Six-point win puts Kilsheelan Kilcash back in the frame in county senior championship in Tipperary

Kilsheelan Kilcash 1-13 Grangemockler Ballyneale 0-10

A scoring burst of 1-4 without reply in a ten minutes spell in the first half helped Kilsheelan/Kilsheelan overcome the challenge of Grangemockler/Ballyneale in the FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship Group 1 Round 2 clash at Pairc na nEalaí, Carrick-on-Suir on Saturday.

The win brings them back into contention in the group, following a first round loss to Ardfinnan. But it’s a second defeat on the bounce for Grangemockler/Ballyneale, who are yet to record a victory on their return to senior football.

Grangemockler have been competitive in both fixtures, including the first round defeat by JK Brackens, just failing to last the pace and suffering a six-points defeat in both.

Yet against Kilsheelan, they had no one to match the influence of dual star Mark Kehoe, brilliant forward Jamie Roche and goalkeeper Evan Comerford.

All-Ireland winning hurler Kehoe was masterful throughout, linking defence and attack, cutting through the cover with incisive runs, scoring one point and fouled for four frees that were converted.

He was unmarkable and his link-up play with Liam Freaney, Micheál Freaney and Jamie Roche in particular was outstanding. Roche was a constant threat, contributing two points from play to his four from frees.

At the other end of the field, Evan Comerford was flawless in goal. In the second half he made a point-blank save from Leon Kennedy and then saved a penalty from Manus McFadden. In addition, he knocked over two long range frees.

Kilsheelan lost centre back Mark Stokes to injury in the first half, when he was replaced by Sean Ryan, but the backline was strong throughout, marshalled well by team captain Jason Madigan at full back.

Grangemockler were strong at the back with big displays from Conor Hahessy, Sean Daly and Leon Kennedy, but they lost the midfield battle and missed a cutting edge upfront. There was an over-reliance on the impressive Mark O’Meara, who hit four points from play and one from a free, but he was also off target with two frees in the first half when his side were trying to get a foothold in the game.

The sides were tied at 0-2 each after eight minutes, Liam Freaney and Jamie Roche twice putting Kilsheelan ahead, and Mark O’Meara, from play and a free, pulling Grangemockler level.

With Mark Kehoe starting to pull the strings for Kilsheelan, they took a firm grip on the game over a ten-minutes spell. Kehoe was fouled on one of his runs through the centre and Comerford pointed the free. After Mark O’Meara missed a very kickable free for Grangemockler, Mark Kehoe replied at the other end with a good score, and then when Tommy O’Connor was fouled from a Mark Kehoe pass, Jamie Roche from a free pushed the lead out to 0-5 to 0-2.

Another Comerford free made it a four-points game. Grangemockler were still well in contention but a second missed free from O’Meara stalled their momentum. And they were quickly made to pay when a high ball into the danger area from Tommy O’Connor was brilliantly fielded by Liam Freaney and he blasted to the net for the game’s only goal, despite a brave effort from goalkeeper David Power to keep it out.

At 1-6 to 0-2, a close encounter had suddenly tilted hugely in Kilsheelan’s direction. Twice Grangemockler came back at them with points from Manus McFadden and Mark O’Meara, but Kilsheelan responded on both occasions with points from Tadhg McGuire and Jamie Roche, with a great run early in the move from Micheál Freaney, to leave them seven ahead at the break, 1-8 to 0-4.

A similar pattern followed in the second half, with Grangemockler taking the game to Kilsheelan but failing to put a run of scores together to really test them. They did score the last three points of the game but by then the tie was out of their reach.
They scored the opening point of the half through Brian Walsh in the second minute, but Kilsheelan replied from a Jamie Roche free following a foul on Mark Kehoe.

A huge point from Leon Kennedy for last year’s intermediate champions raised hopes again but Kilsheelan hit back with a great score from Tommy O’Connor following a superb flowing move up the touchline.

They stretched the lead to eight, 1-11 to 0-6, when Mark Kehoe was fouled from the kickout and Roche tapped over the free. The goal that Grangemockler really needed to drag them back into contention nearly came midway through the half when Leon Kennedy gathered a crossfield pass from Ben Comerford, but his low shot for goal was brilliantly saved by Evan Comerford.

It was a chance that Grangemockler couldn’t afford to miss, even though Mark O’Meara followed up with a point soon after. And then after Conor Davin-Murphy pointed for Kilsheelan, Grangemockler had a second chance to raise a green flag that they didn’t take either. Ben Comerford was fouled in the square for a penalty but Evan Comerford dived low to his right to save Manus McFadden’s spot kick.

When another foul on Mark Kehoe was punished by a Jamie Roche free, it put Kilsheelan nine points ahead, 1-13 to 0-7, with five minutes to play. With the game won, Kilsheelan started to run down the clock and they didn’t cough up any more goal chances. That was never a real danger, even though Grangemockler scored the last three points of the game, two from their best attacker, Mark O’Meara, and the other from a Sean O’Meara free.

Following the second Group 1 game on Sunday, when JK Brackens beat Ardfinnan, the Templemore side now top the group on four points from two wins, with Kilsheelan/Kilcash and Ardfinnan both on two points, and Grangemockler/Ballyneale pointless at the bottom.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash: Evan Comerford 0-2 frees; Conor Neville, Jason Madigan, Emmet Butler, Mark Stokes, Billy O’Connor, Micheál Freaney, Billy Murphy, Tommy O’Connor 0-1; Jamie Roche 0-6, 4 frees; Barry Kehoe, Liam Freaney 1-1; Mark Kehoe 0-1; Conor Davin-Murphy 0-1; Tadhg McGuire 0-1.

Subs: Sean Ryan for Mark Stokes, Michael Bates for Conor Davin Murphy.

Grangemockler/Ballyneale: David Power, James Daly, Conor Hahessy, Sean Daly, Manus McFadden 0-1; Leon Kennedy 0-1; Darragh Shelly, Michael Meaney, Ben Comerford, Sean O’Meara 0-2, 1 free; Mark O’Meara 0-5, 1 free; Paudie O’Shea, Michael Meagher, Thomas Regan, Brian Walsh 0-1.

Sub: Lorcan Magorrian for Paudie O’Shea.

Referee: Seanie Peters (Aherlow).