Stradbally crowned 2023 Kelly Cup champions after victory over Killeshin

Stradbally have been crowned 2023 Kelly Cup Champions with a dominant win over Killeshin. It was a cold, wet and blustery day in Crettyard, but Stradbally tamed the conditions with a marvellous display of attacking football to lift the trophy in the rain. 

Both finalists came through incredibly tight semis to reach Saturday’s decider. Stradbally staged a late comeback to beat Graiguecullen while Killeshin required extra time to overcome Park Ratheniska. 

Stradbally 3-11

Killeshin 1-9

Killeshin made four changes from the semi-final, with Eoin Brennan, Patrick Doyle and Evan Lowry coming in for Keelin Galligan, Pauric Bolton and Daniel McGrath while Jack Thompson replaced Killian Roche in goal. Stradbally also had four changes and also had a change between the posts with Darren Mahon coming in for Jack Larkin. Elsewhere, James Devoy, Jack Langton and Cillian Maher made way for Eamonn Conlon, Colin Beale and Adam Hennessy. 

Killeshin opened the scoring with a Lowry free but Stradbally controlled the next ten minutes. Jody Dillon and Ronan Creery opened their respective accounts with a lovely score each. Padraig Fitzpatrick struck a beautiful point five minutes later before John Clancy made it four. 

Killeshin were shaky in defence and sloppy in possession but pulled two points back through a David Aston free and a lovely Adam Deering score from play. Stradbally then enjoyed their best spell of the game, scoring another four unanswered points as they stretched the lead to five. Clancy got the ball rolling followed by Dillon, Brendan Lawlor and Garry Comerford from a placed ball. 

Lowry slotted a free to get his side back into the game before Michael Gaffney raised a green flag in the 26th minute, driving the ball into the top corner of the Stradbally net. It took Stradbally less than two minutes to respond in kind as Conor Goode laid the ball off for Dillon who smashed it beyond Thompson. Two late scores from Aston and Killeshin substitute Owen Cawley left it at 1-8 to 1-6 at half time. 

Stradbally won most of the kick-outs and bossed the aerial battle, but did not fully capitalise on their dominance, hitting a lot of wides and dropping quite a few balls short. They had the wind on their back in the first half, but Killeshin had no such advantage in the second, as the direction changed, blowing into the face of the Coalminer’s Stand. 

Stradbally were again wasteful for the first ten minutes of the second half, but had the ball in the net for the second time after 40 minutes. Brendan Lawlor received the ball in space and calmly finished into the bottom corner. The score coincided with the introduction of Greg Ramsbottom who, for a man in his mid-40s, played like a man in his mid-20s, scoring with practically his first touch. Goode added a fine score to make it a seven-point game heading into the final quarter. 

Killeshin needed 21 minutes of play to break their duct in the second half, getting three quick scores through Lowry, Deering and substitute Paddy Walsh. But Stradbally were not to be denied. Ramsbottom got a fantastic score two minutes from time before Danny Kelly off the bench put the icing on the cake with a third goal mere seconds after coming on.  

SCORERS – Stradbally: Jody Dillon 1-2, Benny Lawlor 1-1, Danny Kelly 1-0, Greg Ramsbottom and John Clancy 0-2 each, Padraig Fitzpatrick, Ronan Creery, Conor Goode and Garry Comerford (f) 0-1 each. Killeshin: Evan Lowry 0-3 (3f), Michael Gaffney 1-0, David Aston (1f) and Adam Deering 0-2 each, Eoin Cawley and Paddy Walsh 0-1 each

STRADBALLY: Darren Mahon; Eamonn Conlon, Eamonn Delaney, Colin Beale; Barry Fitzpatrick, Eoin Buggie, Padraig Fitzpatrick; Colm Begley, Conor Goode; Brendan Lawlor, Jody Dillon, Ronan Creery; John Clancey, Garry Comerford, Adam Hennessy. Subs: Tom Sheehan for Begley (20), Greg Ramsbottom for Hennessy (40), Danny Kelly for Clancey (59). 

KILLESHIN: Jack Thompson; Brendan McDonald, Jeremy Mahon, David McDonald; Arnie Mahon, Darragh McDonnald, James Davis; Eoin Brennan, Cathal Byrne; Michael Gaffney, Evan Lowry, Patrick Doyle; Ciarán Fitzgerald, Adam Deering, David Aston. Subs: Owen Cawley for Mahon (29) Brian Lowry for Fitzgerald (44), Daniel McGrath for D. McDonnald (46), Evan Galligan for Brennan and Paddy Walsh for Doyle (both 50). 

REFEREE: Joe Brennan.