Kildare IFC: Rathangan and Castldermot come out on top in prelim thrillers

Full match reports from Rathangan vs Monasterevin and Casteldermot vs St.Kevin's

The Auld Shebeen Athy Intermediate Football Championship preliminary round

Rathangan 1-13

Monasterevin 0-15

The fifth and final preliminary round game on Saturday last in the Auld Shebeen Athy Intermediate football championship pitted near neighbours Rathangan and Monasterevin.

We had to wait from 12 noon for this encounter but it was worth the wait as both teams served up a hugely entertaining game and it was Rathangan who won out by the narrowest of margins in the end.

Ross Teehan was provider and scorer of Rathangan's opening two points within 4 minutes. His long pass from the throw-in found Brian Mullally and the accurate full forward made no mistake.

Teehan then got a mark after brother Rian found him 20 metres out and heduly converted. Monasterevin attacked from the kick-out and when Padraig Nash, from brother Evan, he brought a brilliant save from Craig Shannon. The resultant 45 was sent wide by DJ Earley.

That attack seemed to awaken Monasterevin and within three minutes they were ahead after points from Cian Harrison, Cormac Brady and Padraig Nash.

It what was an end-to-end game Rathangan were level on eight through Rian Teehan. Two Brian Mullally points, one from play and one from a free, pushed his team two ahead.

Sixty seconds later they pushed the lead out to five when Oisin O'Loughlin's long ball found Eoin Curtin and his quick pass found Rian Teehan who shot low to the Monasterevin net.

Monasterevin were dealt a blow on 22 when centre back DJ Earley was shown a black card. Ross Teehan's second point came between two Monasterevin efforts from Ryan Bannon and an excellent left footed effort from Padraig Nash.

As half time approached Rathangan were in full control and when keeper Craig Shannon came forward to convert a 40 metre free Rathangan lead 1-7 to 0-5 when at the break. Monasterevin were slow to return but whatever was said certainly had the desired effect.

The introduction of the Fitzpatrick's, Wayne and Kevin, along with Leonard Havens, gave the impetus that was needed.
Wayne and Kevin Fitzpatrick along with Ryan Bannon and Cian Harrison hit four points in a row to close the gap to one.

Whatever Monasterevin's Fitzpatrick brothers could do the Rathangan brothers Ross and Rian Teehan were equal to with two excellent points to push the lead out to 3 as we approached the final quarter.

Wayne Fitzpatrick was causing all sorts of trouble for Rathangan and he was on the scoreboard again in the 46 and 47 minutes and when Padraig Nash found in space he was fouled and Ryan Bannon had the teams level with ten to go.

When you thought Monasterevin would kick on Rathangan came back with two of their own, sub Sam Savage kicked his first and when Ross Teehan was fouled close on 60 metres out up stepped goal keeper Craig Shannon to try push the lead out to two. If you saw Seanie O'Shea for Kerry last week well then you know what Shannon did.
What a kick.

Brian Mullally and Ryan Bannon swapped points but despite two late Ryan Bannon and Wayne Fitzpatrick frees it was Sam Savage's late free that saw Rathangan over the line by a single point. For Rathangan it's winners group B but losers group D for Monasterevin.

RATHANGAN: Craig Shannon 0-2 (2 frees); Alex O'Kelly, David Vaughan, Shane O Loughlin; Mark Fitzsimons, Colm Hanratty, Oisin O Loughlin; Ross Teehan 0-3 (1 mark), Michael Fitzsimons; Rian Teehan 1-2, Tommy Maloney, Cillian Ring; Tadhg Fluskey, Brian Mullally 0-4 (2 frees), Eoin Curtin. Subs: Brian Kenna for Tommy Maloney (13 minutes); Sam Savage 0-2 (1 free) for Eoin Curtin (hallf-time); Rob Walsh for David Vaughan (half-time); Stefan Lawler for Oisin O'Loughlin (41 minutes); Kian Shiels for Tadhg Fluskey (58 minutes).

MONASTEREIN: Adam Forde; Evan Nash, Cormac Stapelton, Gavin Worrell; Mark Reilly, DJ Earley, Cian Harrison 0-2; Tristan Kennedy, Sean Kavanagh; Mick Donohoe, Paul Maloney, Wayne Sharpe; Cormac Brady 0-1, Ryan Bannon 0-5 (3 frees), Padraig Nash 0-2. Subs: Wayne Fitzpatrick 0-4 (1 free) for Wayne Sharpe (half-time); Kevin Fitzpatrick 0-1 for Cormac Brady (half-time); Leonard Havens for Mark Kelly (half-time); Darren Prendergast for Tristan Kennedy (57 minutes); Adam Kavanagh for Evan Nash (57 minutes).

