Munster Club JHC: Assured display sends Kilbrittain into final
Ronan Crowley of Kilbrittain tries to get away from Knockaderry's Kieran Storin in Saturday's AIB Munster Club JHC semi-final in Knockaderry. Picture: Brendan Gleeson
Kilbrittain advanced to the final of the AIB Munster Club JHC after a fine win away to Limerick champions Knockaderry on Saturday afternoon.
Leading by 0-11 to 1-6 at half-time after playing with the wind, the west Cork side produced a superb display in tough conditions in the second half.
Playing a first game since beating Glen Rovers in the county final four weeks ago, Kilbrittain started slightly sluggishly as they conceded the opening two points but responded to that with seven unanswered points and never trailed after that.
Mark Hickey finished with 12 points and was flawless from dead balls, with a total of just four wides and three of those in the last ten minutes with the outcome all but decided as Knockaderry suffered two late red cards.
A clash with Waterford’s Kilrossanty awaits in the final and, while Kilbrittain can target certain areas of improvement, they will be going in with good momentum after overcoming their first hurdle.
When Kilbrittain jitters contributed to Mark Danaher opening the scoring with a pair of Knockaderry frees, it seemed like a difficult day lay ahead but the superb industry of Seán Sexton at midfield provided the visitors with a platform.
Hickey was able to covert the frees they won and it was his turnover leading to Philip Wall’s pass for Bertie Butler that put them 0-7 to 0-2 in front by the 14th minute.
While a beauty from the right sideline by Hickey had them 0-8 to 0-4 ahead, the lead was wiped out in fast fashion as a Danaher free for Knockaderry was followed by an equalising goal - Danaher profiting after Enda Moran’s delivery caused confusion.
Again, Kilbrittain’s response was good, with Aaron Holland and Colm and Thomas Sheehan to the fore in the half-back line as Hickey and Conor Hogan were on target as they retired with the two-point advantage.
Wall and Butler combined for Hogan to extend the advantage on the restart but Danaher and Moran replied for the home side, with the loss of Sexton to injury threatened to be a blow for Kilbrittain; once more, they showed character in how they dealt with the situation.
When a Hickey free from deep broke inside, sub Conor Ustianowski - just on for Sexton - claimed possession from the ruck that developed and he fed Luke Griffin, who supplied the close-range finish for a four-point advantage. There were 25 minutes left and they would never lead by less.
Butler, relocated to midfield, combined well with Josh O’Donovan as Kilbrittain slowly edged clear, with James Hurley and Eoin O'Neill strong at the back. It was Butler’s pass to Griffin that made it 1-15 to 1-10 and then corner-back Darragh Considine dd well before feeding Wall, who set up Ronan Crowley for a marvellous score way out on the left. Two more Hickey frees put them eight ahead, with Knockaderry’s task made more difficult as they lost full-back Eddie Foley to a second yellow card.
Even after Kilbrittain’s second wide finally arrived, it was followed by three points, with O’Donovan, Hickey and Hogan moving them 1-22 to 1-11 ahead. By this stage, Knockaderry had been reduced to 13 players after former Limerick star Tom Condon was red-carded for a late hit.
They only scored once more, while Knockaderry raised a late gallop with four points on the trot. One of those was a Danaher 20m brilliantly touched over by veteran goalkeeper David Desmond and another was by sub Ronan Keating - Kilbrittain will be lovin’ each day between now and the Munster final.
M Hickey 0-12 (0-9 f, 0-1 65), L Griffin 1-2, C Hogan 0-3, B Butler, J O’Donovan 0-2 each, P Wall, R Crowley 0-1 each.
M Danaher 1-11 (0-9 f, 0-1 65), E Moran 0-2, M Molloy, E Foley, R Keating 0-1 each.
D Desmond; D Considine, J Hurley, E O’Neill; T Sheehan, A Holland, C Sheehan; S Sexton, J O’Donovan; M Hickey, L Griffin, R Crowley; C Hogan, P Wall, B Butler.
C Ustianowski for Sexton (33, injured), N O’Donovan for Considine (50), T Harrington for Considine, D Harrington for O’Donovan (both 55), E Byrnes for Hurley (58).
M O’Sullivan; D Moloney, L Molyneaux, E Foley; J Molloy, T Condon, D Lyons; G Fenniman, M Molloy; K Storin, R Egan, S McMahon; E Moran, B Guiry, M Danaher.
C O’Connor for Guiry (41), E O’Connor for Egan, R Keating for Storin (both 51).
J Bugler (Clare).
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