Ignore the club's appendage. Kill made their own luck in 2008 and cashed in with triumphs at adult and juvenile levels. Kill Shamrocks have experienced a rollercoaster existence in recent years. 2008 saw them again in the ascendant by capturing the ACFL Division Three title. The club's premier team began their league campaign in fine fettle with a 3-7 to 1-4 win over Corlough fairly reflecting their intention to go the distance in the competition. The Shamrocks bagged a hat-trick of goals with a timely major from Darren Tiernan followed soon thereafter by a fisted goal by Peadar Kelly. Kill went onto build up a 2-4 to 1-4 lead by half-time and by 1-4 to 2-4 and points from Pierce McKenna and Darren Tiernan had Kill back in the driving seat. Indeed when Gavin Smith pounched to fire home Kill's third goal, the Corlough challenge was well and truly expended. Thereafter it was a case of survival of the fittest at Rathluden Park in early May as the Shamrocks edged out promotion rivals Swanlinbar (1-13 to 2-5)in a hotly-contested tie. The home forwards showed a lot of confidence and hunger and their 1-8 first half tally proved crucial in nicking the spoils on offer. Niall McCaffrey, who top-scored with a brillant 1-2 tally, hallmarked a really fine team performance for the would-be champions. Kill maintained their impressive form when they travelled to Arva and chiselled out a hard-fought 1-11 to 2-12 win in a cracking contest. Kill posted notice of their intentions by racing into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead inside the opening four minutes with the impressive Conor McCaffrey notching the best of them. The visitors' hopes got a major fillip in the 19th minute when Niall McCaffrey banged in a praiseworthy goal to really put the cat among the pidgeons. Leading by 1-8 to at the start of the second half, Kill got on the scoresheet first with livewire McCaffrey inflicting further damage on the hosts with a neat point in the 31st minute. The blues' cause imploded in the 41st minute when a penalty was dispatched to the net by Pierce McKenna who finished the match with 1-4 to his name. Later in mid-October Kill gave their promotion hopes a decided boost when they produced a forceful display to put Mountnugent to the sword by 0-14 to 0-11 Conor McCaffrey was in irrepressible form in the first half and he notched his third point in the 19th minute to leave Mountnugent threading deep water. Leading by 0-5 to 0-4 as the second half got underway, Kill aped their first half promise by fairly flying off the starting blocks and three points in as many minutes. Once again, the aforementioned Conor McCaffrey led the way on the scoring front with a brace of points followed by a particularly fine effort from Niall McCaffrey in the 33rd minute. With the scores deadlocked at 0-8 apiece, Kill duly picked up the baton and sprinted to the finishing line in style with points from Pierce McKenna and Mark Kelly. Kill's seemingly inexorable run to promotion from division three received a bit of a jolt at Rathluden Park in mid June when Crosserlough snatched a deserved 2-9 to 1-12 draw.With both teams level on points at the summit of the table going into the game, it was very definitely all to play for Crosserlough showed their determination to make the league final. Crosserlough raced into a 1-2 to 0-1 early lead but Kill stayed focussed and they worked hard in fighting back with Pearse McKenna and Conor McCarey taking control at midfield. Mark Kelly, in particular, was one of the players to greatly benefit from the decent deliveries targeted at the Kill attack and he notched two fine points in quick succession. The aforementioned McKenna cooly stood up to the plate and made no mistake from a penalty to leave his side ahead by 1-7 to 1-5 at the interval. Kill started the second half as they finished the first moiety with a point from Pearse McKenna consolidating their position in the driver's seat. Just a couple of minutes later, a high ball in and a flick on by Peadar Kelly saw Niall McCaffrey finish to the net in great style for a six point lead. Crosserlough hinted at better times to come for them by sticking to their task and eventually chiseeling out a gritty draw which gave Kill a timely reminder of their duty. Pointedly, the next time the two teams met was in the league decider in November. Kill, it seemed, had learned the most from the teams' earlier meeting. As things panned out a power-packed first half display formed the springboard for a comfortable victory 0-10 to 0-6 for the Shamrocks in the Div.3 decider played at Virginia. Played on the top pitch and buffeted by a strong wind, the game was an entertaining affair with Kill's 0-8 to 0-1 interval lead lending an air of inevitability to the proceedings thereafter. With only one point separating the sides at the top of the league table - Kill's 21 points to Crosserlough's 20 points - the final