Minor ‘A’ Hurling Championship – Quarter Final

Kilmaley                              2-17
Sixmilebridge                   1-10

14/08/2015 @ 6:30pm                    Referee: Johnny Healy

Johnny Healy got this game going right on the mark of 6:30pm on a breezy cool evening in Kilmaley’s new field. Indeed the early start proving difficult for many spectators, with the viewing area not really filling up until half way through the first half.
The opening score of the game was scored by Eanna McMahon from a free following an incident where a number of players got involved in some ‘number swapping’. This was quickly followed by a point from David Lynch and soon after a goal from the boot of Aidan Kennedy after a fine save from Shane Flynn in the ‘Bridge goal. Sixmilebridge responded with two frees from Colm Fitzgerald and a point from play from the ever threatening Cathaoir Agnew. With Cathal Lynch now starting to get on the end of more ball, the Bridge definitely were not letting this one get away from them.  The wind did them no favours however with 4 wides on the trot. Three more frees, 2 from Eanna McMahon and one from Cathal Darcy put Kilmaley 1-7 to 0-5 up at half time.

With some positive words of encouragement from Davy Fitz, the Bridge came back out on the field for the second half with a serious belief in themselves. However, Kilmaley had their own ideas... none moreso than Pairic McNamara who had 3 points from play in the first 5 minutes of the restart. Sixmilebridge stuck to their task and came back in to the game with well taken scores from Paul Corry and Patrick Mulready. Kilmaley tapped over a few more points to keep their opponents at arm’s length when Pairic McNamara managed to turn the now frustrated Cathal Kinnane and raised a green flag for the homeside. With the game now as good as gone for the Bridge, they could have thrown in the towel …. But not so. They battled tooth and nail and with their efforts rewarded by a goal from Jason Loughnane. Unfortunately though it was too late, Kilmaley struck home for two further points form substitute Joe Carmody before the man in black ended the tie.

Well that’s the end of the road now for our minor campaign for 2015. Thanks to John, Joe, Conor and Davy for the work ye put in with the lads this year. For a lot of the lads, this was their last game under the ‘Minor club’ … we hope that ye take away some great memories … we will all remember the U12 championship ye won in 2009, the very last of its kind.
Curley, Niall, Aidan, Loughy, Colm, Rocky, Kinnane, Shane, Horse, Cathaoir, Sully, Jamie, Buddy, Diddles … the Minor Club wishes ye farewell and all the best in ye’re future hurling careers.

Sixmilebridge: Shane Flynn; Gavin O’Reilly, Cathal Kinnane, Brian O’Sullivan; Oisin Fitzpatrick, Patrick Mulready, Jack O’Grady; Aidan Whelan, Jason Loughnane (1-01); Ronan Touhy, Cathal Lynch, Ronan Cahill; Cathaoir Agnew(0-02), Colm Fitzgerald (0-06, 5f), Paul Corry(0-01).
Subs: Mark Gaule for Ronan Touhy 47min; Gerard Mullins for Gavin O’Reilly 54min; Niall Hogan, Jamie Lyons, Cian Hogan, Joseph Hogan, Lorcan Fitzpatrick

Kilmaley: Gary McMahon; Sean Crooley, Colin Hehir, Tomas Barry; Ronan Cahill, Sean Kennedy(0-01,1f), Oisin Cahill; David Lynch(0-01), Cathal Darcy(0-02, 1f); Aidan O’Brien, Andrew Kelly(0-01), Eanna McMahon(0-05, 5f); Aidan Kennedy(1-01), Paraic McNamara(1-04), Sean Malone(0-01).
Subs: Joe Carmody (0-02,1f)