Kilcormac-Killoughey and Ferbane-Belmont live to fight another day after excellent shootout

COMING on the back of two thrilling U20 Hurling Championship finals, supporters were given another tasty treat as Kilcormac-Killoughey and Ferbane-Belmont lived to fight another day after a thrilling Offaly minor decider in Birr on Saturday afternoon.

LOETB Minor Hurling Championship final

Kilcormac-Killoughey 2-19

Ferbane-Belmont 3-16

Both sides had their chance to win it but a draw was a fair result with two very good sides serving up a fantastic game of hurling.

Ferbane-Belmont should harbour the greater regrets. They led by 3-16 to 2-14 inside the last ten minutes and were in a great position. However, they didn't score from the 49th minute and that was a cardinal sin at this stage of a championship final – James Kirwin was wide with a 55th minute free that would have restored a four point lead and that was their only chance in that nerve tingling closing spell.

K-K did really well to rescue the game from here without scoring a goal. Odhran Fletcher got four of their points from frees with Aaron Screeney getting their only one from play, a beautiful 53rd minute point. Ferbane-Belmont were not happy with some of the frees awarded by referee Kieran Dooley late on – the one given against Michael Carthy for over carrying looked harsh while some of the others drew a reaction more because of the stage of the game they were given at and their influence on the outcome.

Fletcher got a couple of great long range frees in those closing minutes with his 61st minute strike levelling it up but he had a chance to win it in the 62nd minute. He won the free himself and it was a difficult one from out on the right wing but very much in territory where he would normally convert from. On this occasion, however, it flew wide at the near post and a highly relieved Ferbane-Belmont breathed again – had Fletcher scored, it is very unlikely if F-B would have been able to conjure up an equaliser and they would have suffered a devastating defeat.

It was a terrific battle, played with great intensity and a large volume of quality hurling. It was another great advertisement for Offaly underage hurling and the supporters who missed this should make it their business to see these young players in action in the replay.

With a couple of the brightest attacking talents in Offaly hurling in their ranks in Aaron Screeney and Odhran Fltecher, Kilcormac-Killoughey had a star factor but were pushed to their limit by a fiercely motivated Ferbane-Belmont team and would not have had a hard luck story had the result went against them.

It may be a bit of a cliche but the running power and physicality that many of these Ferbane-Belmont players have from football was a definite factor in this game – they also had the use of permission players from Shannonbridge. They wery very strong at breaking tackles and stopping runners but they couldn't have been so close to a famous win without a lot of class hurling coming to the surface.

The counter of all this is the character K-K showed when the game looked to be slipping from their grasp late on. They dominated all sectors, came out with the ball from a lot of the rucks and they stopped F-B from creating chances in the closing minutes. That was a serious achievement at that stage and it is the reason why K-K were not beaten.

Once again, it was a hugely enjoyable afternoon and it was clear from the throw in that Ferbane-Belmont would bring Kilcormac-Killoughey to the wire.

The first half was fantastic. There was little between the sides in the first quarter and they were level on four occasions in 11 minutes before K-K sneaked two clear with points from Harry McQuaid and Odhran Fletcher (free). F-B struck for the first goal in the 13th minute, Michael Carthy finishing after Nathan Kelly brilliantly won the ball but K-K replied immediately through Harry McQuaid after an Odhran Fletcher pass.

Ferbane-Belmont put on the after burners. Nathan Kelly brilliantly batted the ball to the net in the 15th minute after great approach work by Ruari Woods and they added three quick points for a 2-7 to 1-6 lead.

Odhran Fletcher converted four frees in a row to level it up by the 23rd minute. Woods put F-B back in front with a free and added a point from play before Aaron Screeney brought the crowd to the feet with a goal of stunning quality, showing wonderful skill, in the 29th minute to give K-K a 2-10 to 2-9 interval lead.

The second half continued in the same vein. Woods equalised with a free inside the first minute and F-B were 2-14 to 2-12 ahead after 41 minutes. F-B were winning a lot of the physical exchanges and a Ruari Woods goal in the 49th minute was followed immediately by a James Kirwin free to give them that 3-16 to 2-14 lead.

