Telford inspires late Kilmore surge

Telford inspires late Kilmore surge

21 November 2012

KILMORE had to play their get out of jail card at Robert Adams Park before booking their spot in the fourth round of the Irish Cup.

The Rec were staring down the barrel of a third cup defeat in as many weeks when they trailed 3-2 with 17 minutes left and a man down after goalkeeper Michael McKenna had received his marching orders.

Manager Gary Kennedy, who opened with an experimental line-up, went for broke and opted for a 3-3-3 formation, throwing Philip Traynor up top to join Peter and Andrew Telford.

This worked an absolute treat and two goals from Traynor in eight minutes had Kilmore back in front and purring like a well-oiled machine again.

Kilmore started in a hurry and Matty Hardy, who started out on the left wing, opened the scoring after just two minutes when he headed in a corner from Stephen Douglas (inset).

Malachians, who were dangerous on the counterattack, went close to equalising in the 15th minute when Declan Hackett was given the freedom of the Kilmore box following a corner, but he headed over from a great position.

Peter Telford and Mark Holland, who was playing up front, both had efforts saved by Ciaran Stitt and Traynor and Hardy also went close as Kilmore went in at the break 1-0 up.

Three minutes after the break it was 2-0 after Stitt could only parry and free kick from Douglas and the predatory Holland was on hand to stab the ball home.

However, Kilmore were rocked to the core four minutes later when a Jack Larkin back pass never made it to McKenna and the Malachians’ Tom McVeigh was presented with an easy tap in.

The visitors now started to pile on the pressure and Jerome McAtee was causing loads of problems with his probing passes. From one such pass in the 60th minute, McKenna was forced to race off his line and try and intercept, but only managed to bring down Danny Bell.

McKenna received a straight red for his troubles and McVeigh equalised from the spot with Johnny Cheevers taking over in nets.

Three minutes later the visitors took a 3-2 lead, again from the penalty spot after Miskelly was adjudged to have fouled number McVeigh in the box.

Kilmore looked to be in turmoil, but they were back level in the 72nd minute when Traynor got on the end of a free from Douglas.

Eight minutes later Traynor latched on to a through ball from Sean Bell and dispatched it to the back of the net.

Traynor almost completed his hat-trick in the 92nd minute when he met yet another cross fro Bell, but his header crashed into the bar and was cleared.

Kilmore Rec:

M. McKenna, S. Douglas, M. Miskelly, J. Cheevers, J. Larkin, S. Bell, A. Baggley, P. Traynor, M. Hardy, M. Holland, P. Telford. Subs: P. Greener, A. Telford, M. McGarrity.