East Cork GAA

Derek Kiely Evening Echo Match Report

CASTLELYONS left it very late to win this final in a game that they dominated for large periods.

Kiltha Óg had the opening point of the match on their first attack on the seventh minute of play following some determined defending from a Castlelyons onslaught from the throw in, that failed to produce a single score.

The ball fed up the left wing found Diarmuid Rohan who cut infield and after a 30 meter run he slotted the ball over the ball.

The lead was extended to two points, two minutes later when corner forward Daniel Kenneally pointed after a mistake in the Castlelyons defence.

It took Castlelyons ten minutes to register their first score of the afternoon when Colm Spillane fisted over after a good move with man of the match Darren Tobin.

The sides were level seconds later when Alan O’Regan kicked over from play and Tobin gave Castlelyons the lead on the nineteenth minute with a beautiful point, but Kiltha replied in style with a well taken free form their talisman John O’Neill.

From the resulting kick out the ball fell to Kiltha’s Captain, Kevin Rohan who played the perfect ball into full forward Bill Ahern, who made no mistake slotting the ball into the bottom left corner of the Castlelyons goal.

Castlelyons had the last score of the first half with another well taken score from Tobin to leave two points between the sides at the break.

The second half was a much more even affair with both sides cancelling each other out in the scoring stakes and with two minutes to go there was still two points between the sides with Kiltha Óg within touching distance of the trophy.

Castlelyons had at least 70% of the possession in this match, but when you kick thirteen wides and hit the oppositions woodwork on no less than five occasions there is always the thought that this wasn’t going to be Castlelyons day, but those that kept the faith have full forward Shane O’Sullivan thank for the get out of jail card on the 58^th minute, when he beat Conor Hayes the Castlelyons keeper to the punch and fisted home the all important winning goal.

Scorers for Castlelyons: D Tobin 0-5 (0-2 Free’s) S O’Sullivan 1-0, R Fenton, C Spillane, A O’Regan 0-1 each.

Kiltha Óg: B Ahern 1-0, J O’Neill 0-3, D Rohan, D Kenneally, S Hegarty 0-1 each.

CASTLELYONS: A Barry; P O’Regan, C Barry, N McAuliffe; C O’Leary, C Spillane, B Carroll; A O’Sullivan, R Fenton; A O’Regan, D Tobin, R Feeny (Cpt) C Cotter, S O’Sullivan, E Maye.

KILTHA ÓG: C Hayes; C Moran, S Broderick, C Rohan; J McCarthy, W McCarthy, N Motherway; J O’Neill, D McAuliffe; D Rohan, K Aherne, K Rohan (Cpt) S Hegarty, B Ahern, D Kenneally.

Subs: G Matiki for D Kenneally (45)

Ref: Gerard Murphy (Russell Rovers)