Final woe for Rahoon in U-20 decider
Kilconieron 2-12
Rahoon/Newcastle 0-11
Kilconieron got over the line against Rahoon/Newcastle on Wednesday at the third time of asking, to be crowned county U-20B hurling champions.
After a league semi-final loss and a one-point reversal in the opening round of the championship, goals from Daniel Keane and Cian Connaughton secured Martin Dolan’s team a massive result for the east Galway rural club.
They made hard work of getting over the line with 15 wides, but with man-of-the-match goalkeeper Shane Murray composed, along with a relentless defence that restricted Rahoon/Newcastle’s attacking capabilities, Kilconieron stayed in front from the seventh minute.
Intermediate player Bertie Keane led the charge for the city side and contributed all 11 scores, including an excellently-taken point from an acute left angle before the break, but they needed more scorers to seriously threaten the winners.
There were a few early misses before Kilconieron made the breakthrough on five minutes with a Connaughton free, but Keane replied almost instantly from a placed ball. Oscar O’Gorman set up Daniel Keane to make it 0-2 to 0-1 in the seventh minute, providing Kilconieron an advantage they never relinquished.
They gained control on the scoreboard in the 12th minute when Connaughton received a long ball before being taken down for a penalty, and Daniel Keane slotted into the bottom right corner, putting four points between them.
Pictured: Bertie Keane goes on the attack for Rahoon/Newcastle as teammate Ronan Mac Giolla Rí, and and Eoin Spellman of Kilconieron, look on. Photo: Joe O'Shaughnessy.