Cill na Matra impress with big win over Kiskeam in Senior A opener
Shane Ó Duinnin in action for Cill na Martra against Kiskeam at Clondrohid. Picture: Larry Cummins
A fine team display of both exciting attacking and organised defending ensured Cill na Martra commenced their Senior A football campaign with a routine victory over a disappointing Kiskeam outfit.
The winners were comfortable with a third of this game to play, with a fast start ensuring they led from the second minute all the way to the final whistle, with a one-sided second half swelling the winning margin to double digits.
Played at a beautiful Clondrohid, the winners used the wind to good effect in the opening half and despite the scoreboard tightening up a couple of times in the second quarter, Cill na Martra always held a level of control. They were powered on by the impressive Seán Ó Fóirréidh from centre-back, who chipped in with four points, while five scores from the boot of Shane Ó Duinnín went nicely alongside the 1-3 from another Ó Duinnín in the forwards, Maidchí.
His goal, inside three minutes, opened a 1-1 to no score lead, he superbly found the bottom corner after a pacy attack from Morgan O'Sullivan's men. With Noel O'Leary in their backroom team, the 2023 Premier Intermediate and Munster Intermediate Champions show no sign of losing that winning momentum, which bodes well in the scramble for the knock-outs.
Despite numerous changes on the team that contested the All-Ireland final last spring, and indeed a change of manager, Cill Na Martra continue to exude the confidence and belief needed to do well at the senior grade.
For Kiskeam, they were far from perfect but showed many good signs, including scores from Eoghan Daly, Maurice Casey and Sean Sullivan, but they never built on the three points to that cut the gap to 1-6 to 0-7, by the 21st minute. Indeed, they only scored two more points in the remaining 40 minutes of action, which included 10 minutes a man up, after a 28th-minute black card for Cill na Martra's Daniel Ó Duinnín.
A 1-9 to 0-7 interval lead reflective of the dominance held by the Muskerry outfit. The sides traded scores in the opening 10 minutes of the second half but Kiskeam wasted a trio of efforts, which they needed to pull them back into the contest. Instead, a run of seven points in the final 20 minutes, eased those in blue and white to the two points.
The pick of those came from Jason Mac Cárthaigh, who used the outside of his boot perfectly from range, while Shane Ó Duinnín closed out the game. Morgan O'Sullivan's side did probe for another green flag but were met by Anthony Casey and his defence, instead they settled for points which were more than enough to get their campaign up and running.
M Ó Duinnín 1-3; S Ó Duinnín 0-5; S Ó Fóirréidh 0-4; J Mac Cárthaigh 0-3 (0-2 f); D Ó Duinnín (mark), T Ó Corcora 0-1 each.
A Dennehy 0-3; S Sullivan 0-2 (0-1 f); E Daly, M Casey, M Herlihy, T Dennehy 0-1 each.
M Ó Deasúna; A Ó hUidhir, T Ó Corcora, F Ó Faoláin; D Ó Conaill, S Ó Fóirréidh, C Ó Fóirréidh; D Ó Duinnín, G Ó Goillidhe (Capt); J MacCárthaigh, C Ó Duinnín, M Ó Cathasaigh; E Ó Conaill, M Ó Duinnín, S Ó Duinnín.
D Mac Lochlainn for Ó Cathasaigh (inj 30); G Ó Goillidhe for E Ó Conaill (36); C Ó Cróinín for Ó hUidhir (52); F Ó h-Éalaithe for Mac Cárthaigh (56).
A Casey; D Murphy, J O’Connor, J Daly, AJ O’Connor, S Meehan, M Casey; T Dennehy, D Fitzgerald; E Daly, T Casey, M Casey, S Sullivan, M Herlihy, A Dennehy.
K O’Connor for Daly (inj 18); G Casey for M Casey (36); A Carroll for Herlihy, R Carroll for M Casey (both 48); D Linehan for O’Connor (60).
Liam O’Shea (Carbery Rangers).
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