Effort to regain title falls short on final day
November 27, 2010Kilmessan primed to regain top spot' was the pre-championship headline in one local newspaper and the side managed by Ollie Horan had familiar first round foes in long-standing rivals Trim in a Saturday evening Pairc Tailteann tussle which the men in blue and white won comfortably on a 3-17 to 1-10 scoreline.
In that game Stephen Clynch scored more than the opposition with an impressive contribution of 2-8, 2-2 from play. All of the game's goals were netted in the second half after nothing separated the sides at the break when the board read 0-6 each.
Clynch, who wore the number 12 jersey, grabbed both of his goals in the third quarter. The county star kicked in his first major score following approach play involving Ger O'Neill and Charlie Keena and flicked in a long clearance by netminder Christopher Curtis for the second.
One of Kilmessan's rising stars, county under-21 player Eoin Marsh, made his mark with 1-2, the goal coming eight minutes from the end, and the long-serving Ger O'Neill completed the winners' total with two points.
It was far too easy for Kilmessan in the second round as they strolled to a resounding 6-16 to 1-3 win over Gaeil Colmcille in a very one-sided tussle at Trim. It was 3-7 to 1-3 at the break before the leaders added 3-9 without reply after the switching of ends.
Kevin Keena and Nicky Horan led the slaughter with 2-3 and 1-6 respectively and Stephen Clynch scored 1-2 after assisting the county junior footballers the night before. Peter Farrell, with two green flag efforts, completed the winners' goal haul.
Kilmessan had to depend on a late goal from Kevin Keena to give them a 3-14 to 1-18 win over Rathmolyon in a close Thursday evening clash at Boardsmill. Ollie Horan's charges did well to battle back from a deficit of six points with 40 minutes played.
Rathmolyon held a similar lead at the break when leading by 1-12 to 1-6, Ger O'Neill firing to the net in the 10th minute to leave his side 1-4 to 0-1 to the good. But in a topsy-turvy encounter, they subsequently lost the initiative.
Stephen Clynch had the sliotar in the net from a free at the three-quarter stage but referee Stephen Masterson awarded a free out for a 'square ball.' The first of Kevin Keena's two goals in the 52nd minute had Kilmessan on level terms and although their opponents went into the lead again, hesitancy in defence allowed the corner-forward grab a dramatic winner.
There was another cruise for Kilmessan in round four with a 3-9 to 0-4 victory over Na Fianna at Trim in a game in which the Group A table toppers did not have to get near top gear.
That win increased the score difference to plus 57 points and was achieved without Stephen Clynch, who was not risked due to a hand injury. Although playing with the advantage of the breeze in the first half, Na Fianna were unable to go into the lead and failed to score from play.
A well-taken goal by David Donnelly at the end of the opening quarter boosted them to 1-3 to 0-2 advantage at the end of a poor first period.
David Donnelly was also involved in the second goal with a delivery from the midfielder being finished by a low Ger O'Neill shot to the net. Nicky Horan was the top scorer with 1-4, 1-3 from frees with the goal being blasted in the last attack.
Kilmessan finished up the group phase of the SHC with a 100 per cent winning record following their 2-15 to 1-14 victory over Kiltale at Trim, putting them straight to the semi-finals.
That win was gained without the injured duo of David Donnelly and Stephen Clynch and was secured with a brace of goals inside the last eight minutes. Kiltale held a narrow 1-12 to 0-14 lead before Charlie Keena and Eoin Marsh struck for the decisive scores.
Kilmessan were in arrears by the minimum margin (0-8 to 1-6) at the break and nine points, all frees, from Nicky Horan kept them in touch until the late scoring burst sent them into the last four again.
After needing a late rally to get the better of Kiltale in the last round of the group stages, Kilmessan's last four opponents would be the 2007 winners who had seen off the well fancied Dunboyne in a quarter-final replay.
A close contest was expected in the first of the SHC semi-finals at Pairc Tailteann but
it turned out to be a no contest as Kilmessan strolled to a 2-10 to 1-4 success.
The sides were level at a point apiece before Maguire netted his first goal following a cross from Ger O'Neill. His second goal which was set up by a Kevin Keena pass left the scores 2-2 to 0-2 and the advantage was stretched to 2-6 to 0-2 at the break when Nicky Horan had put over four frees and a 65.
Despite having Peter Reynolds sent off on receipt of a second yellow card 12 minutes after the restart, Kilmessan continued to dominate with Kiltale not getting their third point until 18 minutes after the restart.
By then the lead had been stretched with another converted free from Horan and scores from play by Charlie Keena and Eoin Marsh. Kilmessan added just one more score, from another Horan free, and the numbered were evened up when TJ Lynch was shown a straight red card on 55 minutes.
