Golden Kilfeacle hold nerve as late scores see off spirited Eire Og challenge

Golden/Kilfeacle qualified for a first ever Maria Marron Palmers Hill Stud West Junior B Hurling League Final when they just edged out Eire Og in Annacarty on Tuesday evening. Played in excellent conditions this was an entertaining  game that ebbed and flowed throughout with neither side fully able to take to control and the result in doubt until injury time when Gavin and Padraig Dalton both pointed to send Golden/Kilfeacle through.

Eire Og enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and had three points on the board in the first seven minutes all from play through Ronan O’Brien, Richard O’Doherty and Eoin Bradshaw.

The former two pivotal in the Eire Og attack while Jack Kingston was making his mark in the middle of the field. It was the eighth minute before the winners got on the mark from a Jack Bergin free. Golden/Kilfeacle were coming more into the game with their opponents guilty at times of over passing and short passing which Golden/Kilfeacle turned over.

They were ahead on the twelfth minute when Lee Hayes got past his marker and forced his way in on goal to fire past Jamie O’Dwyer’s left for the games opening goal. Hayes running in the opening half would cause the Eire Og defence problems. This was immediately followed by a point from Padraig Dalton.

The game continued to ebb and flow and by twentieth minute Ronan O’Brien had level the game 0-7 to 1-4. Ronan O’Brien and Jack Bergin traded points before Lee Hayes gave Golden/Kilfeacle a slender one-point half time advantage, 1-7 to 0-9.

Golden/Kilfeacle burst into the second half with a point from influential midfielder Gavin Dalton before Jack Bergin rounded his marker and made no mistake finding the net.

It was the perfect start however they then lost centre forward Aaron Colohan following an accidental collision. Eire Og came more into the game on the resumption of play led by Michael Bradshaw with Ronan O’Brien the main threat reducing the deficit to two, 2-9 to 0-13. However, at the start of the final quarter Golden/Kilfeacle got another boost when Sam Hall who was one of the main scoring threats and ball winners in the full forward line worked his way into a scoring position and rattled the net for the third time.

Golden/Kilfeacle though could not pull away. Diarmuid Ryan introduced at the break looked as he would have his name on the headline. First, he pointed and then goaled from a tight angle to tie the game with twelve minutes of ordinary time remaining. Jack Bergin responded with another accurate free before Sam Hall raised another white flag. Eire Og refused to wilt and hit three in a row, the third from Ryan to give them a one-point lead.

It looked as Eire Og may be about to take control, however Mickey Bergin continued to influence the game pointing twice either side of a Ronan O’Brien free to tie the game again. Extra-time now loomed but there would be further drama.

l-r Lee Hayes (Golden-Kilfeacle), John McCormack (Referee) and Jack Kingston (Eire Og) - Picture Francis Coughlan