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*Keelan Guyler has a shot on Bryan O’Loughlin. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Where there’s life there’s hope as Inagh/Kilnamona snatched their championship lifeline with both hands in a devastating derby victory over Kilmaley in Cusack Park.
Inagh/Kilnamona 3-22
Kilmaley 1-16
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
Leading from the fourth minute to the finish, an utter dominant Inagh/Kilnamona actually soared 17 points clear at one stage before settling for a 12 point win for what was amazingly their first win of the campaign.
It was equally hard to believe that Kilmaley were flawless heading into this neighbourly battle with two successive victories as following a month’s break, they were extremely flat and possessed no belly for battle.
In contrast, Inagh/Kilnamona were in determined mood and buoyed by a first championship appearance for talisman Aidan McCarthy, they took the wind advantage to carve out an emphatic 14 point interval cushion.
Their most potent weapon was Eamonn Foudy’s puck-outs as he directly teed up Conner Hegarty and David Fitzgerald for early points while alternatively his booming restarts to the inside line certainly put Kilmaley under severe pressure.
Their goals were timely boosts to building early momentum as first David Fitzgerald released Aidan McCarthy to take on Kilmaley’s last line and unleash a bullet that would be parried by goalkeeper Bryan O’Loughlin, only for Evan McNamara to react quickest to pull the rebound to the net at 1-5 to 0-2 by the 13th minute.
A second would follow nine minutes later, this time in more fortuitous circumstances as Foudy’s puck-out was deflected by a defensive hurley towards goal and while O’Loughlin did superbly to change direction and stop it, he was powerless to prevent David Fitzgerald from pulling to an empty net to a 2-9 to 0-4 advantage.
Four more unanswered points followed through Sean Rynne, wing-backs Shane Woods and Seamus Foudy and Aidan McCarthy to power 15 clear by the 27th minute. It could have easily have been more as Kealan Guyler and Aidan McCarthy both had further goal chances in that period but they would be thoroughly content to take a 14 point lead into the dressing rooms at 2-16 to 0-8.
A major response was expected by a wind-assisted Kilmaley but it was Inamona that simply picked up from where they left off as impressive duo Niall Mullins and Aidan McCarthy picked off to the opening two points to extend the gap to 16.
Mikey O’Malley led the main resistance but he was of the minority as Kilmaley appeared devoid of confidence and also lost their shape which allowed Louis Mulqueen’s side to pour more misery on their neighbours.
That was epitomised by a third goal entering the final quarter as Eamonn Foudy played an inch-perfect puck-out over the top to David Fitzgerald to collect and bear down on goal before rifling to the left corner of the net at 3-20 to 0-12.
A shellshocked Kilmaley did finally respond when Conor Cleary, now positioned at the edge of the square caught an O’Loughlin puck-out before being hauled to the ground. Mikey O’Malley duly dispatched the penalty but it was merely a consolation as further goal bound efforts from Gearoid O’Grady and O’Malley were both repelled by the excellent Foudy.
Despite a 12 point victory, Inagh/Kilnamona still have to depend on others to remain in the hunt for the Canon Hamilton as Louis Mulqueen’s side require Scariff to win their final two matches against Ballyea and Kilmaley to ensure that they have a chance.
Kilmaley do have their fate in their own hands but can ironically knock their neighbours out with a final round victory over Scariff in a fortnight’s time.
Scorers for Inagh/Kilnamona: Aidan McCarthy 0-10 (7f, 1’65), David Fitzgerald 2-2, Evan McNamara 1-1, Niall Mullins 0-3, Conner Hegarty 0-2, Shane Woods 0-2, Sean Rynne 0-1, Seamus Foudy 0-1
Scorers for Kilmaley: Mikey O’Malley 1-7 (1-0 Pen, 2f, 1’65), Mikey O’Neill 0-4, Colm Killeen 0-2, Tom O’Rourke 0-1, Gearoid O’Grady 0-1, Daire Keane 0-1
Inagh-Kilnamona
1: Eamonn Foudy
3: Cathal McConigley
2: Keith White
20: Damien Lafferty
4: Shane Woods
6: Jason McCarthy
7: Seamus Foudy
9: Darren Cullinan
13: Niall Mullins
8: David Fitzgerald
11: Conner Hegarty
5: Sean Rynne
22: Kealan Guyler
18: Aidan McCarthy
12: Evan McNamara
Subs
21: Colin Shannon for McConigley (8-10, BS)
Shannon for McConigley (34, inj)
17: Jason Griffin for Cullinan (56)
19: Eoghan Foudy for Guyler (60)
Kilmaley
1: Bryan O’Loughlin
2: Martin O’Connor
3: Colin McGuane
4: Oisin Looney
5: Brian Cahill
6: Aidan McGuane
7: Tommy Barry
8: Conor Cleary
9: Thomas McGuire
10: Daire Keane
11: Mikey O’Malley
12: Joe Carmody
13: Colm Killeen
14: Mikey O’Neill
15: Tom O’Rourke
Subs
29: Sean Kennedy for McGuire (HT)
22: Gearoid O’Grady for Carmody (HT)
30: Kenneth Kennedy for O’Rourke (39)
Referee: Kevin Corry (Sixmilebridge)
