Three-in-a-row for champs Kildalkey
November 27, 2011They have matured tremendously under the guidance of Tipperary native Pat O'Halloran who has instilled a fabulous self-belief into the players, making them believe that they are the best and can remain the best with the necessary commitment to training. They possess some hugely talented individuals, but it's Kildalkey's team spirit and that passionate desire to battle for one another on the field of play which has carried them to so much success.
Kildalkey had suffered their share of big disappointments ahead of this golden era, including back in 2008 when they were on the verge of a breakthrough final victory over Kilmessan, only to be caught when they had one hand on the cup. They were beaten in the replay and many wondered if they would be able to recover from that bitter disappointment and mount another challenge for the biggest prize in Meath hurling.
Rather than settle for second best - a position they also had to stomach in 2005 when Killyon beat them in the decider - they regrouped and got their reward a year later when defeating Kilmessan at the penultimate stage and then Dunboyne in the final. Party time had arrived at last and it felt great.
They were champions at last, but as the celebrations eventually eased off and the Jubilee Cup settled into its new home thoughts turned to a serious assault on the retention of the title. They didn't want to be remembered as one-hit wonders and after losing once to Dunboyne in the group stages they emerged for the knockout phase of the 2010 championship full of determination and self-belief.
Another great journey reached a climax when they beat Kilmessan in the final. There's always something special about defeating the most successful club in the history of the competition in a final. It felt great all over again, the party resumed and when it calmed down once more the three in-a-row became the focus.
Kilmessan had previously achieved it between 2002 and 2004 and Kildalkey desperately wanted to emulate the feat. O'Halloran and selectors Nick Fitzgerald, Sean Kealey, Mattie Murtagh and Gary Costello knew it wouldn't be easy. Champions are there to be knocked off their pedestal and one team above all others would be waiting somewhere in the long grass.
As it turned out the teams would meet in the first round of group matches, with Kilmessan winning comfortably, but when it mattered most Kildalkey won a high-octane semi-final which went to extra time. The job was completed when they proved far too good for surprise finalists Navan O'Mahonys.
It was an especially memorable couple of weeks for the many Kildalkey players who also helped Ballivor to win the Junior Football Championship.
Apart from Kilmessan, Kildalkey's opponents in group B were Longwood, Kiltale, Killyon and Clann na nGael, but the stand out match in the section was the meeting between the big two at Trim. Kildalkey had their injury concerns on the lead-up to the championship and regular goalkeeper Gary McNally would miss the entire campaign with a back complaint.
Kilmessan had already beaten Kildalkey in a league game and they repeated the feat in the championship when winning by 1-14 to 1-8 at Trim. The match was played in windswept conditions and 11 first half wides proved costly for the champions who were aided by the wind.
Kilmessan made a great start with 1-1 from Nicky Horan inside the opening five minutes and when they went on to trail by only 1-4 to 1-5 at the break they were favourites to make a winning start. Noel Kirby (three), Padraig Keogh and Paddy Conneely pointed for Kildalkey in that half and Dan Fagan got the goal in the 24th minute after a Gary Kelly centre.
By the end of the third quarter Kilmessan had eased into a 1-9 to 1-6 lead and they pushed further clear in the latter stages for a merited victory. Kildalkey's only points of the second half came from Padraig Keogh, Paudge Geoghegan and Maurice Keogh. It was a disappointing start, but it was also very early days.
Derek Doran is one of the most lethal finishers in the county and he contributed 3-6 when Clann na nGael were trounced by 4-20 to 1-5 in the second round at Pairc Tailteann. There were few signs of such a demolition job when they led by only 1-8 to 1-5 at the interval, but the second half was a procession.
Clann na nGael made a dream start when Gearoid Breathnach's delivery from midfield ended up in the net, but Kildalkey recovered and Doran's first goal arrived courtesy of a 27th minute penalty. He completed his hat-trick of majors in the 33rd and 44th minutes and in between Fagan also goaled.
Another runaway win followed in the third round when Kildalkey defeated Longwood by 5-16 to 2-5 at Trim where Doran equalled his achievement of the previous round by bagging 3-6. Fergus McMahon made his return to championship hurling as a substitute, strengthening a panel which was without the injured Noel Kirby.
A brilliant finish produced Doran's first goal on 19 minutes and Kildalkey led by 1-10 to 1-3 at the break. He again netted in the 39th and 58th minutes and with Conneely and Kelly also finding the net it was nearly all one-way traffic.
