Early Ruairí Kinsella goals fire Maynooth University past MTU Cork
EARLY BRACE: Maynooth University's Ruairi Kinsella gathers the ball from MTU Cork's Sean Brady during the Sigerson cup round 1 at MTU. Picture; Eddie O'Hare
The scoreboard froze in frosty conditions at MTU Cork but there was no doubt about the winners as Maynooth University got their Sigerson Cup campaign off to a perfect start.
Meath U20 prospect Ruairí Kinsella (2-2) rattled two goals, one off of either foot, inside the first 10 minutes to get the visitors off to a stormer before laying on the clincher for Keith O’Neill in the second half.
Their other goal, from Kevin O’Sullivan in the 21st minute, completed a streak of 3-4 without reply which put the game on ice long before its conclusion.
MTU had second-half consolations from defenders Tommy Walsh and Mark Casey but they could never get within seven points of Maynooth.
The Kildare institution, who had the luxury of introducing county seniors Paddy McDermott and Darragh Kirwan in the second half, will face the winners of UL and ATU Donegal in round 2A next week. MTU will meet the losers in a knockout clash.
Maynooth were Division 1 League champions last year but they flopped in the Sigerson. They were knocked out by MTU, led by 0-10 from Ryan O’Donovan, to complete back-to-back losses.
This year, they appear to have timed their run with greater precision as they ripped MTU apart at times to rack up 4-10 from play.
MTU’s key departures from last year have come in defence and they were dismantled at will in the space of 17 first-half minutes by Maynooth’s ability to find space and then drive forward at pace.
They spread the ball with accurate kick passing from flank to flank, while midfielders Luke Killian and Colin Walsh, plus Aaron Brazil, were able to provide the supply for their finishers.
After Eoghan Frayne’s opener, Jack Cahalane helped to create two early points for O’Donovan but his exertions for Castlehaven on Sunday saw him subbed off at half-time.
Tom Moran and Tom McPhillips were able to disrupt the MTU attack with key turnovers as their side went on a scoring streak.
From a kick-out strike play, Kevin O’Sullivan won possession, Shane O’Sullivan provided the assist, and Dunshaughlin dynamo Kinsella knifed through the heart of the defence to slip a left-footed shot to the net.
His next, five minutes later, was finished with a right-footed bullet after exchanging a one-two with Colin Walsh.
They forged further ahead with points from O’Neill, Kinsella, Killian, and a Frayne free while MTU missed four of their own chances at the other end.
It was 3-5 to 0-2 when Brazil’s pass allowed Kevin O’Sullivan to punch through another gaping hole and he ran in untouched to find the net.
At the other end, full-forward Alan Walsh caused Maynooth all sorts of problems under the high ball but goal chances for Aaron O’Shea and Joe Cooper were blocked by McPhillips and Cian Burke.
Maynooth almost added a fourth goal before the break only for Colin Walsh to be denied by a spectacular Ronan Cashman save before Casey blocked Seán Leech’s follow-up effort.
O’Shea countered to end a 22-minute scoring drought for MTU but Killian was left in all sorts of space to make it 3-6 to 0-3 at midway.
The hosts liberated Cork senior Tommy Walsh from his full-back station into midfield at that juncture and from there, his surges forward caused consternation in the Maynooth rearguard.
After Keith O’Driscoll and Kinsella traded points, Walsh had back-to-back goal chances in the space of three minutes.
While the first was somehow palmed onto the post and scooped away by Burke, his next effort, created by O’Shea, proved too hot to handle for the keeper.
That cut the deficit to nine but Maynooth responded with a quickfire 1-1, Kevin O’Sullivan’s point followed by Kinsella turning over the kick-out for Offaly attacker O’Neill to palm home.
MTU kept battling and from another long delivery to Alan Walsh, centre-back Casey prodded the ball to the net. Maynooth responded by dropping Roscommon midfielder Colin Walsh into full-back to disarm the aerial threat.
MTU had scores from substitutes Connor O’Neill and Seán Andrews, as well as points from O’Donovan, Seán Brady, and O’Driscoll, as they went on a 1-5 to 0-2 run but they left themselves with too much to do.
T Walsh, M Casey (1-0 each); R O’Donovan (0-3, 1 mark, 1 free); K O’Driscoll (0-2); S Brady, A O’Shea, S Andrews, C O’Neill (0-1 each).
R Kinsella (2-2); K O’Sullivan (1-2); K O’Neill (1-1); L Killian, E Frayne (1 free) (0-2 each); S O’Sullivan, M Gibbons (0-1 each).
R Cashman; D Cronin (Kerry), T Walsh, D Sweeney (Kerry); S Brady, M Casey (Kerry), B Thompson; L Smith (Kerry), J Cooper; J Cahalane, A O’Shea (Kerry), K O’Driscoll; R O’Donovan, A Walsh, D O’Connor.
S Andrews for Sweeney (h-t), C O’Neill for Cahalane (h-t), S Dore for O’Connor (41), M Leslie (Kerry) for O’Donovan (46), P Healy for Cooper (53).
C Burke (Kildare); T Moran (Wicklow), T McPhillips (Monaghan), R Burke (Kildare); D Scahill (Westmeath), S Greene (Laois), A Brazil (Offaly); L Killian (Kildare), C Walsh (Roscommon); K O’Sullivan (Westmeath), S O’Sullivan (Kildare), S Leech (Westmeath); K O’Neill (Offaly), E Frayne (Meath), R Kinsella (Meath).
P McDermott (Kildare) for Scahill (34), D Kirwan (Kildare) for Frayne (34), R Teehan (Kildare) for O’Neill (48), M Gibbons (Kildare) for R Burke (49), B O’Halloran (Meath) for McPhillips (56).
S Lonergan (Tipperary).
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