Kilcoo boys crowned champs

Kilcoo boys crowned champs

31 October 2012

IT was double joy for everyone in Kilcoo last week when not only were their senior footballers crowned county champions, but the pupils of St Malachy’s Primary School were also crowned county champs as they lifted the Allianz Canon Esler trophy for the first time.

At a very wet and damp St. Patrick’s Park in Newcastle, both Kilcoo and Ballyholland showed the large attendance how football should and can be played. It was a credit to both schools and their teachers the skill level and sporting nature of both teams.

The first half was fast flowing with Kilcoo’s mobile forward line causing all sorts of problems for the Ballyholland defence. Jamie McKee scored their first goal and added a point. Rian Mullholland kept Ballyholland in touch with his first goal.

Sean Og McCusker and Jack Devlin added further points for the Kilcoo boys, but it was Ballyholland’s ability to score goals that saw them take a half-time lead. Rian Mullholland scored his second goal and added a point when a third was there for the taking.

John McGovern added another goal to see them lead Kilcoo by four points at half-time. The second got off to a blistering start when Kilcoo overturned the four points in a matter of minutes.

Jamie McKee grabbed his second goal and with McCusker and Anthony Devlin adding points, Kilcoo took the lead which they never surrendered.

Kilcoo got to grips in defence and only conceded two points while Jamie McKee and Sean McCusker gave a display in point taking.

With a minute left on the clock and Kilcoo leading by seven, Ballyholland scored a consolation goal from Shane Kearney to leave four points in it at the final whistle, 3-10 to 4-3.

In the curtain raiser to the Allianz Canon Esler Cup, it was St. Patrick’s, Hilltown, who came out on top to win the Allianz Shield, beating St, Dallan’s, Warrenpoint, with a superb second half performance.

The Hilltown second half performance was needed as the ‘Point boys played some exceptional football in the first half and it seemed the shield was destined for Warrenpoint.

St. Dallan’s opened the scoring with a Ryan O’Hare point which was quickly

followed by a Jamie Goss goal. St. Dallan’s continued to press and with Cian McLoughlin and Sean O’Hare dominating midfield, Hilltown were not getting their hands on the ball.

Cian McLoughlin added a point for St. Dallan’s before Oisin Tumilty and Eamon Brown scored points for Hilltown. These were wiped out by the fast running Ryan O’Hare who finished the half with two further points leaving it 1-4 to 0-2 to the Warrenpoint boys.

In the second half Ryan O’Hare opened the scoring with another long range point. But this was to be their last score of the game. Hilltown who had been playing second fiddle until then suddenly woke up and went on a scoring spree, led by Oisin Tumilty, who gave a master class in point taking.

He scored four in a row, two from frees and two from play to leave only two points in it. Then in the matter of a minute Hilltown scored two goals to take the lead.

Oisin Tumilty lofted a high ball in towards the goal for Charlie brown to flick to the net and from the kick out Tumilty scored from long range putting the ball over the ‘keeper’s head into the net.

In final seven minutes Hilltown ran out very easy winners with further points from Oisin Tumilty, Padraig Clancy and Laurence Brannigan. Oisin Tumilty finished a superb game with his second goal, leaving Hilltown winners 3-9 to 1-5.