St Kevins 1-11
Dowdallshill 2-6

St Kevins are through to the Junior Championship semi-finals thanks to a hard fought win over a  gutsy Dowdallshill side in what was an entertaining game played in Tallanstown on Saturday evening.

The men from Phillipstown had the best of the early exchanges, but it took them all of twelve mins to register their first score which was a well worked goal finished off by Aidan Craven.

It was all Kevin's early on and a Sean Crosbie point put them five points clear after twenty minutes although it could have been worse for the 'Hill men had Vincent Roe not cleared a ball off the line.

The Hill got their first score on 20 mins, a well taken goal from full forward Peter Begley and when Aidan McCabe pointed shortly after it was game on. The Kevin's scored three successive points in the run in to half time, but with the final kick of the opening half, Begley who was causing panic in the Kevin's rearguard goaled again to leave the score 1-6 to 2-1 at the break.

In the third quarter the sides shared four points with Noel Finnegan and Eamonn Duffy on target for the Hill and the excellent Sean Crosbie replying for the Kevin's.  The Dundalk side went four points behind with ten minutes to go as Aiden Craven split the posts with a fabulous long range score.

There then followed two huge turning points in close proximity to each other as Dowdallshill lost veteran full back Vincent McKevitt, who was having a great game, to a black card and moments later Noel Finnegan saw his penalty well saved by the Kevin's goalkeeper David Smith. 

However, the boys in white didn't give up and points from Noel Finnegan, Paul Flynn and Aidan McCabe left the minimum between the sides entering the closing minutes. The Hill were now fully on top and had a couple of great chances to equalise and even had a half chance of what would have been a winning goal when Peter Begley saw his chance of a hat trick go narrowly wide after a great run and pass from substitute Daniel Kerr.

The Kevin's had the final say however when they pointed a close in free with the final action of the game to see them through to a semi-final meeting with their neighbours Lannleire.

St Kevins: David Smith; Ciaran Lynch, Ian Wogan, Michael McKenna; Barry Byrne, Patrick Duff, Enda McKenna; Sean Crosbie (0-6), Andrew Campbell; Patrick Clarke (0-1), Aiden Craven (1-2), Darren McMullen (0-1); Paul Duff, Aaron Khan, Aaron Roche. Subs: Lee Crosbie for Darren McMullen (0-1), Cillian McCullough for Patrick Clarke

Dowdallshill: Gary Corrigan; Vincent Roe, Vincent McKevitt, Emmet O'Brien; Justin Halley, Paul Flynn (0-1), Jack McGailey; Eamonn Duffy (0-1), David McCrave; Paul Gill, Gerry McShane, Noel Finnegan (0-2); Dermot Smith, Peter Begley  (2-0), Aidan McCabe  (0-2). Subs: Sean Duffy for Vincent McKevitt and Daniel Kerr for Dermot Smith.

Tweet

Most Read Stories