After lifting the Jubilee Cup for the first time in 14 years in 2005, Killyon have since struggled in the Meath SHC and after bowing out at the quarter-final stage the following year, they failed to get out of their group in each of the next two campaigns. In 2008 they had to depend on a relegation play-off win over Drumree to save their premier grade status after some disappointing results earlier in the season. Killyon were drawn in Group A with promoted Clann na nGael, Kilmessan, Trim, Rathmolyon and Kildalkey and their task of making the top three looked a difficult one. They got off to a winning start with a 1-11 to 2-5 success over the 2007 intermediate victors in a Friday evening clash at Kildalkey in which Darren Ryan top scored with 1-2. However, the side managed by Michael Ryan were well beaten by Kilmessan in the second round clash at Boardsmill which finished with the board reading 0-21 to 0-11. Killyon were well in the game in the first half and twice trailed by the minimum margin in the second quarter before last year's beaten finalists led by 0-11 to 0-7 at the halfway stage. Although David Kennedy, David Raleigh and James Mitchell shot good well-taken points for Killyon, they lost touch in the second period and Kilmessan outscored them by 0-8 to 0-2 in the last 20 minutes. A total of 14 wides proved detrimental to Killyon in their third round outing as Rathmolyon chalked up a 0-18 to 1-7 win at Longwood. Ryan's side had former Meath goalkeeper Mark Gannon back in action, playing at full forward, and he contributed the game's first score in the opening minute. . Killyon, for whom county minor Ray Massey shot five points, trailed by 0-4 to 0-8 at the break When James Mitchell scored their goal with around 10 minutes remaining the deficit was reduced to six points. But it did not get any better for the trailing team. There was a very heavy defeat for Killyon in their fourth round tussle with Kildalkey at Boardsmill as the unbeaten side chalked up an emphatic 0-26 to 0-7 win after leading by 0-13 to 0-5 at the interval. Ray Massey converted three frees for the losers who only managed to put over four points from play with Clayton Keegan getting three and J. J. Gilsenan notching one. That was Killyon's worst result of the year and they went down to a fourth defeat in their last group game when Trim beat them by 2-11 to 1-11 at Boardsmill. It looked as if the men from the Hill of Down area were in for another big margin defeat when trailing by 0-3 to 3-6 at the break. Killyon came back strongly to regain some pride in the second half with substitutes Damien Mitchell and Leighton Massey, both promoted from the junior squad, firing in goals and Ray Massey putting over a few points. Three teams finished on two points below the top three but Killyon had much the worst score difference. Trim were fourth on minus six, Clann na nGael had a deficit of 17 points with Killyon minus 37 points. Drumree eventually claimed the bottom spot in Group B following a series of play-offs and they met Killyon in the final relegation decider on a dull Saturday evening in Trim. Killyon won narrowly, by 2-11 to 2-9, to ensure their place in the Jubilee Cup draw next spring. Killyon had to come from being six points in arrears at the break with two late points ensuring their survival. Drumree had the better of the first half and led by 2-8 to 1-5 at the halfway stage. A goal in each half by Brendan Quinn proved crucial for Killyon with the first of them being netted in the early exchanges when Mark Gannon put over a brace of points. Soon after that Killyon fell into arrears and did not get their snouts in front again until the last few minutes as their opponents only managed to add a converted free in the second period. By the end of the end of the third quarter the deficit had been reduced to two points with Quinn's second goal a vital score. Then Killyon got on level terms with nine minutes to go. After that they continued to press forward but with further scores slow in coming, extra-time looked a strong possibility as the light faded. But the additional periods were avoided with Quinn earning a free which Ray Massey converted for his sixth such score of the evening before David Kennedy doubled the lead. Killyon's second team did well to reach the final of the JHC 2 final where they lost to Kildalkey in a replay with both games being played at Boardsmill. After defeating Rathmolyon by 2-10 to 0-7 in a penultimate round clash, they were denied by a late goal in the drawn decider before losing by six points the next day. The Mattie O'Brien Cup looked destined for the Hill of Down when Killyon led by 2-7 to 0-9 with time almost up in the initial clash, Leighton Massey having netted