Monasterevan withstand late Kilcullen rally in IFC clash
IFC Group D
Monasterevan 1-13
Kilcullen 1-10
Monasterevan secured their second win in the Intermediate Football Championship’s Group D as they toppled Kilcullen on a blustery Sunday evening.
Monasterevan appeared to be relatively comfortable as they sat with a three-point lead coming down the home stretch. It was the same advantage that they had held since half-time, a gap that looked smaller at the time as Kilcullen played the second half with a strong breeze at their back.
The Rags were yet to take advantage of the conditions, but blew this game wide open with seven minutes to go as they raised the first green flag of this tie.
Monasterevan had held strong at the back to that point and had sat in far more in the second half, but they were carved open here as Kilcullen smartly shifted the ball around. The final ball was off-loaded to an on-rushing Tim Carey who blasted his effort goalwards.
Monasterevan goalkeeper Adam Forde did all he could to avert the effort away from his goal but the power on the wing-backs shot meant he could only push it into the roof of the net.
Monasterevan, after executing their game plan perfectly to that point, now had to grab another point and they did so thanks to a fine move three minutes from the end. They worked the ball superbly as they remained patient to secure space and a clear sight at goal for one of their shooters.
Padraig Nash was that man and he lived up to that responsibility and slotted his effort between the posts with just three to go.Monasterevan’s most impressive quality in this game was their second half defensive work, after Kilcullen had cut through them on several occasions in the first. But The Rags were reduced to poor long shots in the final minutes as they kicked away an end to their best spells of possession.
Not long after referee Alan Lagrue informed the sides that there would be three added minutes at the end of the 60, Monasterevan wrapped this game up through a goal from their chief scorer in this game Charlie Doyle.
The left footed corner-forward stood out on the day as he cut inside onto his left foot in Arjen Robben-esque fashion and slotted multiple efforts between the sticks.
The goal would be a different story however as Monasterevan substitute Wayne Fitzpatrick latched onto a rebound following a fine save from Kilcullen goalkeeper and U20 All-Ireland champion for this year Cormac Barker.
Fitzpatrick gathered possession and looped a superb handpass to Doyle, who rose above the rest to slap the ball into the back of the net and all but secure a second win of his side’s IFC campaign.
A well-taken Darragh Kelly free-kick would reduce the gap to three for The Rags just before the full-time whistle. The loss will be a sucker punch to Kilcullen who looked like they would be in the ascendency for much of the second half following a decent opening 30 minutes against the wind. It was not to be however and they will take just one point into their round three clash against Ballymore Eustace.
Scorers: Monasterevan, Charlie Doyle 1-5 (0-2 frees), Padraig Nash 0-4 (0-2 frees), Ryan Bannon 0-1, Cormac Stapleton 0-1, Paul Maloney 0-1, Evan Nash 0-1.
Kilcullen, Robbie Lee 0-3 (0-1 frees), Tim Carey 1-0, Paul Bell 0-2, Dan Coughlan 0-2 (0-1 Mark), Thomas Hickey 0-1, Cormac Barker 0-1 (0-1 frees), Darragh Kelly 0-1 (0-1 frees).
MONASTEREVAN: Adam Forde; Dj Earley, Eoin Stapleton, Cormac Stapleton; Cian Harrison, Eric Morrissey, Evan Nash; Sean Kavanagh, Paul Moloney; Padraig Nash, Michael Donoghue, Conor Lonergan; Charlie Doyle, Ryan Bannon, Gary Morrissey. Subs: Wayne Fitzpatrick for Conor Lonergan (46 minutes).
KILCULLEN: Cormac Barker; John Lavin, Franny Shortt, Eoin Redmond; Cathal Brophy, Conor Bolton, Tim Carey; Sean Knight, Ciaran Melinn; Paul Bell, Thomas Hickey, Warren Kealy; Robbie Lee, Dan Coughlan, Darragh Kelly. Subs: Ciaran O'Brien for Thomas Hickey (43 minutes), Colm Byrne for John Lavin (43 minutes), Nathan O'Reilly for Dan Coughlan (58 mins).
REFEREE: Alan Lagrue