Just when it looked like they had the hard work done, F-B ran out of steam, K-K dug deep and found a way to salvage it in a closing ten minutes that will have the enthralled crowd chomping at the bit for the replay.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Eamon Maher (Ferbane-Belmont) and Oisin Carroll (Kilcormac-Killoughey): We are going to go against normal convention and give a joint selection. The performance of the two centre half backs was a big highlight for the game and either Eamon Maher and Oisin Carroll would have been the selection if there was a decisive result. The play of Ferbane-Belmont's Maher and Kilcormac-Killoughey's Carroll was a joy to watch. Their defending was of the highest order, they showed leadership, inspired their team mates and with a draw being the outcome, it would be wrong to choose one over the other.

There were other outstanding displays. Oran Kenny was sensational beside Maher in the F-B defence, Dara Waldon and Michael Carthy did some great work at midfiield for them and Ruari Woods was their most influential forward with Tom Halligan having a fine first half and Nathan Kelly's physicality threatening to be a game winner.

Niall Fitzgerald, AJ Bracken and Fiachra Carroll did some powerful work for K-K and so much for them depended on their star forwards, Odhran Fletcher and Aaron Screeney. Apart from that late miss, Fletcher's striking from frees was of the highest order and was a big factor in them securing a draw. He also got one point from play, he stood up to be counted when it mattered in the closing quarter and the only thing missing from his game at the moment is a ruthless streak where he takes on his man more often.

Younger brother of Adam, Aaron Screeney looks to be the real deal and has made vast improvements in the past year or so. He was probably the most skilful player on the field, he scored 1-3, he took on his man when he had the chance and some of his play took the breath away.

THE SCORERS

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Odhran Fletcher 0-13 (12f), Aaron Screeney 1-3, Harry McQuaid 1-1, Fiachra Carroll and Jack Dunican 0-1 each.

Ferbane-Belmont: Ruari Woods 1-8 (5f), Michael Carthy 1-1, Nathan Kelly 1-0, Tom Halligan 0-3, James Kirwin (1f) and Eoin O'Neill 0-2 each,

THE TEAMS

KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: James McLoughlin; Sean Cleary, Niall Fitzgerald, James Lynch; AJ Bracken, Oisin Carroll, Oisin McKeown; Joe Quinn, Fiachra Carroll; Ruari Kilmartin, Jack Dunican, Harry McQuaid; Odhran Fletcher, Aaron Screeney, Lochlann Fletcher. Subs – Luke Maher for McKeown (25m), Darragh Gorman for Kilmartin (HT), Jack O'Donoghue for Cleary (41m),

FERBANE-BELMONT: Conor Egan; Conor Keenaghan, Rian Claffey, Dylan Buckley; Aaron Keenahan, Eamonn Maher, Oran Kenny; Dara Waldron, Michael Carthy; James Kirwin, Eoin O'Neill, Sean Grennan; Tom Halligan, Ruari Woods, Nathan Kelly. Subs – Harry O'Duffy for Grennan (37m), Noah O'Duffy for O'Neill (54m),

Referee – Kieran Dooley, Drumcullen.

REFEREE WATCH

There was a physicality to the match with both sides going all out. It meant that Kieran Dooley had to be on his toes. He was tuned in and refereed it well. He allowed advantage and was consistent in his application. A late call to penalise Michael McCarthy for over carrying looked harsh. Dooley had to deal with a lot of decisions being contested. He went over to the Ferbane-Belmont sideline at one stage in the first half but was quickly told that the comment had come from the crowd while he showed K-K official Trevor Fletcher a yellow card late on.

Only one official linesman was here, Birr's Martin Walsh. Full marks to the Birr member who stepped in but official referees should have ran the line for a game of this importance.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Odhran Fletcher's late miss from a free was the big moment here as it would have won it for K-K.

VENUE WATCH

It has been a busy season for Birr GAA Club and their hard working stewards but their season isn't over yet. Once again, they had the pitch presented to a high standard and hosted the fixture well.

WHAT'S NEXT

The replay fixture will be released in the coming days.

STATISTICS

Wides: K-K -11 (5 in first half); F-B - 7 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Ferbane-Belmont – 2 (Nathan Kelly, Oran Kenny); Kilcormac-Killoughey – 0.

Red cards: 0