Two successive victories had revived Kildalkey's qualification ambitions, but they were stopped in their tracks next time out when Kiltale finished strongly to win by 3-10 to 3-9 at Athboy, thus booking their quarter-final ticket and leaving the champions to face a 'winner takes all' battle against Killyon.
Kildalkey hit five wides in the first 10 minutes, but eventually found their range with points from Conneely and Heavey which were split by a Doran goal. Kiltale took over and forged ahead, boosted by a Stephen White goal, but Kildalkey ended a lengthy barren spell with points from David Brady and Conneely to edge ahead again.
Peter Durnin and Geoghegan traded points and Kildalkey led by 1-5 to 1-4 at the change of ends. But Kiltale, boosted by a Durnin goal from a free, were in front by 2-7 to 1-7 at the three-quarter stage, before the champions introduced McMahon and Fagan in a bid to boost their challenge.
It proved an inspired move as McMahon made the opening for Fagan to goal and leave the match level. When White toe-poked his second goal 10 minutes from the end Kiltale led by 3-8 to 2-8, but the game turned again as McMahon pointed and Doran goaled to leave Kildalkey ahead by the minimum.
There was more drama to come. Mark O'Sullivan's point had Kiltale level and then David Donoghue won it with another well-taken score. It meant Kildalkey were one game away from possible elimination and the pressure was on when they faced Killyon in the final round of group assignments at Pairc Tailteann.
Noel Kirby gave them a big boost with his return, but it was all to play for with a little over 10 minutes to go, before Kildalkey finished powerfully and bagged three goals to win by 4-18 to 2-7. It was a definite message to the other title contenders that they had no intentions of surrendering their crown.
The accuracy of Keith Keoghan helped Killyon to make a good start and push into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead, but Kildalkey took over and were ahead by 0-7 to 0-6 at the interval. Kirby had scored points from a mighty free and a '65', Doran had to settle for a point when his pile-driver was deflected over by Stephen Quinn and Tony Fox (two), Sean Heavey and substitute Conneely also hit the target in that half.
Doran did find the net two minutes into the second half and with Heavey (two), Kelly and Conneely adding points they were ahead by 1-11 to 0-6. But Killyon came back and aided by a David Raleigh goal they settled again. When Keoghan's long range free found the net they were just two points (2-7 to 1-12) adrift and the champions needed a positive response.
They got it as they held the Hill of Down side scoreless during the last 10 minutes and with Doran netting a brace to complete another hat-trick of goals and Kelly also raising a green flag they won with plenty to spare. It hadn't been the most convincing qualification campaign, but they were waiting for knockout hurling.
Amazingly, Doran got another hat-trick of goals in the quarter-final against Trim, again at Pairc Tailteann, where his tally of 3-4 helped Kildalkey to a 3-20 to 0-17 victory. The opening third of the contest was close, but Kildalkey upped the tempo and led by 1-11 to 0-8 at the break.
Doran had bagged his first goal on 20 minutes after Trim 'keeper Brian Carley saved his initial shot and Kildalkey might have netted again close to the interval when Carley made a very good block from McMahon.
A second Doran goal after 44 minutes helped Kildalkey push into a 2-15 to 0-11 advantage heading into the last quarter and he completed his hat-trick in injury time. Noel Kirby contributed seven points on a day when the champions fielded without injured captain Mairtin Doran.
Derek Doran contributed only a point in the semi-final against Kilmessan, but this was a superb team effort which enabled Kildalkey to win by 1-16 to 1-11 after extra time. Mairtin Doran returned and made a telling contribution in the half-back line, while Kirby notched 11 points, four of them brilliant efforts from play.
Kilmessan's Nicky Horan bettered that with 1-10, but the champions had more players who shared in the scoring. The teams were level (0-6 each) at the interval in normal time, but Kildalkey were three points ahead before Horan netted from a free in the 54th minute to level things up again.
When Derek Doran scored a superb point in the 59th minute Kildalkey were back in front, but Horan had the last say in normal time when he slotted over a free to make it 1-10 to 0-13 and force extra time. They were still locked together (1-11 to 0-14) at the break in additional time, but Kildalkey made a decisive move on the resumption.
