U21’S INTO CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL.Kilcullen U21’s powered into the championship final beating Kill in this afternoon’s semi-final by a score line of 2-09 to 0-09. While the score line suggests it was an easy enough win for the Rags the reality of the situation was somewhat different.
The opening half saw Kill storm out of the blocks as they physically dominated the Kilcullen lads with strength and power down the middle. The minutes ticked by as Kill tacked on score after score to lead 0-06 to 0-00 after 27 minutes. The Rags looked shaken and it took a settling 28th minute point from Colm Byrne to register Kilcullen’s first score of the game.
While Kilcullen did have a series of half chances in the open half it was certainly Kill who had the balance of play. On the stroke of half time Kilcullen did manage a second point thanks to the boot of Graham Lavin and while Kill dominated much of the play a 4-point half time advantage seemed small reward for their endeavours. 0-06 to 0-02 for Kill at half time.
As the old saying goes it proved to be a game of two halves, and it certainly was just that from a Kilcullen perspective. Adam Phelan was introduced off the bench at half time with Ben Foran struggling from a knock he got in the opening seconds off the throw in.
Phelan slotted into full forward while Colm Byrne moved out to the middle alongside Adam Noone. After an initial missed point opportunity in the opening minute Graham Lavin got Kilcullen’s opening score of the second half and as Kill did in the opening half Kilcullen went on the rampage to add on another 1-06 thanks to Lavin (2 pts), Alan Kenny (3 pts), Adam Noone (1 Pt) and a well taken goal by David Sexton upon his introduction off the bench.
Kill finally registered their first score of the second half and added two more on 27 & 30 minutes to give them a slim chance of a comeback trailing 1-09 to 0-09. Kill started to tire towards the end and were forced to throw everything they had at Kilcullen. With 3 minutes’ injury time to be added the Rags went on the break and Colm Byrne duly slotted home the second Kilcullen goal of the half to put the result beyond doubt.
Kilcullen looked the sharper unit in the second half and the strong bench proved to be vital with the introduction of Robert Byrne, Tim Carey & David Sexton proving pivotal. As a unit Kilcullen’s backs stifled a very lively Kill forward line as Phelan, Dooley, Caples and captain Gary Kenny excelled and a stellar performance from stand in goal keeper Dylan Aulsberry typified all that is important in team sport.
Adam Noone once again proved solid at mid field while the second half display from Graham Lavin, Alan Kenny and Colm Byrne got the rags over the line on the soft Milltown pitch.
“The manner of the lad’s performance in the second half has to be commended. They can be very proud of the way they handled themselves when the game looked to be getting away from them in the first 30 minutes. Man for man they stood up and put everything on the line. We knew we had a solid bench to call on also to help us over the line and all those lads came on a delivered. We have not won anything yet and all we have done is given ourselves the right to come back and train next week in anticipation of a final” Kevin O Brien (manager)
The final is scheduled for two weeks’ time and for now when you look up and see the lights on the main pitch the likelihood is that the U21’s are there as a unit getting prepared for the final.
Kilcullen team that defeated Kill: 1. Dylan Aulsberry, 2. Jack Dooley, 3. Ben Phelan, 4. Colm O Brien, 5. David McMahon, 6. Gary Kenny, 7. Jamie Caples, 8. Ben Foran (Adam Phelan 30 mins), 9. Adam Noone, 10 Ross Coughlan (David Sexton 45 mins), 11. Graham Lavin, 12 Thomas Hennessy (Rob Byrne 47 mins), 13 Colm Byrne (Tim Carey 52 mins), Stephen Willis, Luke Dowling
