Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final Play-Off
Kilrossanty 4-14
Brickey Rangers 1-08
Without ever having to move up through the gears Kilrossanty advance to the quarter final stages of this year’s County Senior Football Championship on Sunday evening last at Fraher Field when they had a convincing win over Brickey Rangers.Many of us of a certain age were brought up on stories of great battles between these two sides fought out in times past, but it’s fair to say that what we saw in this game will hardly remain in the memories of the few hundred people present.
Two goals in a 30-second spell just short of the end of the first quarter of this game proved decisive for the men from the slopes of the Comeraghs.
The two sides went score for score in the opening minutes but following Donie Fitzgerald’s first point after 10 minutes which gave his side a 0-3 to 0-2 lead, they remained ahead from there until the finishing post.
Kilrossanty's Josh Kay gets in his shot despite the best efforts of the Brickeys' Phillip Walsh during the Senior Football Quarter-Final Play-Off at Fraher Field on Sunday last. | Photos: Sean Byrne
The first goal came on 13 minutes when Kilrossanty played the ball down the bank side of the field towards the town goal, with Donie Fitzgerald making no mistake in beating Tommy Lynch to put his side five points clear. And if that first goal was a sucker-blow for the Brickeys, they conceded a second within seconds as Kilrossanty won the resulting restart, with Patrick Cunningham rounding Tommy Lynch to kick into an empty net.Kilrossanty would add a third goal in the 23rd minute as James Whyte passed to Joey Veale to tap into the net from close range to leave his side 3-5 to 0-2 in front.The Brickey finished the first half a little more positively as Cormac O’Grady kicked three points in three minutes, two of which were from placed balls to leave his side trailing by 3-8 to 0-5.
Kilrossanty continued to dominate in the second half and such was their lead that they could send on a number of players to show what they can do ahead of their Senior Quarter-Final.
One worry that they might have however for that next meeting might be the injuries sustained to the centre-field paring of Martin Dunne and Tommy Prendergast inside the opening 23 minutes of this game.
Brickey Rangers' Phillip Walsh solos past Kilrossanty's Josh Kay.
The Comeragh men netted a fourth goal on 42 minutes when James Whyte finished from close range after Tommy Lynch had fumbled a save from Michael Walsh but the former underage inter county goalkeeper was not able to keep Whyte’s follow up from reaching the net.Four minutes later, the Brickeys scored a consolation goal, possibly the best of the night as Carthach Shalloe played in Cormac O’Grady who finished past the advancing Paul Whyte, lining out in goal as he continues his recovery from a serious injury.
Alan Quinn, Josh Kay and Michael Walsh kicked late scores for the winners, while the Brickey kicked the last two scores through Christy Murphy and Cormac O’Grady.
