Reserve B Final Replay
Kilcullen 2-07 Kilcock 1-08
The Rags finally collected some silverware after losing out on many a final in the last few years, writes Henry Barrett, winning the replay of Reserve B championship.
The original drawn game between these two teams was a cracker and this game didn't disappoint the large crowd present.
Kilcullen only led this final for two minutes but that was they needed to win this Reserve B replay in Sallins last Sunday afternoon.
Playing into a strong wind, Kilcullen found the going hard through the first half and trailed by five at the half time break but the introduction of Mick Williams helped them turn things around in the second period.
Williams, along with midfielders Michael “Hook” Kelly and Barry Comerford, helped The Rags win a lot of primary possession in the second half and as a result Kilcock found it hard to get out of their own half, much the same as Kilcullen during the first.
Although both Williams’ goals were on the fortuitous side, Des O’Brien’s team probably deserved their win for their efforts after the break.
Things hadn’t started well for them though and after Darren Cusack’s point opened the scoring early on, the same player was given the chance to score from a penalty in the third minute after Johnny Caplis had dragged back Philip Vessey.
Cusack duly converted to cement Kilcock’s solid start but Kilcullen had a goal chance themselves at the other end after 10 minutes. Wayne Hegarty-Kelly picked out Aidan Carroll in some space at the back post. His low shot beat Shane Stone but rebounded off the foot of the post although at least the Kilcullen man managed to gain his team a point in the ensuing scramble.
Cusack replied in kind for Kilcock before a Shay Pembroke free left a goal between the teams.
The final ten minutes of the half were all one way and it was just a case of Kilcullen digging in and trying to get through to the half time whistle with as little damage done as possible. In the end they did pretty well although they were thankful to Brian McMahon for a brilliant goal line clearance ten minutes before the break.
Kevin O’Hara looked for Michael Stokes with a forward pass but Kilcullen ‘keeper Ronan Kiely was quickly off his line to cut the pass. He could only divert the ball into Michael Quinn’s path and with Kiely now out of position, a goal looked a certainty when Quinn sent a low shot towards goal but McMahon arrived from nowhere and slid in to clear off the line.
Cusack and Vessey added points before the half was out to leave Kilcock leading by 1-4 to 0-2 at the break but with the wind now at their backs, there was a confidence in Kilcullen that they could turn things around.
Although Cusack got the first score of the second half after barely ten seconds, the powerful Williams gave a signal of Kilcullen’s intent with a 33rd minute point quickly followed by a quality score from the boot of Barry Comerford.
Darren Byrne replied with a point as Kilcock continued to keep Kilcullen at arms length but that all changed when William’s 43rd minute free somewhere squirmed the hands of a defender and then goalkeeper Stone before ending up in the net.
Points from substitute Gerry Kelly and another beauty from Comerford levelled the game for the first time after 46 minutes but Kilcock weren’t going down without a fight and they nudged themselves ahead once again through a Declan Gavin score.
That lead increased to two when Byrne converted a free with nine minutes to play and despite all Kilcullen’s hard work, the game seemed to be slipping away from them.
Williams halved the deficit with a well taken point and then in the final minute he proved to be the hero when he launched a free in towards the goal from way outside the ’45.
Once again there was hesitation in the Kilcock defence and with Shay Pembroke buzzing around causing a distraction, the ball bounced and somehow ended up in the net.
Kilcullen: Ronan Kiely; Ian Barker, Kevin Fagan, Johnny Caplis, Brian McMahon, Franny Shortt, Shane O’Connor; Barry Comerford 0-2, Michael Kelly; Aidan Carroll 0-1, Owen Nolan, David Hickey, Shay Pembroke 0-1f, William Jones, Wayne Hegarty-Kelly. Subs: Gordon Bond for O’Connor, h/t; Mick Williams 2-2 for Hickey, h/t; Ronan Toft for Barker, 36; Gerry Kelly 0-1 for Hegarty-Kelly, 38; David Mitchell for Caplis, 57.
Kilcock: Shane Stone; Cormac Moran, Jason O’Brien, Eamon Kelly, Kevin O’Hara, Trevor Byrne, Eoin Powerdly; Mark Durkan, Dermot Finn; Darren Cusack 1-4 (1 pen, 2fs), Declan Gavin 0-1, Darren Byrne 0-2, Philip Vessey 0-1, Michael Quinn, Michael Stokes. Subs: Paul O’Brien for Stokes, 37; Keith Gill for Vessey, 44; Stephen Duffy for O’Hara, 51.
Referee: Liam Herbert (Sallins).
