Our minors showed on Saturday that the future is bright with a deserved seven point win over St Peter’s Dunboyne.
Minor Hurling Div 2 Final:
Kiltale 4-09
St Peters Dunboyne 2-08
In difficult conditions Kiltale and Dunboyne played out an exciting final on Saturday in Pairc Tailteann. There was never going to be much between the two sides that swept through the division unbeaten and so it proved for much of the match before a late Vinny Walsh goal settled things in second half injury time.
The wet surface made it hard for the players to maintain clean possession in the early part of the encounter but as both sides got used to conditions the hurling standard improved markedly.
Dunboyne settled slightly better and led early with a point from Simon Cunningham, with Kiltale ruing a number of wides as the full forward line of Adam McDonnell,
Donal Matthews and Eoin McCabe tried to get to grips with the wide open spaces of the county grounds. However the nerves were soon settled when McCabe slotted home a goal from close quarters after 10 minutes after some good work from centre forward Sean Hughes. Soon there was another goal when Matthews knocked the sliotar down to McDonnell who struck cleanly to the net, the inside line were now firing on all cylinders.
With Eoghan Frayne now dominating the midfield, Kiltale took control, Evan Clarke was running at speed at the Dunboyne defence and Gavin McVann was controlling the half back area. One of the youngest players on the pitch Charlie McCormack gave a flawless first half performance at corner back and he was aided well by Sean McKenna and Jeff Wall.
Further points from McDonnell and Frayne came before Matthews struck a third goal and the side in maroon led 3-03 to 0-05 at half time. Brian Donnelly (free), Joe Humphreys and Cunningham were keeping the scoreboard ticking over for Dunboyne.
With Darragh McVann, Luke Moran and Michael Brady dominating with pure hard work around the middle, Kiltale started the second half strongly with points from Frayne, McDonnell and substitute Conor Quinn but Dunboyne weren’t giving up easily and netted through a Liam Callanan goal after 45 minutes, this was just after a Cunningham free. With nine minutes left Dunboyne were awarded a penalty when Kiltale full back Aidan Fraher was adjudged to have taken down one of the Dunboyne forwards and Brian Donnelly struck home despite a brave effort by goalkeeper Liam Boyle to keep it out. The next two scores went to Dunboyne and suddenly there were just three between the teams and it was game on.
Kiltale needed someone to step up to the mark and cometh the hour cometh the man as Frayne slotted ove the point of the match from under the stand after a looping run.
Graig Gilsenan replaced the McCormack at the back for Kiltale and with Dunboyne now chasing the game, Kiltale broke and a smart touch from Quinn set up Walsh to put a seven point cushion between the teams.
Kiltale:
Liam Boyle; Sean McKenna, Aidan Fraher, Charlie McCormack; Jeff Wall, Gavin McVann, Luke Moran; Michael Brady, Eoghan Frayne (0-04); Evan Clarke, Sean Hughes, Darragh McVann; Adam McDonnell (1-04 1f), Donal Matthews(1-00), Eoin McCabe(1-00). Subs: Conor Quinn (0-01) for Eoin McCabe, Vinny Walsh (1-00) for Michael Brady, Craig Gilsenan for Charlie McCormack, Seamus Anderson for Darragh McVann. Sean Deegan, Liam O’Reilly, Mark Flaherty, Sean Lynch, Tom Ryan.
St Peter’s Dunboyne:
Jack O’Gorman; Brian Kennedy, Joe Humphreys (0-01), Cathal Melia; Brain Donnelly (1-02 1 pen 2f), Peter Connolly, Aidan Flynn; Eoghan McCormack, Joseph Egan; Daire Rohan, Liam Callanan (1-00), Simon Cunningham (0-04 2f); Keelan O’Connell (0-01), Martin Campbell, Luke Jennings.