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*Kildysart players celebrate. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Kildysart’s spectacular series of highs continued unabated on Saturday afternoon when a first derby victory over Lissycasey in 19 years ensured not only a quarter-final spot but as group winners to boot.
Kildysart 0-13
Lissycasey 0-8
Venue: Clarecastle
Such an outcome couldn’t have been foreseen after their opening seven point reverse to Ennistymon a month previously.
However, they didn’t have Emmet McMahon that day and it’s no coincidence that his return has resulted in back-to-back victories as he was the ultimate difference between these neighbours in sunny Clarecastle on Saturday.
Four timely points in each half was bolstered by the fact that six of his handsome eight point tally stemmed from play. That scoring efficiency was in total contrast to Lissycasey who actually created more scoring opportunities that their opponents (21 in all) but kicked eleven wides which compared to Kildysart’s three told its own story.
Lissycasey, with the aid of a slight breeze, held the whip hand early on as goalkeeper Thomas Collins finally opened the scoring with an eighth minute ’45 while chief targets Conor Finnucane and Aaron Griffin answered Emmet McMahon’s opener to move 0-3 to 0-1 clear by the end of the opening quarter.
That two point cushion was preserved until Kildysart finally settled as a Diarmuid O’Donnell marks and a brace of McMahon points edged their side in front for the first time before Aaron Griffin levelled matters by the break at 0-5 to 0-5.
The sides would still be deadlocked by the 34th minute as Daire Hill cancelled out a Seamus Casey opener.
County senior McMahon took over proceedings from there however with a three point blitz in just two minutes flooring Lissycasey before Mikey Donnellan intercepted a kick-out to power Kildysart four clear at 0-10 to 0-6 by the two-thirds mark.
Lissycasey did answer through Aaron Griffin and Hill once more but that would be the extend of their backlash outside of a surging Darren Keane run that somehow was cleared off the line entering the final ten minutes.
A composed Kildysart simply soaked up the pressure before finishing with aplomb as frees from McMahon and O’Donnell were accentuated by Mikey Donnellan’s insurance point to claim the local bragging rights and soar into the last eight.
Fortunately for Lissycasey, Cratloe’s victory in the other group decider means that Aiden Moloney’s side are not out of the Jack Daly race either as they now face the third placed side in Group 2 next Sunday for the final quarter-final berth.
Scorers for Kildysart: Emmet McMahon 0-8 (2f); Diarmuid O’Donnell 0-2 (1f, 1m), Mikey Donnellan 0-2, Seamus Casey 0-1
Scorers for Lissycasey: Aaron Griffin 0-3, Conor Finnucane 0-2, Daire Hill 0-2, Thomas Collins 0-1 (1’45)
Kildysart
1: Conor Cusack
7: Oisin Coyle
3: Brian Eyres
4: Stephen Sheehan
5: Rory McMahon
6: Kieran Leahy
2: Fergal Ginnane
8: Keith O’Connor
11: Kieran O’Brien
10: Seamus Casey
9: Luke McGrath
12: Mikey Donnellan
13: Diarmuid O’Donnell
14: Keith Murphy
15: Emmet McMahon
Subs:
20: Conor Moloney for Sheehan (HT, inj)
19: Conor Hassett for Murphy (56)
Lissycasey
1: Thomas Collins
2: Kevin Shivers
14: Francie Hayes
4: Michael Meaney
7: Cyril Sheehan
6: Niall Kelly
5: Daire Hill
3: Matt O’Shea
9: Enda Finnucane
30: Niall McCarthy
11: Shane Griffin
8: Darren Keane
13: Conor Meaney
29: Aaron Griffin
15: Conor Finnucane
Subs:
16: Killian Normoyle for Collins (42, inj)
12: Darragh Killeen for M. Meaney (44)
10: Luke Griffin for McCarthy (56)
17: Fionn Cotter for Sheehan (56)
Referee: Niall Quinn (St Joseph’s Miltown)