REFEREE: Alan Lagrue.

The Auld Shebeen Athy Intermediate Football Championship preliminary round

Castldermot 2-26

St Kevin's 3-13

Castledermot marked their return to the Intermediate Football Championship with a hard fought extra-time victory over St Kevin's in Manguard Plus Hawkfield on Friday evening.

After suffering relegation from the senior ranks in 2021, the South Kildare outfit got their campaign off to a winning start even if they had to survive a couple of huge scares.

Castledermot were in control for most of normal time but St Kevin's goals from Conor Murray, Barry Noone and Dylan Brereton kept the tie close and although Dan Gray also struck the net in the second half for the winners, the game still needed an extra 20 minutes.

St Kevin's could have made a blistering start after Ciaran Smyth and Brian Fogarty both went close for goals in the opening few minutes but with Shane Nolan proving a tough nut to crack between the sticks, the teams were deadlocked at 0-2 apiece after eight minutes.

With Gavin Keating and Emmet O'Keeffe really firing in attack as they shared 1-16 between them, Castledermot soon edged clear as they built up an 0-8 to 0-3 lead.

Kevin's had a big response though as they scored two goals in the space of three minutes with Conor Murray netting via a deflection before Diarmuid Smyth broke clear before off-loading to brother Jamie who found Barry Noone with the corner forward side-stepping his way past Shane Nolan before scoring.

That quick-fire burst gave Kevin's the lead for the first time but there was still no seperating the sides at half-time after David Keating scored the first of his four points in first half stoppage time.

The teams then went score for score throughout the second half until a poorly directed Keith Fitzharris kick-out found it's way to Dan Gray who made no mistake in scoring Castledermot's opening goal in the 44 minute. Castledermot led 1-14 to 2-7 as a result but their opponents kept plugging away and when Dylan Brereton found the net with four minutes remaining, the sides were level for an eight time.

Cormac Noone and Aaron Murphy swapped late efforts and while both sides had chances to get a winner, none was forthcoming and extra-time was required.

While the game was hugely competitive in normal time, Castledermot dominated the extra period and points from William Kelly, David Keating and Emmet O'Keeffe gave them a 1-21 to 3-12 lead at the half-way mark with Conor Murray registering the only point for St Kevin's.

Kevin's only scored once more in the second period with Barry Noone pointing a free but not scoring from play in the extra 20 minutes was never going to cut it and helped by a Gavin Keating goal, Castledermot ran out ten point winners in the end.

Scorers

Castledermot, Gavin Keating (1-8, 0-5f, 0-2 45's), Emmet O'Keeffe (0-8), David Keating (0-4), Dan Gray (1-0), Paraic Murphy, Aaron Murphy (0-2 each), William Kelly, Paddy Whelan (0-1 each).

St Kevin's: Conor Murray (1-4, 0-2f) Barry Noone (1-3, 0-4f) Dylan Brereton (1-0), Ciaran Smyth, Cormac Noone (0-2 each), Mark Grace, Enda Keane (0-1 each).

Teams

CASTLEDERMOT: Shane Nolan; Billy O'Gorman, Paraic Murphy, Barry Nolan; David Dooley, Bryan Nolan, William Kelly; David Keating, John Joe Mahon; Gavin Farrell, Dan Gray, Gavin Keating; Paddy Whelan, Emmet O'Keeffe, James O'Reilly. Subs: Aaron Murphy for D. Dooley (half-time); Anthony Lawlor for O'Reilly (53); Niall Dooley for Whelan (65m); Paul Fitzgerald for Farrell (75m).

ST KEVIN'S: Keith Fitzharris; Paddy Tyrrell, Mark Grace, Conor Gordon; Enda Keane, Jamie Smyth, Cormac Noone; Ciaran Smyth, Dylan Brereton; Jack Kenny, Brian Fogarty, Conor Murray; Diarmuid Smyth, Ciaran McMahon, Barry Noone. Subs: Joe Kenny for Jack Kenny (40m) Declan Flaherty for Tyrrell (78m).
REFEREE: Colin Kearney