Kilcullen lose to Moorefield

After the opening game in the 2005 Senior Championship in which they forced a draw with the 2004 Champions, Allenwood, Kilcullen hopes suffered a setback when they went under by fifteen points to a strong Moorefield team in the second game in Group A.

The game was played in ideal conditions at the County Ground on the Bank Holiday Monday and Kilcullen opened brightly when Jamie Lambe finished off a fine solo effort from the half back line with the first point of the match. Moorefield replied with two points in quick succession before Cormac Aspell restored parity with a point after ten minutes. Ronan Sweeney added to the Moorefield tally with a fisted point but Cormac Aspell pointed a free from a difficult angle when Shane Lambe was fouled to leave the sides level on three points each after sixteen minutes.

The turning point in the game came in the eighteenth minute when the Moorefield forward line played the ball along the ground to set up Michael Tracey who shot to the net from close range.

Moorefield knocked over another point shortly after and although Cormac Aspell pointed again, Moorefield went on to register three unanswered points to leave the half time score: Moorefield 1–7, Kilcullen 0–4.

Kilcullen opened the second half with another point from a free by Cormac Aspell after Brian Bell had been fouled going through, but Moorefield were enjoying dominance around the middle of the field which yielded a total of thirteen points, including five from close in frees.

Kilcullen never gave up and were rewarded with a further three points including a fine score from Alan Murphy, who was in the right place to take a pass from Shane Lambe, and the final point of the game from Cormac Aspell in injury time.

Although Kilcullen instigated a number of promising moves throughout the second half, most of these broke down in the final phase and did not result in the scores needed to keep in touch. The final score was: Moorefield 1-20, Kilcullen 0–8.

Despite this defeat by Moorefield, Kilcullen’s interest in the 2005 Championship is still very much alive. Much will depend on the result of their remaining game with Carbury and other results in Group A.

John Martin.