The losers' goal, netted by veteran substitute Cathal Sheridan, did not arrive until added time at the end. Kilmessan's Ger O'Neill was stretchered off near the final whistle but recovered to play in the Jubilee Cup decider.
Although going into that game as warm favourites, Kilmessan never held the lead against Kildalkey who went ahead with a Noel Kirby point in the first minute and were in control from then to the end.
It took Kilmessan 11 minutes to get their blank off the board with Danny Maguire putting over their first score after the defending champions had built up an advantage of four points.
Although Nicky Horan reduced the deficit to two points with the first of seven converted placed balls (six frees and a 65), that was as close as Kilmessan got. When Dan Fagan shot past Christopher Curtis on 18 minutes it was 1-6 to 0-2.
It only took the side captained by David Donnelly, who recovered from his injury to take his place in defence, two minutes to reply with their first goal. A free from Horan was miss-hit and Kevin Keena got his stick to the ball to have the green flag waving at the pavilion end.
Kilmessan failed to take enough inspiration from that score and only managed two more scores before the half-time. Eoin Marsh, hit a good point from play and Nicky Horan reduced the arrears to five points before Noel Kirby (free) and Padraig Geoghegan left it 1-11 to 1-4 at the break.
It didn't get any better for the side in the blue jerseys in the second period even though Stephen Clynch, who was switched from centre-back to attack, drove over their fifth point in reply to an opening effort from Derek Doran.
Ger O'Neill got on the scoresheet but Kilmessan found difficulty in stringing together successive scores. They eventually managed two-in-a-row when a Charlie Keena point was followed by a Horan free between the posts.
That left the margin eight points with as many minutes left and before that it had become obvious that it was not going to be Kilmessan's day. After Derek Doran's fourth score, efforts from substitute Paul O'Brien and Horan left the scores 1-20 to 1-13.
A few scores from the losers in the closing stages helped to make the board look more respectable for them. However, they were flattered by the finishing five-point margin after goalkeeper Christopher Curtis went up the field to drive a 65 to the net in the last attack.
After winning six games from six starts, most of them by decisive margins, on the way, Kilmessan just did not perform on the final day and were no match for the fired-up opposition.
Kilmessan manager Ollie Horan hit the nail on the head when remarking that the better team on the day won with his side slow to start and never really getting to the pace of the game.
"They got off to a great start and we were chasing them all the time. It was a bit like our semi-final win over Kiltale, they were a far fitter team and we didn't get going.
You could see the youth coming out in them, some of our lads are slowing down that little bit," he said.
Horan offered a positive note for the future, remarking, "We have plenty of youth coming up, everyone gave 100 per cent out there but we were beaten by a better team on the day."
The Kilmessan team in the 2010 SHC final: Christopher Curtis; Martin Horan, Joey Keena, Paddy McGovern; David Donnelly, Stephen Clynch, Peter Farrell; Peter Reynolds, Richie Donnelly; Nicky Horan, Eoin Marsh, Kevin Keena; Charlie Keena, Danny Maguire, Ger O'Neill. Subs: Paul O'Brien for Reynolds, Padraig Burke for R Donnelly.
CAMOGIE
Kilmessan claimed the Meath Senior Camogie Championship for the fifth time in six years with a 1-12 to 3-2 final victory over Trim in the final played at Kiltale. On top of that they then went on to claim Leinster honours. At county level they did well to recover from a first round defeat by Blackhall Gaels to again claim the title.
Unlike in the hurling final, Kilmessan got away to a flying start and led by 0-5 to 0-0 after 20 minutes. They were ahead by 0-8 to 1-0 at the break. Although conceding a second goal soon after the restart and Trim reducing the deficit to the minimum, Kilmessan regained control.
Kilmessan led by a point at the end of the third before a Stephanie Horan point was followed by a crucial goal from long-serving substitute Ann Marie Dennehy and then Aileen Donnelly converted a free to leave her side six points to the good.
Although Trim battled back and netted a third goal, Kilmessan captain Sarah Ross received the Fay Regan Cup from another proud Kilmessan woman, Valerie Curtis, chairperson of the Meath Camogie Board.
There was plenty of praise for winners' manager John Watters and Aileen Donnelly, who scored seven points, picked up the 'player of the match' award.
The Kilmessan team in the 2010 Meath Senior Camogie Championship final was: N Sheridan; C Ni Choileain, K Ward, E Doyle; S Ross, A Lynch, T King; C O'Leary, F Lynch; S Horan, L Tyrrell, A Donnelly; M Ni Choileain, A McLoughlin, K Ni Choileain. Subs: AM Dennehy for McLoughlin, L Irwin for Tyrrell, M Horan for M Ni Choileain, A Lynch for S Horan. Tweet
