Tones fall just short
Killyclogher made it safely through to the quarter-finals of the Senior Football championship, but only after coming from behind twice to defeat gutsy Kildress at Loughmacrory on Saturday night, writes Kevin Kelly.
In a game that lacked creativity and real fluency, Killyclogher’s stronger bench proved vital to their winning the game.
Second half subsitute Conal McCann landed a superb wind assisted forty five in the fifty fifth minute to give his side a lead they would hold until the end and McCann was also involved in his side’s final two scores of the game that saw them edge a tight encounter.
BEMOAN
Kildress will bemoan their bad luck but will surely rue the chances they missed in the second half after they had moved into a two point lead with ten minutes to go following converted free kicks from Frank McGurk and Niall Quinn.
The Wolfe Tones at that stage were in the ascendancy and seemed poised for victory.
However, Killyclogher dug deep with Simon O’Neill, Leo Meenan and county minor Mark Bradley getting the scores that edged them through to the last eight.
The elements made good football difficult as a strong wind caused many misplaced passes and shots throughout the game. What it lacked in quality it more than made up for in intensity and commitment and many of the exchanges led to unseemly squabbles and confrontations.
It was no surprise that both sides finished the game with fourteen men as tempers became frayed late on. Referee Fergal Daly produced a flurry of yellow cards in injury time that resulted in second yellows for Damien Kelly and James Carlin.
TASK
Killyclogher opened the scoring with a Simon O’Neill free in the second minute but Kildress settled to the task and points from Des Tracey and Eoghan McElduff had the Gortacladdy lads 0-3 to 0-2 ahead after ten minutes.
O’Neill converted another fine free twelve minutes in but Kildress then scored 1-3 without reply in a blistering five minute spell that saw them grab the game by the scruff of the neck.
Ace forward Damien Kelly found the net with their points coming from McElduff, Matthew Heagney and centre back Conor McAleer.
Kildress looked set to build on their lead but they allowed Killyclogher to close the gap to four just before the halftime whistle, courtesy of points from Conor Hegarty and Leo Meenan which saw the half time score 1-6 to 0-5 in favour of Kildress.
Killyclogher were much more committed in the second half and a Mark Bradley point followed three minutes later by a goal from Emmett Bradley drew the sides level before those two Kildress free kicks seemed to put the Wolfe Tones in command.
Killyclogher were forced to dig deep and showed considerable resolve with less than ten minutes remaining as they introduced fresh legs and hit five points on the bounce to win by three.
It was far from vintage Killyclogher, but Kieran Howe and his players won’t worry too much about that as Saturday night’s win ensures they will be in the hat for the quarter final draw.
Killyclogher - Mark O’Kane, Liam Mc Donald, Niall Bradley, Eoin Bradley, Emmett Mc Fadden, Gary Wallace, Aidy Kelly, Tiernan McCann, Ryan McAleer, Declan Leonard, Simon O’Neill, Conor Hegarty, Leo Meenan, Mark Bradley, James Carlin. Subs - Conal McCann for Leonard, Sean O’Kane for Kelly, Peter O’Kane for Hegarty
Scorers - Simon O’Neill 0-3, Leo Meenan 0-3, Emmett Mc Fadden 1-0, Mark Bradley 0-2, Conal McCann 0-1, James Carlin 0-1, Conor Hegarty 0-1,
Kildress - Gerard Grimes, Peter Hagan, Niall Quinn, Eoghan McElduff, Shane Donnelly, Conor McAleer, Michael Crawley, Gabhan Treacy, Matthew Heagney, Ciaran Corey, Damien Kelly, Des Tracey, Phillip Lennon, Frank McGurk, Shane Kelly. Subs - Gavin Corey for Heagney, Matthew Heagney for Ciaran Corey
Scorers - Damien Kelly 1-0, Des Tracey 0-2, Eoghan McElduff 0-2, Matthew Heagney 0-1, Conor McAleer 0-1, Frank McGurk 0-1, Niall Quinn 0-1
Referee – Fergal Daly, Gortin
Attendance 400,
approximately
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Weather for Dungannon
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South
