Vulnerable Kilcormac-Killoughey snatch late draw as Belmont let golden chance of huge win slip

CONOR Slevin went from villain to hero in the blink of an eye as he slotted over a huge injury time free to save Kilcormac-Killoughey's bacon in an fiercely contested Senior Hurling Championship shootout in Moystown on Saturday afternoon.

Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 2 Round 1

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-15

Belmont 0-15

The vastly experienced goalkeeper held his head in his hands after missing a fairly straightforward looking fifty metre one a minute into injury time. The decision to give him that free was a highly questionable one – firstly Slevin's eye had not been in as he had a handful of earlier misses from well out the field and secondly, a forward should have been well able to take it.

With a few of their top performers injured or away, champions K-K handed the responsibility to Slevin and he missed but then showed nerves of steel when getting a second opportunity in the 62^nd minute. A harmless enough looking free was brought up for dissent and Slevin calmly stroked over a wonderful equaliser from inside his own '65' metre line.

The pressure put on Slevin showed how vulnerable they were on the day. With Oisin Mahon, Leigh Kavanagh, Ter Guinan, Cillian Kiely, Adam Screeney and Charlie Mitchell all absent, K-K were there to be taken and Belmont will be disappointed that they didn't do so. With Leon Fox having transferred to Louth and Oisin Kelly out of the country, Belmont had their own problems but they gave a great effort on the day, playing well enough to win it but not able to do so.

Belmont would have taken a point with both hands before the game but these opportunities don't often come up. The reasons for them not winning were largely self inflicted and Belmont didn't manage a score from the 53^rd minute on. Almost four minutes of injury time was played and Belmont got plenty of ball into their attack but couldn't win it or create a proper chance.

They were also guilty of some indiscipline. While K-K may have won their share of soft frees, some of them were rightly brought up for dissent, most tellingly with the last equaliser and this was a factor in Belmont not winning.

While the strength in depth in Kilcormac-Killoughey has been reflected by them winning back to back Senior and Senior “B” Hurling Championships in 2023 and 2024, this game proved that it has obvious limits. You can't take away hurlers of the brilliance of Mitchell, Screeney et-al and play to the same level. You are asking a lot of the replacements to fill that vacuum and the scorching heat also drained the energy of young and old alike – K-K had much more than their normal quota of players who struggled to make an impact on the day.

Yet K-K didn't introduce a sub, protecting their senior “B” team from any losses and that single fact meant that they probably deserved to lose it – you can understand their reasoning and you could also be giving a game to a player who would see very little action again when players return but if ever a game was crying out for flesh legs, this was it and the two points here should have taken priority over everything else.

As it was, K-K just about got away with his and one of the players called up was instrumental in them surviving without a defeat. Peter Geraghty had been held back for senior “B” the last two years, only playing senior when they had the Offaly title won, and he won back to back senior “B” player of the year awards. He was immense here and was the main reason they weren't beaten as he slotted over five points from play, four of them in the second half when they were in bother

K-K settled well and points from Daniel Hand and Mark Mulrooney gave them an early lead. It was 0-3 each after fourteen minutes and Belmont clicked into top gear in the next few minutes with Darragh Corbett and Adam Egan going very well in attack.

Winning most of the physical battles, they went 0-6 to 0-3 clear in a few minutes and extended this out to 0-10 to 0-5 with the half almost up. That would have placed them in a strong position but another player up out of senior B last year, Mark Mulrooney got the final two points, one from a free, to make it 0-10 to 0-7 at half time.

Belmont went 0-13 to 0-9 ahead 11 minutes into the second half and a shock loomed into view. It was at this stage that Geraghty took control, firing over K-K's next four points – he got three without reply before a David Nally free put Belmont 0-14 to 0-12 ahead.

Geraghty's fifth point made it 0-14 to 0-13 and K-K had the best goal chance of the game when Daniel Hand made a great surge forward before off laying to Conor Mahon. It had goal written all across it but Patrick Taaffe got across for a great block – Mark Mulrooney was wide with the '65'.

As it moved through the last ten minutes, Belmont stopped scoring. They did have a half goal chance in the 52^nd minute but David Nally was hooked. Nally got an excellent 53^rd minute free to put them two clear and that was a significant lead at this stage but they needed another score to win it.

Mulrooney reduced it to the minimum with six minutes of normal time left and both sides wilted in the sun late on. Slevin eventually rescued a point for K-K and it was an important one for them as they are in a tricky group that also includes Shinrone, St Rynagh's and Kinnitty.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Peter Geraghty (Kilcormac-Killoughey): Peter Geraghty had a fantastic second half for K-K after a decent first half and his scoring was the reason they weren't beaten. Brecon Kavanagh, Jack Screeney, Jordan Quinn, Daniel Hand and Mark Mulrooney also impressed for K-K at different stages.

Belmont gave it everything they had and can be proud of the way they played. They had a lot of players who were so solid and hard working with Shane Nally, Conor Kenny, Colin Egan, David Nally, Adam Egan and Darragh Corbett all contributing powerfully.

THE SCORERS

Belmont: David Nally 0-6 (5f), Adam Egan and Darragh Corbett 0-3 each, James Nally, Ronan Flynn and Conor Dunican 0-1 each.

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Peter Geraghty 0-5, Mark Murooney 0-4 (1f), Conor Slevin (2f) and Daniel Hand 0-2 each, Colin Spain and James Gorman 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: Conor Slevin; James Mahon, Oisin Mahon, Brecon Kavanagh; Jordan Quinn, Damian Kilmartin Jack Screeney; Colin Spain, Peter Geraghty; Mark Mulrooeny, Conor Mahon, Daniel Hand; Alex Kavanagh, James Gorman, Tomas Geraghty.

BELMONT: Damian Egan; Darragh Flynn, Ciaran Cahill, Patrick Taaffe; Conor Kenny, Shane Nally, James Nally; Colin Egan, Ronan Flynn; David Nally, Darragh Corbett, Jack Clancy; Adam Nugent, Adam Egan, Conor Dunican. Subs – Ronan McEvoy for Nugent (43m), Conor Butler for Colin Egan (54m).

Referee – Matthew Farrell, Tullamore.

REFEREE WATCH

Kilcormac-Killoughey certainly didn't complain at some of the frees they got. Belmont were also attacking when the final whistle went and could have got a free but overall Matthew Farrell had a solid game. He tried to let it run but was always in control and was fair.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Conor Slevin's injury time free was the big moment here.

VENUE WATCH

The early 1.30pm throw in affected the crowd but the Belmont pitch was in great order. The host club showed the value of home and away fixtures in early rounds as they covered all bases, even providing a press table – these fixtures make clubs to do work, painting and remedial stuff, that may not get done otherwise and that is a good thing.

WHAT'S NEXT

Belmont are away to St Rynagh's and KK have a bye.

STATISTICS

Wides: Kilcormac-Killoughey – 12 (6 in first half); Belmont – 10 (5 in first half).

Yellow cards: K-K – 3 (Jordan Quinn, Tomas Geraghty and Peter Geraghty); Belmont – 2 (Shane Nally and Adam Nugent).

Red cards: 0