Relieved Kilcormac-Killoughey claim points after stuttering display

Molloy Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 1

IT was a mightily relieved Kilcormac-Killoughey side who walked off the field in O'Connor Park after being pushed the whole way by a very brave Clodiagh Gaels side in the Senior Hurling Championship on Friday evening.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-12

Clodiagh Gaels 0-14

K-K may sit top of group one with two wins from two and they will almost certainly make the quarter-finals from here but this was a stuttering, unconvincing display by them. It raised more questions than answers as K-K once again gave the impression of a side in transition – with a few players in the winter of their career, they have an outstanding array of talent in minor and coming on train but it could take a couple of years for them to be the whole packet.

Hurling, however, is all about winning and K-K had to show character to get the result here. This was a game they could very easily have lost and Clodiagh Gaels deserved a share of the spoils for their efforts. As Offaly minor hurlers discovered last Sunday, deserve doesn't always come into it and Clodiagh Gaels just couldn't get there.

They were 0-10 to 1-2 ahead at half time and Clodiagh Gaels fully deserved that lead as they played almost all of the hurling in the first half against a very below par K-K. With the wind on their backs, K-K got on top in the second half but it was hard work the whole way. Their wide count was inexcusably high in the second half as they hit thirteen – 20 in all - and many of these really should have been on target with the wind on their backs.

They were very dominant but those misses kept Clodiagh Gaels in it and they almost took advantage. In fact K-K never led in the second half until Cathal Kiely's winning point from a free with the 60 minutes just up and even then, they had a couple of poor wides when a point would have left the losers needing a goal.

Despite their territorial dominance in the second half and the pressure they exerted, K-K did get out of jail here and Clodiagh Gaels were in it to the end. It was a really good performance by Clodiagh Gaels after losing to Kinnitty in the first round – with games to come against St Rynagh's and Birr, they are probably heading for the relegation play off but this was a senior hurling performance by them.

On a day when both sides encountered free taking difficulties but Cathal Kiely eventually came good for the winners, K-K owed a debt of gratitude to their half back line of Jordan Quinn, Damien Kilmartin and Jack Screeney, who were superb most of the way. Cathal and the excellent Cillian Kiely also came good when K-K needed leaders to step up in the second half but overall, it was a disjointed display by K-K.

Their attack was partcularly poor on the day. Only Dylan Murray scored outside of Cathal Kiely, and K-K have vast improving to do if they are to win back the Sean Robbins Cup.

Clodiagh Gaels can be proud of the way they played. They were hungry and worked so hard. They went for everything, tackled tenaciously and displayed huge desire and hunger. Cathal Curran typified the way they play. He was named corner forward but spent a long time out the field where he worked his socks off as well as scoring a point.

Clint Horan and and Ruari Dunne impressed on their half back line while full back Aaron Flanagan was a big loss when he went off injured early in the second half. Cathal Brady had mixed luck from frees but got most of them but from here up it was a mixed bag for Clodiagh Gaels. Liam Langton showed great flashes of skill and Conor Langton had his moments in the attack but Clodiagh Gaels' danger forwards were tightly marked with Damien Kilmartin sticking like glue to county player, Joey Keenaghan.

Clodiagh Gaels were clearly the better side in the first half with K-K way off the boil and the underdogs were full value for their 0-10 to 1-2 half time lead.

The Killeigh-Killurin outfit won most of the 50-50 battles and asked serious questions of K-K. They hit the ground running from the start with K-K struggling to get past third gear – and there were times when they weren't even in that as they just weren't clinical or sharp enough

Playing with the wind, Clodiagh Gaels led by 0-4 to 0-2 after seven minutes but K-K took the lead with a 10th minute goal. It was one that Clodiagh Gaels will have been very disappointed in. They had an easy free in, to the right of the posts and about 25 metres out. Wing back Cathal Brady, who had got two of their first four points from frees as well as missing one, came forward to take it but was waved away by Liam Langton. As often happens in those instances, Langton fluffed the free, sending it wide at the far post and from the puckout, K-K swept into attack with Cathal Kiely finding the net.

Langton did make amends with an equalising point for Clodiagh Gaels two minutes later and they continued to ask serious questions. Both sides encountered free taking difficulty in the first half. Cathal Kiely missed one that he would normally get for K-K while older brother Cillian was also wide with a couple, the second the more scoreable, if still difficult into the wind.

