Kilgobinet 0-13 Ferrybank 1-9

 

 
 
The Western champions got off to a flying start when playing with the aid of a very strong wind kicked five points inside the first eight minutes, all off the boot of Mark Radley.
Just thirty nine seconds were played when the Kilgobinet wing forward pointed from close range after his side were awarded a free.
The same player kicked two points within seconds of each other in the fourth minute to put Kilgobinet three points up and in the seventh and eighth minutes two more were added, with the latter coming from a free.
Derek Jordan registered Ferrybank’s first score of the game when he put a free between the uprights after 10 minutes, but Kilgobinet hit back with points from a Mark Radley free.
And they didn’t stop there: points from play from the boots of Kevin Walsh, Tomás Fahey and another Mark Radley point, this time from a free, increased their advantage.
Jordan hit Ferrybank’s second score of the game with five minutes of the opening half remaining, but the score was soon cancelled out thanks to a Paul Radley point which put his side 0-10 to 0-2 up at the break. There was surely no way back for Ferrybank.
Thirty-two seconds in, despite the wind blowing in their favour, Ferrybank fell further behind due to a David O’Brien point, suggesting that more than one white flag might soon be waving inside Fraher Field. Not so.
Three minutes later, Ferrybank half were handed a lifeline in the fourth minute when Cormac O’Meara punished some sloppy Kilgobinet play to fire the ball into the net for a desperately needed goal.
The superb Mark Radley put Kilgobinet seven points up when he pointed from play in the 37th minute but from then until the finish, it was all Ferrybank, who came so close to pulling off an extraordinary victory.
Derek Jordan kicked two points in the 13th and 16th minutes, with Ferrybank’s tally soon added to by substitute Kevin Hurley, Damien Heffernan and Sam Lawless. With nine minutes remaining, just two points separated the sides.
Kilgobinet lifted the Ferrybank siege briefly when adding one point to their tally but instantly found themselves returned to the back foot.
Derek Jordan pointed a free with three minutes to play, and when the same player pointed from play three minutes into stoppage time, there was just one between the sides.
The game was now deep in stoppage time and had there been more time, Ferrybank would surely have claimed the spoils. But with relief to equal their joy, Kilgobinet hung on for a slender, but on the balance of play, deserved success.
Kilgobinet: J Fennell; E Cullinane, J Cass, D O’Donovan; P Fahey, P Lynch, D O’Brien; B Dunford, T O’Brien; V Lynch, T Fahey, M Radley; P Radley, K Walsh, B Lynch.
Subs: R Lynch for P Radley and P Walsh for B Lynch.
Scorers: M Radley (0-8; 0-3f), K Walsh, T Fahey, P Radley, D O’Brien and P Walsh (0-1 each).
Ferrybank: J Troy; J Murphy, G Coady, C Hoban; D Heffernan, A Heffernan, C O’Meara; J Byrne, B Mallon; S Lawless, J Treacy, E O’Neill; M Freeman, D Jordan, G Murphy.
Subs: C Roche for Freeman, K Hurley for Hoban and C O’Driscoll for Treacy.
Scorers: D Jordan (0-6; 0-4f), C O’Meara (1-0), K Hurley, D Heffernan and S Lawless (0-1 each).
Referee: B Power (Mount Sion)