Juniors 2021 comes to a disappointing end
2021 will be a year that will live short in the memories of all Kilmacabea Junior footballers and the team’s supporters. Last Sunday evening in Rosscarbery their dreams of retaining their JAFC crown were shattered, as our great rivals Tadhg MacCarthaigh pipped us by a single point to put an end to our title defence in heartbreaking fashion.
Having started brightly in the 1st half, with the inside duo of Ian Jennings and Damien Gore causing Caheragh’s defence all sorts of problems, by the 1st water break the Kilmacs led by 0-7 to 0-2 with Gore doing most of the damage. But as we have seen in alot of games, the water break seem to puncture the Kilmacs momentum and from the 18th minute until half time the men from Aughaville outscored our lads by four points to one, leaving the half time score Kilmacabea 0-8 Tadhg Mac 0-6.
The second half was a completely different affair, with our dangerous inside line starved of possession it was our opposition who came out with the fire in their bellies. Despite having the majority of possession the Kilmacs attacks were being repelled again and again and a number of bad shot selections and some poor wides seemed to sap the Kilmacs of the energy we saw in the first half. But Champions die hard and when Caheragh struck for, what proved the only goal of the game, in the 43rd minute it seemed to spark life back into the Kilmacs challenge. A free by Daniel O Donovan allayed with a seventh score of the game by Damien Gore had the margin down to a single point with less than ten minutes remaining. But it was at this juncture once again that lady luck deserted the Kilmacs once again, as a Diarmuid O Callaghan effort for a point hit the post and was collected by young corner forward Eamon Shanahan. With quick feet he managed to evade two Caheragh defenders only to slip at the crucial moment and see his shot trickle into the arms of a waiting Colm O Driscoll. Two long range efforts by Colin McCarthy failed to raise white flags, but when Daniel O Donovan finally kicked the equalizer with two minutes remaining, it looked like only one team would win the game.
Unfortunately for the Kilmacs, the fat lady was already clearing her throat, as a late free from Caheragh pushed them one clear with time up. One last despite attack saw a free given to the Kilmacs and it looked like Daniel’s late free would send the game into an additional twenty minutes. But cruelly it was not to be as his late strike curled to the right of the upright and with it went the Kilmacs last hope.
A devastated team left the field after another late late defeat. One can only wonder will we see some of these players again next year, as the commitment and passion they have shown for the jersey has been second to none, and with father time creeping up on them one can only wonder about their future’s in the famed green and gold of Kilmacabea. Also our gallant management team, led by the great Kevin O Driscoll, will sit down in the coming weeks and months and ponder their futures, nobody can question their passion and their drive at trying to achieve the best possible results for our Junior Footballers.
But rest assured after a rest now before the new year in 2022, the majority of that squad will be back hungry and ready to give their all for their club and parish once again.
KILMACS ABU!!!
