after the referee moved the ball forward for interference with the solo and go. 

At the end of the opening quarter, Kilsheelan kicked the first of three two-pointers when, after an interchange between Senan Butler and Billy O’Connor, Micheál Freaney found the range from outside the ark.

Nineteen minutes in, Aherlow were back in the game when Sean Bourke crashed home a rebound after Liam Carew had opened up the Kilsheelan defence with a run through the middle. 

However, the South men replied two minutes later with a two-pointer from Tommy O’Connor and followed up with a second major from Micheál Freaney, when he outjumped the defence to fist home a long ball by Mark Stokes from out under the stand. 

Barry Kehoe, who had been causing problems for the Aherlow defence with jinking runs, kicked over a two-pointer after an interchange with Freaney. These scores in quick succession gave them a nine-point advantage, with six minutes remaining in the half.

Liam Carew, from a free, and Micheál Elligott, from open play, kicked two minors in the space of ninety seconds, but again Kilsheelan came back on the double, when Mark Stokes kicked a point and a speculative long-range effort from Jamie Roche was fumbled by Gary Quirke before crossing the line for goal number three. Liam Carew converted his third placed ball in added time to leave the half-time score, Kilsheelan Kilcash 3-9, Aherlow 1-5.

After the restart, the pace of the game ebbed, and it took six minutes for the scoreboard to get moving, a point from Jamie Roche. Stephen Carey replied two minutes later, before Senan Butler was fouled on the run, which Jamie Roche punished. 

Liam Carew put over from twenty meters after the ball was moved up for dissent from midfield. Roche put 11 between the sides on the three-quarter mark after Shane Garland was quickly taken free for a foul on Barry Kehoe. 

Play became scrappy with little or no intensity as Kilsheelan went through the motions. They utilised their quota of substitutes with Jack O’Donoghue, Zac O’Loughlin, and Ru Kelly all getting game time.

Liam Carew kicked two in succession for the West men before a breakaway run from midfield by Senan Butler ended with a Barry Kehoe minor. With five minutes remaining, Ben Carey kicked a good two-pointer, but on the next attack, Michael Bates found the net after fielding a long shot from Billy Murphy. 

Jamie Roche added his fourth minor and Billy O’Connor came up field to split the posts before Liam Carew added his seventh from a placed ball, to close out the scoring.

Kilsheelan Kilcash will be happy with their progress in this group and have one leg already in the knockout stage before their final game against Ballyporeen. Aherlow have the qualification in their own hands, knowing that a victory over Cahir in round 3, would be enough for them to advance, but they will need a big improvement in their performance.

Scorers: Kilsheelan Kilcash: Micheál Freaney (2-2, 1x2pt), Jamie Roche (1-4, 0-2f), Barry Kehoe (0-3, 1x2pt), Michael Bates 1-0), Tommy O’Connor (0-2, 1x2pt ), Shane Garland 0-2, Mark Stokes, Billy O’Connor 0-1 each.

Aherlow: Liam Carew (0-7, 0-6f), Sean Bourke 1-1, Ben Carey (0-2, 1x2pt), Stephen Carey, Michael Elligott 0-1 each.

Kilsheelan Kilcash: Kian Quinn; Billy O’Gorman, Eoin Kehoe, Jason Madigan; Conor Neville, Daire Brennan, Billy O’Connor; Mark Stokes, Billy Murphy; Tommy O’Connor, Micheál Freaney, Shane Garland; Barry Kehoe, Jamie Roche, Senan Butler.

Subs used: Michael Bates for Mark Stokes (HT); Sean Ryan for Conor Neville (38, inj); Jack O’Donoghue for Barry Kehoe (55); Zac O’Loughlin for Jamie Roche (58); Ru Kelly for Tommy O’Connor (58).

Aherlow: Gary Quirke; Morgan O’Brien, Diarmuid Looby, Tom O’Donoghue; Tadhg Carew, Laurence Coskeran, Darragh O’Brien, Ben Carey; Mark Russell, Stephen Carey; Liam Carew, Jack O’Halloran; Sean Bourke, Micheal Elligott, Bernard O’Brien.

Subs used: Cathal Dillon for Morgan O’Brien (47); Paddy Chapman for Bernard O’Brien.

Referee: Shane O’Neill (St. Mary’s)

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