Kilcock pull clear on the resumption
THE AULD SHEBEEN IFC, GROUP B, ROUND 2
KILCOCK 0-11
MONASTEREVAN 1-6
Daire Walsh at Conneff Park, Clane
Kilcock came good in the second half at Conneff Park, Clane on Saturday to get the better of Monasterevan in a tight and low-scoring Kildare IFC Group B encounter.
Trailing by four points (1-4 to 0-3) during the opening moments of the second half, the Braganstown outfit pushed on in the remaining moments with top-scorer Shane O’Rourke (0-6) very much to the fore. Having already accounted for Rathangan in the opening round, they can now battle it out with Sallins for top spot in the group.
Managed by former Mayo footballer Conor Mortimer, Monasterevan had fine performers in the form of attackers Padraig Nash and Ryan Bannon. Nash’s opening period goal had them in the ascendancy either side of the interval, but the Father Prendergast Park side fell short in the end.
Whereas Kilcock deployed nominal corner-forward Jason Gibbons as a spare man in their defence, Monasterevan had a similar operator in Mark Kelly. This ensured that space was at a premium for both forward lines and that every score was going to be a hard-earned one.
Monasterevan enjoyed a positive start to the game when Padraig Nash pointed a free inside the opening 60 seconds, but it wasn’t until the seventh-minute that the next white flag was raised. Kilcock wing-back David Duke broke free down the left-wing and superbly curled between the posts.
Three-time winners at this grade – and finalists as recently as 2017 – Kilcock crept ahead on 12 minutes when O’Rourke knocked over a free from long-range. Either side of the first half water break, Monasterevan spurned some good scoring opportunities.
O’Rourke eventually punished them at the opposite end, but Monasterevan persevered and got their just rewards before the break.
After Bannon finally enhanced their tally, Padraig Nash gathered a wayward short kick-out and emphatically fired past the helpless Heneghan.
This provided Monasterevan with a 1-2 to 0-3 cushion at the midway juncture and raised the prospect of them forcing their way into the reckoning for a knockout place.
Points from Padraig and Evan Nash gave them additional breathing space on the resumption, but this was the cue for Kilcock to kick into gear.
Five unanswered scores in the space of 15 minutes – Daniel Courtney, O’Rourke (three) and Daragh McArdle all finding the target – moved the green and gold two points in front (0-9 to 1-4) inside the final-quarter.
Following another lengthy barren spell on their part, Monasterevan kept themselves within reach courtesy of a Bannon free. Yet, Kilcock had the bit between their teeth now as Chris McCarthy and O’Rourke (free) stretched them three clear in the closing minutes.
Earley dissected the uprights from distance to keep Monastervan’s hopes alive, but their fancied counterparts weren’t to be denied.
Scorers: Kilcock: Shane O’Rourke 0-6 (5f), Daragh McArdle (f), David Duke, Daniel Courtney, Sean O’Sullivan, Chris McCarthy 0-1 each.
Monasterevan: Padraig Nash 1-2 (0-2f), Ryan Bannon 0-2 (1f), DJ Earley (f), Evan Nash 0-1 each.
KILCOCK: Ciaran Heneghan; Luke Sheridan, Sean Eves, Mark Durkan; David Duke, Sean Maguire, Daniel Courtney; Brendan Gibbons, Cormac Divilly; Chris McCarthy, Sean O’Sullivan, Daragh McArdle; Shane O’Rourke, Shane Farrell, Jason Gibbons. Subs: Conor Sheridan for Durkan (19), Findlay Nairn for Maguire (half-time), Eoghan Mulhall for Nairn (54).
MONASTEREVAN: Adam Forde; Gary Morrissey, DJ Earley, Cormac Stapleton; Mick Donohoe, Eric Morrissey, Cian Harrison; Eoin Stapleton, Sean Kavanagh; Paul Moloney, Ryan Bannon, Adam Kavanagh; Padraig Nash, Evan Nash, Mark Kelly. Subs: Gavin Worrell for Kelly (42), Christy Dempsey for E Nash (60).
REFEREE: Conor Daly.