Kilmacs begin 2019 campaign with a win
The heartbreaking way that the 2018 championship campaign ended, was finally put to bed last Sunday evening the 21st April in Castlehaven, as we overcame the challenge of O Donovan Rossa in the Carbery Junior A Football Championship 1st round.
Starting without first choice goalkeeper Matthew O Neill, young star Ian Jennings and the experienced Donnacha McCarthy, this did not prevent the 2017 and 2018 champions from putting in a very efficient performance to progress to the next round of the championship.
It was the Skibbereen men who started the brighter and some quick passing movements ended with Rob Long opening the scoring in the 1st minute. Despite dominating the possession, Skibb’s inabilty to register another score for 18 minutes would prove their ultimate downfall. With Kilmac cusdodian Karl McCarthy eventually finding his targets with his kickouts and Martin Collins and Daniel O Donovan getting on top around midfield,the Kilmac forward line got the supply of ball to cause Skibb problems. A fine Damien Gore free in the 7th minute, opened the floodgates with the Kilmac’s plundering 1-6 without reply in the following ten minutes. The pick of the scores in the period was Richie O Sullivan’s goal, which after a fine move found the corner forward in front of goal and he made no mistake, blasting the ball to the Skibb net.
Time and again the oppositions attacks floundered in the face of good Kilmac defending, with the Kilmac fullback line of Darren Whooley, Niall Hayes and Mark Jennings rock solid. Therefore the concession of a 19th minute was a blow, and when Conor McCarthy squeezed the ball in off the post it gave the Skibb men some hope. Another Damien Gore point finished the first half, with the Kilmacs comfortably ahead by 1-8 to 1-2.
The second half began in the same fashion as the first half with the Kilmacs remaining in full control. A serious injury to Skibbereen midfielder Shane Crowley stopped the game for a time, and on the resumption two Damien Gore free’s, a Donie O Donovan point and a Ger O Donovan goal pushed the Kilmacs further ahead and ended the game as a contest. Despite a mini fightback from the Skibb men as they ended with five further points, three additional scores from Richie O Sullivan, Joseph Collins and one final Damien Gore free rounded out the game with the Kilmacs running out deserved winners.
Full time score: Kilmacabea 2-14 O Donovan Rossa 1-7
Kilmacbea Junior A Football Championship team:
Karl McCarthy, Mark Jennings, Niall Hayes, Darren Whooley, Clive Sweetnam, Colin McCarthy, Declan O Sullivan, Daniel O Donovan, Martin Collins (c), Joseph Collins, Ger O Donovan, Dan Lynch, Richie O Sullivan, Damien Gore, Donie O Donovan
Subs: Niall Bowkett, Oisin O Sullivan, Peadar O Leary.
Kilmacabea scorers: Damien Gore (0-9, 0-5 from frees), Richie O Sullivan (1-2), Ger O Donovan (1-0), Declan O Sullivan (0-1), Joseph Collins (0-1), Donie O Donovan (0-1)
