Offaly SHC Play-Off
Kilcormac/Killoughey 0-12 ...... Ballyskenach 0-10
By John Horan
Kilcormac/Killoughey set up a quarter final meeting with Tullamore in the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship following a gutsy and determined late rally in the dying minutes in this play-off at Rath on Sunday last.
Ballyskenach are also through to the quarter finals but now must face St Rynagh’s with the winners having the daunting task of facing Birr in the semi-finals.
With ten minutes remaining this contest was still undecided with the sides tied at 0-9 apiece. However as the clock wound down K/K got some useful breaks in the forwardline which saw them score three clinching scores courtesy of Colm Cassidy (free), Tony Spain and Ger Healion which carried them through.
This was a close and keenly fought contest throughout with the sides level pegging on no less than seven occasions before K/K had that extra fleet of foot in the final five minutes.
It was perhaps one of the closest games in the SHC to date and nearing the finish a draw looked the more likely outome but K/K had other ideas.
Ballyskenach will be somewhat disappointed and will perhaps feel they should have got more out of the game. They led by a point with ten minutes left when John Dooley dispatched a free.
The K/K forwards caught out the Ballyskenach backs a bit late on helped by the performances of centre forward Tony Spain, Colm Cassidy, Mark Leonard and full forward Ger Healion who nipped in for a score late on.
Scoring had been quite low particularly in the first half where Ballyskenach led by 0-5 to 0-4 at half time. Kilcormac/Killoughey then outscored their opponents by a margin of 0-8 to 0-5 in the second period. In that low scoring first half just six points in total were scored in the first twenty minutes. In the remaining minutes an additional three went on the board as Ballyskenach led marginally at half time.
Ballyskenach may also reflect on how things could have been a lot different had they converted a penalty in the 13th minute but the effort on goal was stopped. At the time Ballyskenach led by 0-2 to 0-1.
In what was a useful win for K/K they had good displays from keeper Stephen Byrne, defenders Henry Kilmartin, Seamus Spain, Mark Hand and Niall Leavey, Joey Wynne worked hard at midfield while in the forwards Tony Spain, Colm Cassidy, Paul Leonard, Mark Leonard and Ger Healion set up attacks and generated scores.
For Ballyskenach Mick O’Hara, David Franks, Mark Kirwan, Barry Keeshan did well. Brendan Murphy and Aidan Franks combined well at midfield while in the forwards Eoin Franks, centre forward Noel Murphy, freetaker John Dooley and corner forward Derek Middelton tried hard. The latter almost got in for a goal right on half time and in saving the effort by Middleton, goalkeeper Stephen Byrne received a knock to the head for his troubles and gingerly made his way off at half time.
Scoringwise Kilcormac/Killoughey moved in front four minutes in when Colm Cassidy pointed a free near the wing. Ballyskenach had a chance of their own a minute earlier but Derek Middleton sent the effort wide. K/K perhaps should have extended their lead in the 8th minute when awarded a free but Cassidy sent the effort wide.
Ballyskenach got on level terms a minute later when Aidan Franks pointed from some distance out.
Ballyskenach edged in front in the 11th minute when Eoghan Franks whipped a sideline cut over the bar. Near the end of the first quarter Ballyskenach were awarded a penalty but the effort by David Franks was stopped. The sides were level again moments later when Joey Wynne passed to Colm Cassidy to strike a point. In the 18th minute it looked like Ballyskenach were almost in for a goal but a foul was committed on Tadhg Maher, a free was given and John Dooley cleared the bar with the effort.
Ten minutes before the break the sides were level for a third time in a low scoring half when K/K’s Tony Spain steered a long distance score. Both sides exchanged frees in the space of six minutes with John Dooley and Mark Hand for dispatching respective efforts.
On the stroke of half time Ballyskenach edged in front when Noel Murphy found the range and at the interval Ballyskenach led by 0-5 to 0-4.
K/K got back on level terms five minutes into the second half when Paul Leonard, who wasn’t listed on the starting fifteen, pointed for his team before Ballyskenach led by one again when Brendan Murphy scored.
K/K put the Ballyskenach defence under pressure in the 39th minute when a free was dangerously sent in and from a melee that ensued the referee noticed a foul and a free out was given.
Ballyskenach broke forward with chances of their own after that and in a three minute spell further in front when Aidan Franks passed to David Franks to score and Brendan Murphy clipped over a useful score. The pendulum swung once again and in the space of a few minutes at the end of the third quarter came back to level the match for the sixth occasion following scores by Paul Leonard, Joey Wynne and a Mark Hand ‘65’.
Ten minutes from time Ballyskenach took another chance this time with a free which John Dooley sent over before unsurprisingly K/K responded with a score by centre forward Tony Spain.
K/K had the better staying power in the closing stages of the game and the industrious work of their forwardline resulted in a brace of points in two minutes, Colm Cassidy pointing a free and the workmanlike Tony Spain finished off a pacey solo run by clipping his effort over the bar. K/K had the bit between their teeth at this juncture of the match and a minute from time full forward Ger Healion’s good work resulted in a concluding score to send K/K through.
KILCORMAC/KILLOUGHEY: Stephen Byrne; Henry Kilmartin, James Flynn, Seamus
Spain; Niall Leavey, Mark Hand (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 ‘65’), John Flaherty; Kevin
Rigney, Joey Wynne (0-1); Mark Leonard, Tony Spain (0-3), Colm Cassidy (0-3,
0-2 frees); Paul Leonard (0-2), Ger Healion (0-1), Martin Murray.
Subs: Joey Wynne (for Mark Leonard); Alan Keena (for Kevin Rigney).
BALLYSKENACH: Alan Franks; Alan Middleton, Mick O’Hara, Brendan Franks;
David Franks (0-1), Mark Kirwan, Barry Keeshan; Brendan Murphy (0-2), Aidan
Franks (0-1); Tadgh Maher, Noel Murphy (0-1), Eoghan Franks (0-2, 0-1 sideline
cut), Vinnie Franks, John Dooley (0-3, 0-3 frees), Derek Middleton.
Subs: Kenny Franks (for Tadhg Maher); Bill Lalor (for Derek Middleton).
REFEREE: Brendan Keeshan