promised to be a close affair but Kill had other ideas.The Shamrocks showed their intent in the opening couple of minutes with team-captain Pierce McKenna bursting through to open his side's account with a neat point. The Shamrocks experienced little difficulty though in consolidating their early lead and a brace of points from the in-form Sean Gaffney had the black and ambers in need of a leg-up. Crosserlough's increasing woes were compounded when McKenna again burst forward to point as Crosserlough faced into a 0-1 to 0-4 deficit with 16 minutes having elapsed. Half-back John McCarey got in on the scoring act for the leaders in the 19th minute before a hat-trick of points from the aforementioned McKenna had Kill coasting after 28 minutes. Kill led by 0-8 to 0-1 as the second half got underway and while Crosserlough dug deep into their reserves, a point in the 35th minute, Crosserlough continued to be frustrated.Undeterred Crosserlough continued to keep the pressure on Kill and made it a five point game as the final quarter got underway. Then the margin was down to just three points nine minutes from time. However the Shamrocks would not be denied. The crown was theirs . . . . even without the rub of the green! Kill Shamrocks (v Crosserlough ACFL Div. 3 final); Paul McKiernan; Donal Kissane, Damien Foster, Barry McMenamin; John McCarey, Brian McCarey, Noel Foster; Pierce McKenna (0-5), Conor McCarey; Raymond Magee, Malcolm Magee, Conor McCaffrey (0-1); Mark Kelly, Sean Gaffney (0-2), Niall McCaffrey. Subs used; T J Burns; Liam Kelly. U14s land county title Collective strength of character allied to a steely resolve formed a potent concoction as Kill Shamrocks annexed the Roinn D Under 14 League title at the expense (2-9 to 2-6) of gallant Drumlane side at Kingspan/Breffni Park last May. The Shamrocks led almost from pillar to post with Drumlane just unable to sufficiently eat away the cushioned nine lead which their opponents managed to engineer by the 14th minute. In a game which always looked likely to go right to the wire, the Shamrocks showed a lot of ambition and determination to repel the best their opponents had to offer on the night. Ultra-keen Kill wasted no time in engineering clear water between themselves and their opponent as they attacked the Drumlane goal with great gusto and conviction. The would-be winners attacked the goal at the town end of the pitch with vim and vigour and garnererd their due reward in handsome fashion. The Shamrocks galloped quite a distance down the path to the winner's enclosure inside the opening six minutes, notching 2-1 and conceding nothing in return on the scoreboard. With the breeze at their backs, Ian Middleton (5th) and Damien O'Brien both netted to take the wind out of Drumlane's sails even before the west Cavan crew had pulled out of port. Kill led by 2-3 to 0-0 with 14 minutes on the clock, Drumlane worked feverishly to stymie Kill's seemingly inexorable race to the finishing line. Better was to come less than 90 seconds later for Drumlane as they notched a much-needed goal to cut Kill's lead to five points, 2-3 to 1-1, at the interval. Kill were made to really roll up their sleeves to retain their cushioned lead and Ronan Brady did extend their advantage within 50 seconds of the restart with a point. In the next three minutes Drumlane hit a brace though to signal a distinct turn in the tide. Kill remained under pressure but Francis Hand's relieving clearances did much to keep Drumlane at bay, albeit temporarily. Drumlane kept nipping away at Kill's heels and they deservedly gained parity in the 38th minute young Keaney finish the move to the back of the Kill net. Now level (2-4 to 2-4) for the first time in the match with just over 11 minutes left to play, both sides tackled with demonic endeavour and powered forward with increased intent. A Damien O'Brien free edged Kill back in front but then seconds later at the other end of the field Drumlane were unlucky when they struck the Kill crossbar and then Ciaran Sheridan fired narrowly wide of the upright. Kill were less profligate and another O'Brien free made it a two point game once more with six minutes left to play. It was nip and tuck from there to the finish with a brace of Drumlane points sandwiched by a Damien O'Brien point - after a good assist from Ian Middleton. Although Drumlane eventually cut their deficit to the minimum (2-7 to 2-6), Kill showed their mettle by holding firm with top scorer Damien O'Brien swinging over the last point of the game to leave the Rathluden Park crew en fete. Kill Shamrocks (v Drumlane Roinn D U14 final); Ryan Brady; Kevin Pritchard, Shane McCann, Garry Tiernan, Francis Hand, Ciaran O'Reilly, Aaron McIntyre (0-1), Brian Crowe, Brendan Brady, Ronan Brady (0-1), Ian Middleton (1-1), Lorna McMenamin, Damien O'Brien (1-6). Subs; Laura Brady, Emmet Magee Tweet

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