Mitchell on fire as Kilcormac-Killoughey cruise into Offaly decider

Offaly’s Charlie Mitchell fired 2-5 for Kilcormac-Killoughey Pic ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Offaly SHC semi-final: Kilcormac-Killoughey 4-21 Coolderry 1-11 

Offaly county champions Kilcormac-Killoughey were at their devastating best in Tullamore today when they crushed Coolderry in a semi-final performance that was even more one-sided than the final score suggested.

In a bid to curtail the potency of the K-K attack, Coolderry manager Brian Carroll put a defensive strategy in place with two extra covering players in his own half. However this only meant that his own forwards were hopelessly outgunned, and the K-K backs had the time and space to give excellent deliveries into Charlie Mitchell, Ter Guinan and Adam Screeney.

Guinan shot three from play and should have set up Charlie Mitchell for a goal, but Mitchell did make up for that with a close range strike from a narrow angle that Stephen Corcoran couldn’t repel. Screeney nailed two trademark points from the sideline and was clinical from frees as the champions moved 1-14 to 0-5 in front at half-time, with Daniel Miller the only scorer for Coolderry.

Mitchell got a second goal while veteran centre forward Conor Mahon added two more even though K-K dropped a couple of gears after half-time, allowing Coolderry to gain some traction in the final quarter, outscoring the winners by 1-5 to 1-1 in that period.

Scorers for Kilcormac-Killoughey: C Mitchell 2-5, A Screeney 0-8 (0-6f), C Mahon 2-0, D Hand 0-4, T Guinan 0-3, D Kilmartin 0-1.

Coolderry: D Miller 0-8 (5f), A Connolly 1-0, K Connolly 0-2, S Connolly 0-1.

KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: C Slevin; T Spain, O Mahon, J Mahon; J Quinn, C Kiely, B Kavanagh; D Kilmartin, C Spain; T Guinan, C Mahon, L Kavanagh; D Hand, C Mitchell; A Screeney.

Subs: E Grogan for Kiely (40), J Screeney for L Kavanagh (43), P Geraghty for Kilmartin (45), A Kavanagh for A Screeney (50), C Kiely for Guinan (56), 

COOLDERRY: S Corcoran; S Connolly, B Burke, S Burke; E Parlon, D King, C Molloy; C Burke, W Malone; A Cleary, E Ryan, S Ryan; K Connolly, A Connolly, D Miller.

Subs: C Hogan for B Burke (11), G McCormack for S Ryan (23), E Burke for Malone (25), J Tooher for C Burke (43), S Connolly for Parlon (53).

Referee: Shane Guinan.