Kildalkey end 57-year wait
November 30, 2009
After so many disappointing final days over the last few decades, Kildalkey eventually found a crock of gold at the end of the rainbow when proving too good for Dunboyne in the 2009 Fox Bookmakers Meath SHC decider played at Pairc Tailteann on the first Sunday of October.
Pat O'Halloran's charges recovered well from the disappointment of going so close in the 2008 final when a late leveller forced a replay for Kilmessan, who went on to win the replay by five points. They had to perform a couple of Houdini acts before winning the final by an unflattering margin of eight points.
Kildalkey had to depend on late equalisers at the end of the hour against Navan O'Mahonys and Kilmessan in their quarter-final and semi-final outings before pulling clear to win by four and eight points in the respective ties.
The 2008 beaten finalists were drawn in the same group as 2007 winners Kiltale and Dunboyne and their first outing was a bit of a stroll as Boardsmill were defeated by 1-14 to 1-4 in a Saturday evening clash at Kilmessan, The margin was 10 points at the finish despite the absence of sharpshooter Noel Kirby.
Boosted by a goal from Derek Doran towards the end of the third quarter, the men in blue and white were ahead by 1-6 to 0-4 at the break. On the restart points from Maurice Keogh and Tony Fox (two) stretched the difference to eight points before the 'Mill's Paudie Guy was sent off..
In the absence of Kirby, Derek Doran was the top scorer with 1-2 and Padraig Keogh and Fox shot three points each. Kildalkey weren't seriously tested in their first three outings and Na Fianna were also defeated by 10 points (2-16 to 2-6) in a one-sided encounter in Ashbourne.
Noel Kirby returned for this game and made his mark with a contribution of 1-7. The first half was close with the score at the interval 1-9 to 2-4. Nick Fitzgerald netted the eventual winners' first goal.
Kildalkey were back in Longwood for their third round outing and they had little difficulty in chalking up a third victory, at the expense of Killyon on a 2-10 to 0-7 scoreline.
The Village side did not have to produce anything near top form in order to maintain their winning run. A goal from Gary Kelly helped into a 1-6 to 0-4 interval advantage. Derek Doran netted the second goal close to the final whistle.
Kildalkey suffered their only SHC defeat of 2009 when Dunboyne took the two points with a slender 1-13 to 1-12 victory in a Tuesday evening tussle at Pairc Tailteann. A Nick Fitzgerald goal left the side in blue and white ahead by 1-6 too 0-8 at the break.
That result meant that Dunboyne went straight through to the semi-finals while Kildalkey had to play a quarter-final and the longer route proved beneficial to them in that end. Not many spectators leaving the Navan venue after that August clash would have thought that the same two teams would meet in the final a few weeks later.
Kildalkey got back on the winning trail with an emphatic 3-11 to 1-5 victory over Kiltale in rainy conditions on a Sunday afternoon clash at Pairc Tailteann. Noel Kirby put over nine points, five frees and two 65s, one of the converted 65s coming after a penalty was blocked out.
Goals from Derek Doran and Dan Fagan boosted Pat O'Halloran's side to a 2-5 to 1-2 interval advantage and Fagan netted again eight minutes after the restart.
There were six minutes of added time in the quarter-final against O'Mahonys and in then sixth of them a pointed free by Noel Kirby levelled matters at 1-12 each before Kildalkey pulled clear for a 1-18 to 1-14 success.
O'Mahonys looked to be on the way to the last four when leading by 1-11 to 0-8 but an opportunist goal from Nick Fitzgerald on 51 minutes was an important ingredient in the comeback. Noel Kirby put over 12 points, nine from frees, and four points from him were the only scores in the second period of extra-time.
Pat O'Halloran did not need too much prompting to suggest that his side was lucky to survive in that game and it was a similar story in the second semi-final against Kilmessan who looked to be well on the way to another final when leading by 1-15 to 1-9 with only five of the 60 minutes left. Even when Nick Fitzgerald again found the net on the hour mark, Nicky Horan replied with a converted free and Kildalkey's championship appeared to be at an end.
But referee Marcus Quinn also allowed six minutes of added time and in the closing seconds points from Noel Kirby (free) and Padraig Geoghegan left the scores 2-13 to 1-16, Padraig Keogh having found the net in the first half which finished with the holders ahead of 1-9 to 1-5.
A goal from Sean Heavey gave Kildalkey a 3-13 to 1-17 advantage at the halfway stage in extra-time before fitness told and six points from Noel Kirby to bring his afternoon's total to 0-11 left the board reading 3-19 to 1-17 at the finish.
Kildalkey did not have to make a late recovery in the final which they won by 1-19 to 2-8, having led by 0-11 to 0-6 at the break. After going into an advantage of two points twice in the early stages, they were only in arrears for a brief spell at the beginning of the second quarter.
Most of the scores in the first half were from placed balls although Padraig Geoghegan and Derek Doran both struck two points from play. Again Noel Kirby took the scoring honours, this time with a total of eight points, including six frees and a 65.
For neutrals and Dunboyne folk, the game did not provide great entertainment although Kildalkey people were not complaining as the parish enjoyed the long overdue day in the sun. One of the highlights of the first half was a massive pointed free by Kirby from inside his own half.
The centre forward picked up the man of the match although afterwards he said the trophy could have went to any of his 14 team-mates. Wing backs Maurice Keogh and team captain Mairtin Doran, midfielder Tony Fox and forwards Nick Fitzgerald and Padraig Geoghegan were others to make notable contributions.