Heavey sent in a delivery from distance, McMahon gained possession, slipped past his marker and shot to the net. Kirby then pointed from play and Kildalkey were on their way to a fourth successive final. When the last whistle sounded they were five points ahead and worthy winners.
O'Mahonys reached the final on merit, having topped the weaker of the two groups, and then edged out Kiltale in a semi-final, but a disastrous start to the decider was the last thing they wanted. But they got it when Sean Corrigan's lob from midfield hopped in front of the posts and past goalkeeper James Burke.
It was a dream opening for Kildalkey and when Kirby added two points and 'man of the match' Derek Doran scored their second goal after seven minutes following a Corrigan delivery they were ahead by 2-2 to 0-0 and well on their way to another title. O'Mahonys didn't get off the mark until the 12th minute when Paddy Skehan's penalty was deflected over the bar by Corrigan.
Wind-assisted Kildalkey went on to lead by 2-7 to 0-5 at the interval, a highlight of their scoring being a brilliantly struck sideline cut from Sean Heavey. Even with the aid of the wind to come it was a tall order for the Navan men and they just couldn't make any headway against a team which was playing in its comfort zone.
Doran scored his second goal after 44 minutes when Burke saved his initial shot, but despite being on the ground the ace poacher managed to score from the rebound. Kildalkey could afford the luxury of shooting 11 wides which was an indication of their dominance. It finished 3-11 to 0-10.
Apart from Derek Doran's two goals, Kirby contributed seven points (six frees), Corrigan tallied 1-1, Heavey got two points and Mairtin Doran, the team captain, notched the other.
It was a poor final, but nobody from Kildalkey cared. They were champions again.
The Kildalkey team in the final was: C Flynn; C Dunne, S Forde, E Potterton; M Keogh, E Keogh, M Doran (0-1); S Corrigan (1-1), T Fox; P Keogh, N Kirby (0-7), P Geoghegan; P Conneely, S Heavey (0-2), D Doran (2-0). Subs - G Kelly for Conneely, F McMahon for Fox, F Doran for P Keogh, D La Hart for Corrigan, D Harmon for D Doran.
Kildalkey's second string enjoyed a good run in the Intermediate Championship once they got over the disappointment of losing their first group game to Dunboyne by 0-11 to 1-12. They reeled off three successive wins against Kiltale (2-11 to 2-7), Ratoath (5-9 to 1-7) and Donaghmore/Ashbourne (2-11 to 0-12) and then drew (1-9 each) with Kilskyre.
They needed two games to get the better of Dunderry at the quarter-final stage. The sides drew (0-12 each), but Kildalkey won the replay by 0-8 to 0-6. However, that was as good as it got. Boardsmill, who would later beat Rathmolyon in the decider, easily defeated Kildalkey by 3-16 to 1-4 in a semi-final.
Double delight with league win
Six days after their SHC success Kildalkey made it a big double when they defeated Rathmolyon in a closely contested A League Division 1 final at Trim.
Rathmolyon, who had lost to Boardsmill in the IHC decider which acted as a curtain raiser to the senior final, gave a very good account of themselves, but Kildalkey's experience told as they finished strongest to win by 0-17 to 1-8, despite being without ace goal-getter Derek Doran.
Kildalkey twice led by five points during the opening 23 minutes, but Rathmolyon received a big boost when Mike Cole netted from a penalty on 27 minutes and the sides were level (0-7 to 1-4) at the interval. The Village edged into a 1-7 to 0-9 advantage by the 41st minute, but the senior champions began to turn the screw after that.
They were in front by 0-13 to 1-8 entering the last 10 minutes and four unanswered points - two of them from Padraig Keogh - extended their advantage to six at the finish. It was significant that Kildalkey failed to score a goal in the absence of Keogh, but six different players shared in their 17 point total.
Centre-forward Noel Kirby led the way with nine points, eight of which came from placed balls, Keogh scored three, Paudge Geoghegan notched two and there was one each from Tony Fox, Paddy Conneely and Sean Heavey.
The Kildalkey team which completed the double was: C Flynn; C Dunne, S Forde, E Potterton; M Keogh, E Keogh, M Doran; S Corrigan, T Fox (0-1); P Keogh (0-3), N Kirby (0-9), P Geoghegan (0-2); P Conneely (0-1), S Heavey (0-1), G Kelly. Subs - F Doran for Potterton, F McMahon for Conneely. Tweet
