Kilsheelan/Kilcash win to book quarter-final place in Tipperary football championship

FBD Insurance - County Tipperary Senior Football Championship - Group 1 Round 3

KILSHEELAN/KILCASH 1-12 EIRE OG ANNACARTY 1-7

With victory over Eire Og Annacarty at New Inn this afternoon, Kilsheelan/Kilcash lifted themselves off the bottom of their group and into the quarter-finals of the Tipperary Senior Football Championship for 2023.

The five points winning margin on a glorious sunny day at Páirc na nGael was well deserved by Liam Stokes’ side who by and large were in control of proceedings all day long. Minimum margin defeats to both Drom/Inch and Commercials in their earlier games meant nothing less than a victory was needed for the Suirsiders to avoid the relegation play-offs. As things worked out, with the result of the Commercials v Drom/Inch game going in their favour, Kilsheelan now find themselves in the last eight following victory.

The South Tipperary side started in a hurry with Micheál Freaney and Paul Maher at midfield. Two points within two minutes from Jamie Roche and Mark Kehoe were soon followed by a goal. A shot in from distance from Mark Kehoe wasn’t dealt with properly by the Eire Og defence and when the ball rebounded Barry Kehoe was quickest to react to palm the inviting ball into the back of the net.

Five points down after just three minutes, the Westerners eventually got on the scoreboard with a Dinny Crosse free won by Paul Devlin, quickly followed by another by Tom Fox to leave the scoreboard at 1-3 to 0-2 after a lively first eight minutes of this winner-takes-all contest.

County hurling star Mark Kehoe was proving a handful for the Eire Og defence with his powerful running and he added a delightful point in the ninth minute for a five points lead for Kilsheelan.

Kilsheelan were to suffer a big blow after only 10 minutes when county senior footballer Paul Maher had to be substituted with a bad knee injury.

The next three points all went the way of Kilsheelan; with Jamie Roche kicking two of those, one a free and the other a superb effort off the left boot from 40 metres. Barry Kehoe added the other ooint to make it 1-6 to 0-2 in the 17th minute. However, Kilsheelan, having already lost Paul Maher through injury, were further depleted in the 20th minute when Sean Martin also had to leave the field injured.

With things drifting away from Eire Og, a response was needed and Dinny Crosse had their first score in 15 minutes when doing well to convert a point under pressure from two defenders.

As half-time approached Eire Og hauled themselves back into the game with a hard-earned goal from Kev Fox. Catching a ball on the end line half-way between the goal and corner-flag, Fox rounded his marker and came in along the line before making room to blast low past Kian Quinn. Suddenly it was back to a three points game at 1-6 to 1-3 with all to play for.

Crucially though, Kilsheelan steadied the ship before the break and added two further points. Conor Davin-Murphy who was playing an effective role at the edge of the square offloaded for Mark Kehoe to point, before Jamie Roche tagged on a point from a free won by Barry Kehoe, in what was to be his last action of the day, also being forced off with a hamstring injury.

At the break Kilsheelan/Kilcash were five to the good at 1-8 to 1-3 and full value for it.

To add to the Kilsheelan casualty ward, Conor Davin-Murphy was unable to resume for the second half, also because of injury.

Two minutes after the restart, half-time Kilsheelan substitute Harry Roche-Nagle raised a white flag for a six points lead, but Eire Og were not going to give up their senior status without a fight and responded with the next three points, unanswered.

Dinny Crosse came out around midfield to win a big aerial battle which commenced a move finished with a fine point by Paul Downey off his left. Veteran Brian Fox then scored a trademark point with a strong defender-evading run and point from 40 metres to inch Eire Og closer by the 35th minute. And after Darragh Mooney had saved superbly from a Mark Kehoe piledriver at the expense of a 45 in the 37th minute, the next score was a free converted once again by Dinny Crosse after a run by Paudie Bradshaw to make it 1-9 to 1-6 on 42 minutes.

Kilsheelan had their first score in 10 minutes with a Jamie Roche free, but Eire Og were beginning to run more at their opponents realising the gravity of the situation, and Paul Devlin kicked a huge point from 45 metres out while in full flight.

Goalkeeper Darragh Mooney again came to Eire Og’s rescue when diving full length to save from Senan Butler midway through the second half. Had the result gone the other way at the end of the day Kilsheelan would have had no one to blame but themselves.

Mark Stokes, who was a strong driving force for Kilsheelan all through, initiated the next score with a fine run up the centre for Mark Kehoe to finish with a point eight minutes from the end of normal time.

The nervousness of both sides was evident, Eire Og missed two kickable frees late on, and then had a goal effort go just wide after a good one-two movement linking Darragh Kelly and Tom Fox before the latter’s effort narrowly went the wrong side of the post for him.

With time gone into the red Kilsheelan then countered and a good move at pace from defence linking Emmet Butler and Mark Kehoe was pointed by Jamie Roche in the 63rd minute.

There was still one last piece of drama to unfold. A foot block on Paudie Bradshaw as he was about to shoot at goal resulted in a penalty for Eire Og but Kian Quinn proved a match for Dinny Crosse’s low effort saving superbly. As it transpired, even had it gone in, it wouldn’t have changed the final league table. With that Seanie Peters’ full-time whistle sounded on a good day for Kilsheelan.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash: Kian Quinn, Conor Neville, Daire Breddna, Jason Madigan, Emmet Butler, Mark Stokes, Billy O’Connor, Micheál Freaney, Paul Maher, Mark Kehoe (0-4), Sean Martin, Barry Kehoe (1-1), Jamie Roche (0-6, 0-3F), Conor Davin Murphy, Tommy O’Connor.

Subs: Matthew Roche-Nagle for Maher (inj., 10 mins), Senan Butler for Martin (inj., 20 mins); Martin Gibbs for B. Kehoe (inj., half-time); Harry Roche-Nagle (0-1) for Davin-Murphy (inj., half-time).

Eire Og Annacarty: Darragh Mooney, Ciaran Loughman, Paul Devlin (0-1), David Fox, Paudie Bradshaw, Brian Fox (0-1), Michael Bradshaw (captain), Liam Óg O’Dwyer, Tom Fox (0-1), Connie Bradshaw, Darragh Kelly, Eoin Bradshaw, Kev Fox (1-0), Dinny Crosse (0-3, 0-2F), Paul Downey (0-1)

Subs: Donal O’Dwyer for Downey (43 mins); Downey for Devlin (inj., 60 mins).

Referee: Seanie Peters (Aherlow).