Kilconieron’s dream year continues with crunch win

Ballinderreen 3-10

Gerard Mulreaney in New Inn

A large crowd witnessed a thrilling encounter in New Inn on Sunday evening as Kilconieron beat Ballinderreen to qualify for the playoffs, and in doing so earn promotion to Senior A for 2022. The defeat for Ballinderreen, along with Portumna’s victory over Beagh, sees them heading to the relegation playoffs.

It’s been a remarkable year for Kilconieron, having only won promotion from the intermediate ranks last year, and their reward is a crack at Padraig Pearses in the preliminary quarter-finals in Athenry on Sunday.

The game was postponed for 24 hours, to allow Ballinderreen players Robert, Kevin and Roy Lane attend the funeral of their grandfather Peter who died on Thursday; and it was also a difficult day for Kilconieron’s Conor and Shane Caulfield, who were mourning the loss of their grandfather, who died away earlier that day.

A ding-dong battle throughout, with the outcome only sealed in the final minutes of the game, it was Colin Curley who opened the scoring in the second minute, pointing an excellent solo effort off his right-hand side.

Roy Lane then tapped over a free before Ballinderreen got the opening goal of the game just five minutes in.

Robbie Meehan played a long ball into Niall Coen, who battled hard to win it and found Roy Lane. Lane was dragged to the ground and referee Brian Keon had no other option but to award a penalty. Lane dusted himself down and smashed the ball into the net, to the left of goalkeeper Gerry Smyth.

Kilconieron suffered another blow just after the goal as corner-back Martin Ryan had to go off injured, to be replaced by Alex Evans.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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