Kilcormac-Killoughey survive by the skin of their teeth as injury time Screeney goal books Leinster final berth

KILCORMAC-Killoughey certainly used up most of their nine lives as they scraped home in a pulsating Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-final at Mullingar's Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon.

AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-final

Kilcormac-Killoughey 2-13

Castletown Geoghegan 1-13

K-K were pushed to the pin of their collar by a fired up Castletown Geoghegan and would have had no complaints if their dreams of glory had ended. There was almost nothing between the teams the whole day, it was a battle for every second of every minute and no result, a KK or Castletown Geoghegan win or a draw and extra time would have been an unfair one.

Once again Kilcormac-Killoughey showed that they could grind out results in dogfights as their younger guns showed they can play in adverse winter conditions, their long serving stalwarts showed their vast experience and Cusack Park was no place for the faint hearted. A super 60^th minute goal from Adam Screeney won the day for the Offaly champions but they used their get out of jail card here.

Castletown Geoghegan played very well and were on the cusp of a famous win at different times but pure heart and will power saw K-K squeeze home. It was heart attack stuff at times as an absolutely enthralling game kept spectators riveted from start to finish,

It was club hurling at its most intense and rawest with no quarter asked or given, space at a premium and every score very hard earned.

Playing against a wind that blew into the bottom right corner, Kilcormac-Killoughey suffered the very rare distinction of not scoring from play in the first half. The conditions were a big contributory factor in that and K-K knew they had a real battle on their hands when they went in trailing by 0-8 to 0-5 at half time. That deficit was far from a calamity with the wind to come in the second half and the odds slightly favoured them but we all knew it would go right down to the wire, that it would be very thin margins that would separate the sides.

K-K started well and Colin Spain's excellent sideline gave them a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after nine minutes. By the time Adam Screeney fired over his fourth free in the 27^th minute, the Westmeath champions had five points on the board and should have had more but they hit four poor wides in one sustained spell of pressure.

Both sides almost got in for a goal before the interval. Adam Screeney created an opportunity with a wonderful bit of skill but didn't get the right power behind his shot and Ciaran O'Brien made the save. Screeney perhaps should have tapped over the bar while Castletown Geoghegan had an even better goal chance in the 30^th minute, Conor Slevin saving brilliantly from Jack Gallagher.

Morgan Gavigan and Peter Clarke (sideline) got injury time points to give Castletown that three point interval lead and that was probably a fair reflection of the way it went.

The second half was a real dogfight. K-K levelled it up with three points in eight minutes, Adam Screeney floating over a beauty for their first from play in the 37^th minute. The losers led by 0-11 to 0-9 after 43 minutes as Niall O'Brien came to his milk but K-K found a higher gear. With subs making a big difference, they got three without reply to lead by 0-12 to 0-11 after 52 minutes.

It looked like they had the momentum but a fabulous Aonghus Clarke goal in the 53^rd minute after a foul on Oisin Mahon wasn't punished gave them a 1-11 to 0-12 lead. A super Peter Clarke point had Castletown Geoghegan 1-12 to 0-13 ahead with three minutes left and K-K were staring a devastating exit in the face.

Somehow, they dug deep and found the answers. Conor Slevin's quick puckout after Clarke's points ended in the hands of hugely influential sub James Gorman and he blasted to the net, 1-13 to 1-12.

A magnificent 60^th minute point from Niall O'Brien out on the right wing levelled it up and extra time was looming. Straight from the puckout, K-K attacked again and Adam Screeney found the space to score the decisive goal.

Now Castletown Geoghegan had to get a goal to survive. They got a 21 metre free but Niall O'Brien's strike was saved in the 63^rd minute and the final whistle was greeted with jubilation by the K-K supporters moments later.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Conor Slevin (Kilcormac-Killoughey): Conor Slevin's importance to the K-K team was shown in all his glory here. He made crucial saves with his first half one from Jack Gallagher particularly crucial but his value went way deeper than this. His influence in play was considerable and his awareness and speed of thought with quick, pinpoint puckouts let to some pivotal scores. He played a true captains' role.

