THE NATIONALIST
Saturday 26th April 2003

Killenaule win memorable contest with three injury time points

County Under-21 'A' Football Semifinal

Killenaule 1-12 Galtee Rovers 1-9

• A storming finish swept South champions Killenaule to victory over West counterparts Galtee Rvs. in a pulsating Credit Unions County U2l 'A' football semi-final, staged at Boherlahan on Monday evening last. Three injury time points gave Killenaule the nod and a place in next weekend's final against Ballina where they'll seek to capture their first ever County U21 'A' football title.
  
  By any definition this was an action-packed thriller. Two evenly-matched, highly-motivated teams vied for supremacy throughout, with the lead swapping hands on a number of occasions and the sides level as the clock ticked into additional time at the end. At the climax, however, Killenaule somehow mustered the courage and resources to launch a grand finale, knifing through the Bansha defence for three match-winning points in a most dramatic conclusion.
  
  Football is on an upward curve around the Hills of Killenaule and this was one of their strongest statements yet of a new-found confidence in the code. Against the hardy men from Bansha they needed all their nerve to prevail in a see-saw second half where the West men twice hit the front and seemed to have winning momentum but on each occasion were hauled back with the winning surge coming with perfect timing for the South men.
  
  The first half was tight with Rovers holding a modest advantage throughout, principally through the quite exceptional free-taking of Declan Peters. The full forward landed four frees in that half, some of them from quite a distance, but Bansha could also be grateful to goalie Eamonn O'Connell who made a superb diving save to turn away a fisted effort by Simon McMenamin near half time.
  
  Killenaule were slow to start but when they did get going they looked menacing in attack with strong running and combination threatening to puncture the Rovers defence. And in Tony Doyle they too had a forward focus. The number thirteen pointed two frees in the first half and looked their most likely score-getter throughout. At the end of the first quarter Galtees led by 0-3 to 0-2 and by half time the margin was 0-6 to 0-4. Andrew Morrissey had Galtees best goal chance when he cut in from the left side only to see his shot enter the side-netting.
  
  As a precursor of what would follow later, Killenaule made a blistering start to the second half. On the resumption they broke from the traps and within two minutes Tony Doyle had kicked them into the lead, landing three rapid-fire points, the third from a free. It was a hint of what would follow later in the game.
  
  This was a half where the tempo and intensity increased with the referee issuing a total of nine yellow cards, some of them unnecessarily fussy on the official's part. But the entertainment was top-quality as the play swung from end to end and each side in turn had its moments of dominance.
  
  Killenaule were in the lead for the first time after that early flurry of scores in the second half but it was an advantage that was short lived. Bansha responded with a Kieran Bergin point to tie the scores just five minutes into the second period and then came a goal for the West side three minutes later. It was a score that was slick in build up and finish with Denis Peters and Christopher Higgins doing the approach work to set up Declan Peters who coolly slotted past the helpless David McGuire between the Killenaule posts.
  
  Given the tightness of the contest a goal was a major item but Killenaule refused to be down beat and it was Tony Doyle who once again got a point back as the game entered the final quarter.
  
  And Doyle was involved crucially in the build up to Killenaule's goal. He combined with Keith Kennedy before Simon McMenamin found the net for a score that put Killenaule back into the lead with eight minutes still to play.
  
  And yet the see-saw nature of this contest continued. Rovers rallied again and substitute Michael Sean O'Connell was fouled for a free that Declan Peters duly converted to tie the scores once more. It was now Bansha's turn to surge forward yet again with Paul McCarthy setting up Declan Peters for the lead point with the game in its final minute.
  
  The play was now frantic and when Simon McMenamin fisted an equalising point the match seemed destined for extra time. Not so because in added time Killenaule exploded once more with Michael Farrell, Joe Caesar and Stephen Brennan all reeling off points to finally bring the curtain down on a truly memorable contest.
  
  Killenaule were without the injured Pat Kerwick, but late-choice full forward, Simon McMenamin was surely the toast of the village with a crucial input of 1-1, the goal coming at a vital juncture and the point levelling the match entering added time. Tony Doyle was undeniably a major scoring threat in attack causing endless grief for the over-worked Bansha defence, which tried to contain him. Elsewhere Keith Kennedy, Michael Farrell and Noel O'Grady were others to grab notice in a win that delighted their followers.
  
  But let's not forget the input also of Bansha to such a stirring game. Eamonn O'Connell's first half save would have been worth the visit to Boherlahan on its own. Paul McCarthy, Anthony Bowles and Christopher Higgins defended bravely. Elsewhere Declan Peters led their bid with a personal score of 1-6 while Denis Peters, Tony Lonergan and Andrew Morrissey also made telling contributions.
  
  Scorers for Killenaule: Simon McMenamin 1-1, Tony Doyle 0-6 (0-3 from frees), Richard Maher, John Grace, Michael Farrell, Joe Caesar and Stephen Brennan 0-I each.
  
  Scorers for Galtee Rovers: Declan Peters 1-6 (0-5 from frees), Denis Peters, David Morrissey and Kieran Bergin 0-1 each.
  
  Killenaule: David McGuire, Jonathan O'Dwyer, Ian Murphy, Martin Shelly, Vincent Hannigan, Noel O'Grady, Jonathan Gleeson, John Grace, Michael Farrell, Richard Maher, Keith Kennedy, Joe Caesar, Tony Doyle, Simon McMenamin, Stephen Brennan.
  
  Galtee Rovers: Eamonn O'Connell, Mark O'Brien, Anthony Bowles, Christopher Higgins; Pat Marnane, Paul McCarthy, Patrick Ryan, David Byron, David Morrissey, Andrew Morrissey, Denis Peters, Kevin Bergin, Kieran Bergin, Declan Peters, Tony Lonergan. Sub: Michael Sean O'Connell for Christopher Higgins.
  
  Ref: John Kissane, Nenagh.