their second goal. But then Kildalkey responded with 1-1, substitute Gary Kelly belting the levelling goal past Joe Connor. Despite being late taking the pitch, Killyon got off to a lively start and went into a 1-6 to 0-3 lead with Ray McKeown scoring their first goal following a delivery from midfielder Willie Dixon in the third minute. It was 1-6 to 0-5 at the break. With Keith Keoghan putting over a total of five points, four frees, the men in green and red looked set for the title and they led by five points in the third quarter. However, they were caught by the late rally and in the replay Kildalkey outscored them by 2-13 to 2-7, having been 2-6 to 1-3 to the good at the halfway stage. Killyon had started brightly on an overcast afternoon and when a sideline cut by Keoghan was not cleared, Ambrose Connolly finished to the net to leave them 1-2 to 0-1 after 13 minutes. However, Killyon conceded 2-5 in the second quarter and although Danny Gorman reduced the arrears with a point on the resumption, Kildalkey increased their advantage to double scores, 2-10 to 1-5. While Connolly netted his second goal to get the arrears down to four points, it was not to be Killyon's day. The Killyon team which played in the JHC 2 final replay was : Joe Connor; Barry Fulham, Damien Mitchell, Owen Treacy; Andrew Feeney, Ray McKeown, Michael Ryan; Patrick Ryan, Willie Dixon; Keith Keoghan, Danny Gorman, Padraig Keoghan; Sean Carroll, Leighton Massey, Ambrose Connolly. Subs - Kevin Kelly (for Carroll), Stephen Mullen, Jason Fahy, Brendan Canavan, Marcus Coogan, Michael De Lacey. Back in April Killyon collected the Under 21 B title for 2007 when getting the better of Moylagh by 1-7 to 0-7 in the final played in Athboy. They had overcome Navan O'Mahonys in their semi-final and in the decider a goal in the first half netted by Keith Keoghan proved the difference between the sides at the end with David Kennedy and David Raleigh also playing prominent parts. The Killyon team in the under 21 final : J. Connor; E. Treacy, A. Feeney; B. Canavan, D. Kennedy, P. Massey; R. Massey, S. McNevin; D. Raleigh, S. Bell, B. Quinn; C. Canavan, K. Keoghan. Looking back at another busy year for the Killyon club, long-serving chairman Kit Mitchell said "it was great to retain senior status, we are a proud club and we want to be in the top grade of hurling in the county, so beating Drumree in the play-off was as good as winning a final to us." Mitchell, who was chairman from 1966 to '86 and from 1994 to 2008 as well as being manager or selector with numerous teams over the years, described the year gone by as a good one for the club. ''After winning the senior championship in 2005, we lost some players and early this year Calvin Ryan and Noel Davis both went away. They were big loses while Paddy Ryan has been struggling with a knee injury and was not the same player as he was the previous year when on the county team. Also David Raleigh missed some games early in the year because of a hand injury," he said. "The good run by our junior team left us short of players for the senior side and in some SHC games we had to put on players who were not fully fit. The organising of fixtures in the senior championship lefty a lot to be desired with the three rounds being played off in the space of a fortnight and then a gap of 12 or 13 weeks before the next games. "There should be more games played in the better summer weather and I don't see why club games should be stopped because of the Ring Cup. In Kilkenny they play local championship matches while the county team is still in the All-Ireland. "One Saturday in September we had to play a junior final replay in the afternoon and a senior championship game that evening. That was scandalous and some of our lads played in both matches. "It is very frustrating to have no games for a number of weeks and then a load of fixtures in a short period. This was the worst year ever as regards the arranging of fixtures in the counties," said Mitchell. Still there was a silver lining at the end of the season with senior status being retained. Killyon have been in the top great since winning the IHC in 1977 and th club annexed an SHC three-in-a-row between 1979 and '81 before enjoying three more Jubilee Cup triumphs. The future could be bright for the club. "We have a very good underage structure with Lar Tyrell the main man there. We have some good young players on the way up and things may brighten up for us in the near future," remarked Kit. There is hardly a more dedicated hurling man in Meath than Kit Mitchell and he and his assistants will leave no stones unturned in their efforts to make Killyon a senior force soon again. Tweet

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