The character of the K-K team was so admirable. Oisin Mahon was an example of this as he fought with such tenacity and won great ball, despite the occasional wayward pass. At the other end, Daniel Hand demonstrated the work rate that is typical of this K-K team. The ball didn't always run for him and he had a couple of poor wides at one stage in the second half but his head didn't drop, he kept showing and fighting and was rewarded with a great 45^th minute point.

It was a day when work rate was king and players such as Tom Spain, James Mahon, Brecon Kavanagh, Damien Kilmartin and Conor Mahon gave great shifts. Adam Screeney's talent is known throughout the country but he matches that with a tremendous work ethic and he was superb here again, on limited ball and tightly marked.

K-K also got a lot off their bench. Cillian Kiely came on early in the second half and made his presence felt after missing the last two games with a broken thumb. He will be a great asset, though the sight of him holding his hand as he left the field after the final whistle will cause concern. James Gorman was terrific when introduced while Cathal Kiely won one great ball against the head on the wing and Peter Geraghty foraged for everything.

Castletown were so close and they had some sensational displays with David Maloney, Jack Murphy, Peter Clarke and Niall O'Brien all excellent while the early departure of David O'Reilly was a big blow to their prospects.

THE SCORERS

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Adam Screeney 1-8 (7f), James Gorman 1-0, Conor Slevin (f), Colin Spain (1 sideline), Conor Mahon, Daniel Hand, Jack Screeney 0-1 each.

Castletown Geoghegan: Niall O'Brien 0-6 (2f and 1` '65'), Peter Clarke 0-3 (1 sideline), Aonghus Clarke 1-0, Conor Murphy 0-2, Morgan Gavigan, Shane Clavin 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: Conor Slevin; Tom Spain, Oisin Mahon, James Mahon; Jordan Quinn, Brecon Kavanagh, Enda Grogan; Colin Spain, Damien Kilmartin; Leigh Kavanagh, Conor Mahon, Jack Screeney; Daniel Hand, Charlie Mitchell, Adam Screeney. Subs – Cillian Kiely for Grogan (36m), Peter Geraghty for Leigh Kavanagh (44m), James Gorman for Mitchell (49m), Cathal Kiely for Kilmartin (55m), Alex Kavanagh for Hand (60m)

CASTLETOWN GEOGHEGAN: Ciaran O'Brien; Peter Murphy, Aaron Glennon, David Maloney; Johnnie Bermingham, Jack Murphy, Morgan Gavigan; Peter Clarke, Shane Clavin; Conor Murphy, Aonghus Clarke, Liam Varley; David O'Reilly, Niall O'Brien, Jack Gallagher. Subs – David Fennell for O'Reilly, inj. (16m),

Referee – Eamon Furlong (Wexford).

REFEREE WATCH

Eamon Furlong was not the reason either side won or lost but the volume of fouls not punished was on the high side. While a let it run policy did add to the entertainment levels, some of these were fairly obvious frees. Aonghus Clarke's goal came after one of these when Oisin Mahon was pulled around but no free given, there were many more and those types of decisions frustrated both sides.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Adam Screeney's injury time goal won the game but James Gorman's 57^th minute one was the most important score of the day. K-K were two points behind that and on the ropes. Without Gorman's strike, they could very well have been beaten and another Castletown score would have left them with a mountain to climb.

VENUE WATCH

Cusack Park is one of a handful of county grounds in the country in need of work but it was still a nice, intimate venue for the game. The large crowd was close to the pitch and that helped create a very lively atmosphere. Westmeath had loads of very efficient stewards on duty and hosted the fixture with their usual professionalism.

WHAT'S NEXT

Kilcormac-Killoughey on into next Saturday's Leinster final in Croke Park.

STATISTICS

Wides: Kilcormac-Killoughey - 6 (1 in first half); Castletown Geoghegan - 7 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Kilcormac-Killoughey – 2 (Cillian Kiely, Tom Spain); Castletown Geoghegan – 3 (Jack Murphy, David Maloney, David Fennell).

Red cards: 0