Cool Kildangan regain crown as Templederry Kenyons falter
Compounding matters the fact that yesterday’s result also brings to an end their championship involvement for 2015.
Victory was required to sustain their county interest and while a first final win looked unlikely as the clock moved into the second minute of injury-time, Jimmy Collins’ outfit were presented with a glorious opportunity to force extra-time.
Trailing by 1-18 to 0-18, Brian Stapleton’s probing delivery dropped at the feet of Eanna Murray. The full-forward, who contributed over half of his team’s tally, saw his ground shot flash inches wide.
The final whistle sounded thereafter and Kildangan celebrated a second divisional crown in three years, their third since 2008 and fifth overall in the club’s history.
All told, they were deserving winners. Their defence kept a tight leash on dangerman Gearoid Ryan, while Gerry Slattery, Joe Gallagher and Darragh Egan exerted considerable influence down the central channel. The latter finished with 0-10 and did not miss a single free throughout.
Electing to play with the elements in the opening period, Templederry were four to the good after 12 minutes – Eanna Murray (three frees) and Darragh Carey opening their account. Were it not for four wides during this spell, their advantage could have been double that.
As it was, Darragh Egan converted the first of his eight frees to settle Kildangan and while Murray provided a quick response, their early work was undone by the contest’s only goal.
A surging Tadhg Gallagher run on 15 minutes prised open the Templederry rearguard, the half-forward offloading to Willie Connors who smartly flicked possession across the square to the unmarked Paul Flynn, who finished easily.
The next dozen scores were divided equally, Templederry taking a slender one-point advantage into the second period. An Adrian Ryan point straight after the change of ends extended the gap to 0-12 to 1-7, but Collins’ charges were unable to drive on.
Darragh Egan, Paul Flynn and Tadhg Gallagher posted three without reply to wrestle momentum back into their corner and, in the process, move Kildangan in front for only the second time. And while the decider was level thrice more, Templederry failed to regain the scoreboard initiative.
Their midfield pairing were swamped by the constant foraging of Joe Gallagher, the decision further forward to redeploy Gearoid Ryan to the edge of the square allowing the Kildangan half-back line flourish.
At the other end, centre-forward Egan continued to punish every single moment of indiscipline. His seventh free on 49 minutes edged the winners 1-14 to 0-16 ahead and Joe Gallagher’s strike in the ensuing passage of play put them two clear for the first time.
Paul Flynn completed a three-in-a-row scoring spell and it was Gallagher and Egan who wrapped up the result shortly before 7pm.
D Egan (0-10, 0-8 frees); P Flynn (1-2); J Gallagher (0-3); T Gallagher (0-2); R Gleeson (0-1).
E Murray (0-10, 0-9 frees); A Ryan (0-3); D Carey (0-2); P Kennedy, O Murphy, G Ryan (0-1 each).
B Hogan; M Minehan, H Flannery, D Sweeney; A Flynn, G Slattery, J Loughnane; T Connors, J Gallagher; W Connors, D Egan, T Gallagher; P Flynn, M Ryan, R Gleeson.
C Kelly for T Connors (40 mins), J Quigley for Minehan (50), G Byrne for Gleeson (54)
M Ryan; P Hogan, C Coughlan, J Harkin; T Minogue, T Stapleton, P Ryan; B Stapleton, L McCutcheon; P O’Leary, D Carey, G Ryan; P Kennedy, E Murray, A Ryan.
M Hogan for O’Leary (47 mins), O Murphy for McCutcheon (55).
J Cleary.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