Amazingly K-K didn't score again in the first half after Kiely's goal and Cloduagh Gaels added six points for that half time lead – Brady had another wide from the type of free you can't afford to miss but converted two others as Clodiagh Gaels powered into a strong position at half time.

As expected Kilcormac-Killoughey turned the screw from the restart, playing with much great er and purpose. They showed feet of clay early on and hit four bad wides in the first seven minutes. It meant that Cathal Kiely and Cathal Brady swopped frees to leave that five point gap in it after 33 minutes. However, K-K began to find the range and crucially Cathal Kiely got his eye in from frees. He got three in a row, incluing two excellent long range ones while Cillian Kiely and Dylan Murray pointed each side of them to level it up at 1-8 nto 0-11 after 43 minutes.

A fine Conor Langton point put Clodiagh Gaels back in front as K-K began to hit wides again – they had four in a row including a Cathal Kiely free and Cathal Brady pushed Clodiagh Gaels two clear from a free as it went into the last ten minutes.

The Kiely's, Cathal and Cillian, stepped up to the plate for K-K, levelling it up with two fine points from midfield with seven minutes left. Cathal Curran edged Clodiagh Gaels back in front and K-K had a couple more wides before Cillian Kiely equalised with two minutes left and then Cathal Kiely got the winner from a super free well inside his own half with the 60 minutes just up.

In the two minutes of injury time, Cillian Kiely and Colin Spain missed good chances for K-K while Clodiagh Gaels went hunting for an equalisier, trying to win a free in but the winners were disciplined in defence. They didn't foul and instead Clodiagh Gaels' only shooting opportunity fell to Joey Keenaghan, who was under fierce pressure and only half caught his strike as it went wide.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Damien Kilmartin (Kilcormac-Killoughey): K-K's best line was their half back line with Jordan Quinn, Damien Kilmartin and Jack Screeney outstanding at times. Damien Kilmartin gets the nod. One of K-K's most experienced players, he kept a tight reign on Joey Keenaghan and was very consistent and steady.

THE SCORERS

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Cathal Kiely 1-6 (5f), Cillian Kiely 0-4, Jack Screeney and Dylan Murray 0-1 each.

Clodiagh Gaels: Cathal Brady 0-6 (6f), Liam Langton and Conor Langton 0-2 each, Sean Brady, Sean Rattigan, Cathal Curran and Mark Dillon 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: Conor Slevin; Oisin Mahon, Enda Grogan, Tom Spain; Jordan Quinn, Damien Kilmartin, Jack Screeney; Colin Spain, Cillian Kiely; Lochlann Kavanagh, Conor Mahon, James Kilmartin; Cathal Kiely, Dylan Murray, Alex Kavanagh. Subs – Charlie Mitchell for Alex Kavanagh (HT), Charlie Bracken for Kilmartin (48m),

CLODIAGH GAELS: Kieran Coonan; Peter Walsh, Aaron Flanagan, Dylan Hyland; Ruari Dunne, Clint Horan, Cathal Brady; David Buckley, Sean Brady; Sean Rattigan, Joey Keenaghan, Conor Langton; Cathal Curran, Liam Langton, Mark Dillon. Subs - Mark Kelly for Flanagan, inj. (32m), Diarmuid Walsh for Rattigan (49m),

Referee – Shane Guinan (Drumcullen).

REFEREE WATCH

Shane Guinan had a very good game. There was a niggle to it and a couple of mini flare ups but he took quick action and was always in control.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Cathal Kiely's goal after ten minutes was crucial. It came after Liam Langton missed an easy free at the other end and it kept K-K alive as they had really been at nothing in the first half.

VENUE WATCH

O'Connor Park was in excellent condition though teams need to be fair and not do strenous warm ups on the pitch.

TALKING POINT

The free taking difficulties encountered by both sides with Cathal and Cillian Kiely for K-K and Clodiagh Gaels' Cathal Brady and Liam Langton all missing clear chances.

STATISTICS

Wides: K-K – 20 (7 in first half); Clodiagh Gaels – 10 (6 in first half).

Yellow cards: K-K – 1 (Cillian Kiely); Clodiagh Gaels – 2 (Dylan Hyland and Conor Langton).\

Black cards: 0.

Red cards: 0.