Remarkably Nick Fitzgerald found the net in his third successive SHC outing, with his major score after 36 minutes following a delivery from Padraig Geoghegan hammering a nail in the Dunboyne coffin. It was double scores (1-11 to 0-7) and the man in yellow and black were unable to perform a Houdini act like their opponents earlier in the campaign.
Indeed it was to get even better for Kildalkey, who scored 13 times from play with Fox, Derek Doran, Padraig Geoghegan, Sean Corrigan and Sean Heavey getting on target in the second period. The margin was 12 points beyond the losers netted two goals in the closing five minutes.
Mairtin Doran sportingly paid tribute to some Kildalkey stalwarts who toiled for the club without tasting championship glory - men like Pat Priest, Pat Potterton and Sean Kealey, who was a selector for the triumph.
"Before the game Pat O'Halloran sent us out to win the first half. We started the second half as if it was a new game, that's exactly what we did. This result was overdue and makes up for what we went through over the last four or five years.
"Everybody put in a big effort over the whole year and thank God it paid off. The Jubilee Cup is going to Kildalkey and it's a great day for the club and the parish," said the winning captain.
It was a fifth county final for Waterford-native Nick Fitzgerald and a first title triumph. "I had been on the losing side three times with Kildalkey and once in a London final. It means everything to me to win this one," said the veteran full forward.
The Kildalkey team and scorers in the 2009 Meath SHC final: G McNally; C Dunne, S Forde, D Lahart; M Keogh, E Keogh, M Doran; S Corrigan (0-1), T Fox (0-2); P Keogh, N Kirby (0-8), P Geoghegan (0-3); D Doran (0-3), N Fitzgerald (1-1), S Heavey (0-1). Subs: G Geoghegan for P Keogh, D Fagan for Fitzgerald, M Potterton for Heavey.
Kildalkey were completing a notable double when taking SHC honours, having earlier annexed the JHC title with a final victory over Ratoath at Pairc Tailteann.
In their junior semi-final at Trim, Kildalkey defeated Kiltale by 2-13 to 1-11 with corner forward Colm Kane netting two late goals to send his side through. Before that it looked as if Kiltale would advance.
That first Kane goal came with four minutes to go following a long delivery by John Anderson and then on the hour Sean Kealey provided the opening for the winners' second goal.
It was 0-9 to 1-3 in favour of Kildalkey at the break and Paddy Conneely sent over a total of seven points.
Having won the JHC 2 title in 2008, Kildalkey captured outright honours in the JHC for the first time in 40 years with 2-14 to 2-10 victory in a well-contested decider. They had the 15 against 14 advantage after Ratoath defender Diarmuid Brennan was shown a straight red card by Gus Martyn four minutes into the second half. An early goal by Francis Doran boosted Kildalkey but they trailed by 1-6 to 2-5 at the break.
The sides were level five times in the second half before a late goal from Ray Geoghegan sealed victory. Paddy Conneely made a big contribution with nine points, seven from frees, and Sean Heavey, Francis Doran and team captain Karl Leavy also showed up well.
The Kildalkey team and scorers in the 2009 JHC final: T Masterson; C Ward, S Dunne, P Potterton; R Flynn (0-1), J Anderson, M Potterton; W McNamara, K Leavy; C Egan (0-1), S Kealey, F Doran (1-2); C Kane, D Brady (0-1), P Conneely (0-9). Subs: S Heavey for McNamara, R Geoghegan (1-0) for Kealey, S Kealy for Egan.
Underage camogie
U12 Shield Final - The shield final was the second time Kildalkey and Ratoath met in a final this year, with Ratoath getting the better of Kildalkey in the U10 final. This time it was Kildalkey`s day. From the throw in, both sets of midfielders got into the game with the players evenly matched. Niamh Monaghan's puck outs were reaching the Kildalkey forwards every time and putting the pressure on the Ratoath defenders constantly.
Just before half time, Caoimhe Bird took a free which dropped in over the Ratoath keepers head for a goal. As the second half started everything was still to play for. Kildalkey put on a few attacks but the Ratoath defenders were keeping everything out. Eventually some great dribbling skills from Shannon Walsh saw her beat off her opponent and score Kidalkey's second goal. Shortly after that Shannon came through again from a similar position to score another. Rachel McNally became the first Kildalkey camogie player to captain a winning team.
All the girls in this panel work very hard for this victory with some fine displays from Caoimhe Bird, Shannon O Sullivan, Rachel McNally and Niamh Monaghan on the day.
U10 A Championship Final - Both teams went into the final unbeaten. The weather was very harsh as the game started, with a threat of the it being called off due to lightning and thunder showers. The first half was very tight and it wasn't until just before half time when Ratoath opened the scoring with a goal. The second half saw Ratoath come out attacking and even with some great defending by Kildalkey, eventually Ratoath broke through. The Kildalkey girls kept working hard, like in their earlier games in the year, which saw them come from behind and win on a number of occasions.
But this half the Ratoath girls were too strong and with Kildalkey coming off the back of a tough drawn game against Kilmessan (after extra time), and then a replay which they won, played earlier that week, they were unable to keep the Ratoath girls quiet.
A lot of fine displays were seen over the duration of the U10 championship, especially from the captain and top scorer Ellen Conneely, Beverly Lynch, Marta Reidy and Marta McNally. The goalie Anna Kearney made many fine saves during the championship and all this work meant that Kildalkey were very proud to contest their first ever A championship final.
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