Perseverance pays off as Kilconieron land county title

Rahoon Newcastle 0-11

By Darren Kelly in Duggan Park

Kilconieron got over the line against Rahoon/Newcastle on Wednesday of last week 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 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.

They quickly increased that advantage as Daniel Keane turned provider for O’Gorman to tally 60 seconds later; and then Connaughton split the posts from the right making it 1-4 to 0-1 on the quarter hour.

Rahoon/Newcastle regained a foothold after pulling Bertie Keane out to the middle, but they left themselves outnumbered in attack. Seven scoring chances ended up with balls dropping short, although Bertie Keane did add two points.

Pictured: Rahoon/Newcastle's Matthew Murphy moves in to challenge Kilconieron's Eamonn Corban and Niall Dillon in Duggan ark last week. Photo: Joe O'Shaughnessy.