Kilfeacle grind out hard-earned victory to stay on top of the table

Kilfeacle 27 Kanturk 24

Kilfeacle were back in Munster Junior Rugby League Division 1 action last Sunday, facing a Kanturk side that knew that a bonus point win against Kilfeacle would see them leapfrog their opponents at the top of the table.

Similarly, Kilfeacle were defending their unbeaten run in the league and also knew that a bonus point win would see them continue to top the table, regardless of results elsewhere.

Once again a much-changed Kilfeacle side took to the pitch, as at present the injury list for the “little club on the hill” is unfortunately getting longer after each game. At present the squad of players available is managing to absorb these injuries but having the league leaders’ target on your back and everyone wanting to stop your unbeaten run means added pressure.

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However, the “boys in blue” wouldn’t have it any other way. To quote a great club stalwart, Curry Hanly, “pressure is only for tyres” and no one knows more about tyres than Curry!

The game started on a dark and dull day, with a cold breeze that blew down the pitch and favoured the home side in the first half. In the opening few minutes both teams probed and searched for openings like two seasoned heavyweight pugilists getting to know their opponent. Kilfeacle had the opportunity to land the first blow when after 10 minutes they worked a scoring opportunity which, after some good phase play involving the whole team, saw Kevin Kinane crash over in the corner to score the first try of the day. Gareth Thomas was unlucky with his conversion attempt.

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Kilfeacle were having the better of all the early exchanges and doubled their lead in the 20th minute when Bobby Purcell touched down at the back of a rolling maul. In the blustery conditions Gareth Thomas couldn’t add the two points so Kilfeacle now led 10 points to 0.

Kilfeacle weren’t allowing Kanturk a foothold in the game and it was only through some excellent defending and some handling errors that Kilfeacle didn’t add to their tally in the first half.

Everything was going to plan for Kilfeacle until the 36th minute when a long range penalty attempt for Kanturk fell short of its mark but was knocked on by a defender, and Kanturk were awarded a five metre scrum. From the resulting scrum Kanturk’s number eight, Bernard Daly, picked and broke through two tacklers to score under the posts. Paul O’Keeffe added the two points for Kanturk and the score was 10-7 in favour of Kilfeacle.

Kanturk secured the restart and for the first time in the game started to control the ball and build numerous phases of play. With only seconds remaining in the half Kilfeacle were awarded a scrum outside their own 22 and were then penalised for early engagement. While most of Kilfeacle’s pack protested about the decision, Kanturk tapped and went.

Anxious moments followed for the home supporters, of which there was a sizeable amount, when they watched their team come under some pressure from Kanturk. Their team was not equal to everything that Kanturk threw at them and Kanturk took the lead with a converted pushover try. The referee sounded the half-time whistle with the scoreline reading 14 points to 10 in favour of the visiting side.

No one would have been surprised if this young Kilfeacle side, that had many enforced changes, crumbled under the immense pressure being exerted by Kanturk and their unbeaten run might come to an end.

With the weather conditions deteriorating, the half-time break was short. To the dismay of the home support it was Kanturk who scored next when a missed tackle, in the 42nd minute, in the middle of the field saw Kanturk presented with the easiest of opportunities to score a try under the posts. Paul O’Keeffe kicked his side’s third conversion and in just eight minutes of play his side had gone from trailing 10 points to 0 to now lead 21 points to 10.

The “boys in blue” had been there before and this try galvanised the Kilfeacle team into a unit as they went in search of a tangible response. Kilfeacle’s forwards, pack and bench were slowly coming to terms with Kanturk’s very large mobile pack and subsequently started to push deeper and deeper into the opposition’s territory.

After 61 minutes “The Boys in Blue” had gained a foothold deep in the Kanturk 22. Kilfeacle, after many phases of quick play and expert offloading, scored an excellent team try, finished by Ricky Whitney who had an impressive game at number two. Gareth Thomas was unlucky with the conversion against the stiffening breeze. The score was now 21-15 to Kanturk.

Kanturk are a resilient outfit and did not let this impact on their game plan and came back at Kilfeacle immediately. Once again Kanturk were met with a stout defence that was well marshalled and Kanturk could not get a foothold again in Kilfeacle’s 22. When a kickable penalty was awarded in the 65th minute Paul O’Keeffe pointed at the posts immediately and stretched Kanturk’s lead to 24 – 15.

As the game wore on the Kilfeacle squad were finishing impressively. The pressure was building and Kanturk were retreating further and further. Another unstoppable rolling maul in the 70th minute saw Bobby Purcell touch down for a try, which Gareth Thomas converted. This had the scoreboard reading 24-22 in favour of Kanturk. Kanturk were still leading but they were unable to retain the ball or mount any sustainable offence, as wave after wave of Kilfeacle attacks kept coming.

Kilfeacle now enjoyed a spell of concerted pressure and the whole team seemed to get back to basics and were immense in their attacking and defensive prowess. Kilfeacle finally regained the lead in the 75th minute when another rolling maul crashed over the line and Bobby Purcell scored his third and Kilfeacle’s fifth try of the game. The conversion attempt by Gareth Thomas narrowly missed its mark. The final whistle came too soon for the visiting side and with palpable relief the home team celebrated their hard- fought victory with a score line of 27 points to 24.

After the game Shane Luby said “inside in the dressing room after the game the boys were relieved and rightly so. This game just goes to show how competitive Munster Junior rugby is and nothing can be taken for granted. They rattled us to the core. We were made work for this but it proves what we have been saying all along that inside in both squads, firsts and seconds, there is a group of players evolving with the potential to achieve success and they could even emulate and maybe surpass the achievements of the great Kilfeacle teams of years gone by.

“One thing you will never lack in any Kilfeacle team is heart and this squad has a heart as big as any”.
Kilfeacle’s firsts team have their next league outing this Sunday November 30 at 2.30 against Mallow in Mallow, a formidable task, as Mallow lie just one point behind Kilfeacle in second place. The team hopes that their supporters will continue to come along and support the “Boys in Blue”.

Kilfeacle squad: 1 Adam Farrelly, 2 Richard Whitney, 3 Daniel Lambe, 4 Bob Purcell, 5 Adam Crowe, 6 Rian Doody, 7 Gavin McCormack, 8 Kevin Kinane, 9 Gavin Heuston, 10 Gareth Thomas, 11 Kevin Doyle, 12 Keith Bourke, 13 Jacques van Wyngaardt, 14 Killian Noonan, 15 Darren Lowry, 16 James Ryan, 17 Simon Barry, 18 Diarmuid O’Donnell, 19 Cormac Ryan, 20 Ben White, 21 Kelan O’Connor and 22 Ben Farrelly.