Late O'Meara goal secures county final spot for Kiladangan with win over Drom & Inch

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Kiladangan 1-21

Drom & Inch 1-17

A very, very late Dan O’Meara goal in the fourth minute of second half injury time sent Kiladangan to their fourth county final appearance in seven years, after a ferocious battle with a Drom team who pushed them all the way in the second semi-final in Semple Stadium early this evening.

There was rarely a score between the teams for large spells of this match, but Kiladangan took control of the middle third of the match, and produced a way more fluid performance than a Drom team who made far too many mistakes at key moments to win against a seasoned outfit like Kiladangan.

The likes of Joe Gallagher, Bryan McLoughney, David Sweeney, and Alan Flynn really stepped up and were counted for the north team in the game, with the latter and most experienced in Joe Gallagher showing his class once again to help his side to a big win which sends them into a showdown against north opposition.

The game started very quickly from both teams who were keeping hold of the ball well despite the conditions, with Tommy Nolan pointing smartly inside 30 seconds after being set up by Johnny Ryan.

Bryan McLoughney responded to get the north team on the board a minute later, but Drom looked the sharper in the opening minutes, with Tommy Nolan in particular looking very lively, as Drom pulled off three in a row up to the 10 minute, first with Seamie Callanan jinking and pointing in the fifth minute along with David Collins sending over a beauty for his first.

Kiladangan haven’t hit the heights expected of them this year, considering the class they have in their team but there were signs in the next few minutes that they were starting to build up a head of steam, kicked off by a brilliant Joe Gallagher point from distance, before a slick bit of interplay at midfield sent Sean Hayes free to point in the 11th minute to bring it back to a point.

Two Bryan McLoughney points quickly followed to give Kiladangan men the lead for the first time in the 15th minute; McLoughney’s second a real beauty from play as they were looking confident now with the game settled into its rhythm.

Drom were still looking positive in their play, and their full forward line of Tommy Nolan and David Collins were becoming prominent, as Nolan pointed the third of three points in as many of the proceeding minutes finding himself in acres of space, along with well taken scores from Callanan and Johnny Ryan again.

That re-established for Drom a two point lead as the sides traded four points between them in the next five odd minutes with Sean Hayes finding his range again from distance, along with Bryan McLoughney’s second from play; an unreal strike under the old stand, with Drom’s points coming courtesy of a Callanan free and David Collins.

The last five minutes of the half from a Drom perspective were very messy though, as Kiladangan finished the half strongest, with Drom fumbling a lot of ball coming out of defence, and that gave Billy Seymour and Willie Connors the opportunity to point in quick succession up to the 27th minute mark, and when Alan Flynn pointed a long range free from some 70 metres they found themselves in front by four at the break at 0-14 to 0-10.

Drom would need to get firing again very quickly at the start of the second half to stifle the Kiladangan confidence, and they more than achieved that inside two minutes, with Seamie Callanan finding the back of the net after a Tommy Nolan run in at goal, and although Kiladangan repelled Nolan, they recovered the ball in a shemozzle, with Callanan sidestepping a challenge to bury an effort to the net off his left. Game on.

The four point lead at the break was soon completely wiped out a minute later when Jamie Moloney drew a free from Alan Flynn for Callanan to convert, with this game looking very much like it could be a tight finish, but the north men were still looking dangerous, as they regained the lead in the 36th minute after a Bryan McLoughney free.

That settled Kiladangan down again in the next few minutes, as another McLoughney free put them two points up again, but Drom handed them another score in the 41st minute, with John Campion cutting a side line into David Sweeney’s hand, with the defender offloading to Sean Hayes to gallop down the field and point to open a three point lead.

This game wasn’t going to be taken away from Drom that easily though, and despite struggling for scoring chances in the previous five or six minutes, they managed to manufacture two frees for Seamie Callanan to convert in the 43rd and 45th minute to cut it back to a single point as the heavens opened up again.

Kiladangan missed a glorious goal chance in the 47th minute after Paul Flynn found himself clear on goal, breaking onto a loose ball in the half forward line and with loads of time he could only manage to pump the ball straight at the onrushing Eoin Collins; but Kil managed to recycle the rebound and feed Bryan McLoughney for his third from play.

The champions of 2020 were starting to hit form now, first from a long range Alan Flynn free before another goal chance went abegging, with Willie Connors winning a high ball inside the 21 before shrugging off a defender a lacing a ball at goal, but Collins in the Drom goal was equal to the strike; but it was again a Kiladanga player on the break with Paul Flynn taking a close range point.

The game was starting to desert Drom as the momentum was going in their opponents direction, with Joe Gallagher adding a second major from distance, but David Collins produced a lovely score a minute later at the 54 minute mark to keep the gap at four points with five to go.

It was nearly a game winning score two minutes later from substitute Dan O’Meara who sent a piledriver of an effort at goal after being sent free down the end line from Joe Gallagher, but Drom got off the hook as the effort exploded off the crossbar and out of play at the far side line.

Time was ticking down now for Drom but they managed to dig out a scorable free for Callanan to convert on the 58 minute mark, just edging inside the right hand post, and nearly had a goal themselves after a high ball in a minute later, with the ball popping up for Tommy Nolan to double on, but the effort hit the last defender in front of goal. Callanan converted  the resulting 65 to bring it back to a two point game with four minutes added time signaled.

It was looking like going down to the wire with added time coming and it was Drom who were coming hard now, as they found another score to bring it back to the minimum with 30 seconds left; Nolan pointing a pearler over his left shoulder going away from goal, with the next ball crucial as the mid men searched for the equaliser.

But it wasn’t to come, as Kiladangan repelled their final attack, and when Joe Gallagher’s mis hit attempt at a point under the old stand held up, Eoin Collins in the Drom goal fumbled possession for Dan O’Meara to gleefully scoop up the free ball and fire the insurance goal to the back of the net and secure an all north final against neighbours Kilruane MacDonaghs in a fortnight's time.

Scorers: Kiladangan: Bryan McLoughney (0-9, 0-6f), Dan O’Meara 1-0, Joe Gallagher, Sean Hayes 0-3 each, Paul Flynn 0-2, Alan Flynn 0-2f, Willie Connors, Billy Seymour 0-1 each.

Drom & Inch: Seamus Callanan (1-9, 0-6f, 0-1 65), Tommy Nolan 0-4, David Collins 0-3, Johnny Ryan 0-1.

Kiladangan: Barry Hogan; John O’Meara, James Quigley, Darren Moran; David Sweeney, Alan Flynn, Decky McGrath; Tadhg Gallagher, Tom O’Meara; Sean Hayes, Joe Gallagher, Billy Seymour; Bryan McLoughney, Paul Flynn, Willie Connors.

Subs: Dan O’Meara for Seymour (50); Ruairi Gleeson for McLoughney (60); Fergal Hayes for T O’Meara (56).

Drom & Inch: Eoin Collins; Liam Ryan, Michael Campion, Kevin Hassett; Fintan Purcell, Podge Campion, Stevie Nolan; John Campion, Lorcan Campion; Robbie Long, Jamie Moloney, Johnny Ryan; Seamus Callanan, David Collins, Tommy Nolan.

Subs: Tony Cahill for Long (52).

Referee: John Dooley (Thurles Gaels)