Kilshannig beat Iveleary in league opener and also secure 2022 Division 4 title
The Kilshannig squad before they beat Iveleary on Sunday morning. Picture: Larry Cummins
KILSHANNIG were too strong for Iveleary in the Cork Credit Unions 2022 Division 4 football league final at Donoughmore on Sunday morning.
This decider was due to be played at the end of last season, but due to Kilshanning’s exploits in hurling, it was pushed into this year. This league final doubled up as a league game, so there was a lot on the line.
In the end, Kilshannig were deserving winners, a goal after four minutes was the building block for them to keep their opposition at arm’s length, and they pushed on in the second half helped by the wind. The winners were clinical, whereas Iveleary kicked eight wides in the opening 30 minutes, and struggled to get going against that gale.
Iveleary were aided by the wind in the opening 30 minutes and kicked the first score after two minutes through Conor O’Leary. Kilshannig went down the other end of the pitch and were awarded a penalty, Kieran Twomey delivered a delicious ball into the box, Iveleary goalkeeper Joe Creedon initially delt with it until Tom Cunningham was brought down by the big netminder for a penalty. Eanna O’Hanlon stepped up and made no mistake sending Creedon the wrong way. Jack Kearney pointed for the North Cork team, but they wouldn’t score for the next 18 minutes.
During that time Iveleary kicked two frees from Brian Croinin and Creedon. Iveleary also had six wides during this time.
Kilshannig, who won the IAFC title last year and also narrowly lost the JAHC final after a replay, finished the half well raising four unanswered white flags through Twomey twice, one from a free and Cunningham twice, one from a placed ball, 1-5 to 0-3 at half-time.
Iveleary, winners of the IAFC in 2021, needed a good start in the second half and they had a chance of a goal after just 46 seconds. Liam Kearney played in Barry O’Leary, but Kilshannig goalkeeper Gavin Creedon rushed off his line and denied O’Leary. The Glantane-based outfit were aided by a strong wind in the new half and they used it to their advantage and were clinical when the chances came. The winners tacked on two consecutive points from Twomey and the impressive O’Hanlon, as they now led by seven points.
Iveleary struggled playing against the wind but did get on the scoreboard seven minutes into the second half, as Cronin converted a free before a sweeping Kilshannig move resulted in Darragh O’Sullivan landing a fine point.
O’Leary reduced the margin for the beaten team, but that was quickly cancelled out as O’Hanlon landed the score of the game, a beautiful point from the outside of the boot from the towering midfielder, with the help of the wind, 1-9 to 0-5 after 41 minutes.
Iveleary needed a green flag if they had any chance of reeling in their opposition, and to their credit, they kept going. Seanie O’Riordan had a chance of a goal just before the third quarter but his shot which was heading for the bottom corner was saved by Creedon in the Kilshannig goal.
Séan Lehane and a Cronin free reduced the lead down to five points, but with nine minutes remaining, the beaten team would fail to score for the remainder of the game. O’Hanlon pointed for the winning team after 55 minutes. Iveleary tried desperately for a goal in the closing stages, but a green flag wasn’t forthcoming, as Kilshannig prevailed by six points in a deserving win for the recent IAFC winners.
E O’Hanlon 1-3 (1-0 pen), K Twomey 0-3 (0-1f), T Cunningham 0-2 f, Darragh O’Sullivan, J Kearney 0-1 each.
B Cronin 0-3 f, C O’Leary, B O’Leary, J Creedon (f), S Lehane 0-1 each.
G Creedon; S Murphy, E Burke, S O’Connell; B Curtin, C O’Shea, J Twomey; B Guerin, E O’Hanlon; D O’Sullivan, M Twomey, E O’Sullivan; K Twomey, J Kearney, T Cunningham.
B Creedon for J Twomey, P Walsh for J Kearney, D Murphy for M Twomey, (all 46), E Healy for E O’Sullivan (50), Diarmuid O’Sullivan for T Cunningham (53).
J Creedon; F McSweeney, D Kelly, D O’Riordan; K Manning, S O’Leary, T Roberts; C O’Riordan, S O’Riordan; B O’Leary, C O’Leary, C Galvin; B Cronin, L Kearney, J O’Donovan.
S Lehane for J O’Donovan (h-t), B O’Riordan for F McSweeney (37).
James Bermingham (Bride Rovers).
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