Limerick side Feenagh-Kilmeedy suffer heavy defeat in Munster Club JFC semi-final:
By Tom Clancy Limerick Leader Sport
LIMERICK side Feenagh Kilmeedy exited out of the Munster Junior Club Football Championship, following a heavy defeat 4-16 to 0-2 to Cork side Kilmurry in Cloughduv on Saturday.
Following a season of dual commitments, it brings to an end the football for the club, who came up just short in both the Junior finals. They were always under pressure in this clash, with four second-half goals swelling the margin to a hammering.
Despite losing that Premier Junior decider locally, the westerners represented Limerick with Newcastle West’s second side ineligible. Kilmurry lost out in the Cork decider to St. Finbarr’s but represented the Rebel County for the same reason.
Operating without key men, John and Ger O’Gorman, through injury didn’t aid their challenge. They also lost Bryan Hannigan to injury, which will be a concern ahead of next weeks hurling final.
Kilmurry were at this stage for the second season in a row, following a restructure in Cork, and they return to the decider, having lost out to a David and Paudie Clifford inspired Fossa 12 months ago.
It was 0-9 to 0-1 at half-time with a 25th minute score from Colm Ryan coming from a rare foray forward from the William Irwin and Tony Long managed outfit.
For Kilmurry, sharpshooters Liam Wall and Sean Warren helped them to this comfortable lead, with Warren curling over three in a row in the space of seven first half minutes.
Goals were on the cards in the second half, with Wall finishing their first two. His second, an improvised punch to the net, put fourteen points between the sides. Ryan had scored the final Feenagh point after forty minutes.
There was time for two other goals in the final quarter. The pacy Padraig Brehanu raising two green flags after earlier been denied by keeper Dan Gayer. The Kilmurry bench ran riot and could have helped them more than the four green flags – but Gayer pulled off some fine saves.
The home side could be afforded 11 wides in all. Feenagh Kilmeedy, for their part, kicked three. Kilmurry will face Listowel Emmets in the decider.
Attention quickly returns to hurling, with a Munster Junior decider against St. Catherine’s, of Cork, pencilled in for next Saturday, in Mallow, with a 1.30pm start.
SCORERS: Kilmurry: Liam Wall 2-2; Padraig Brehanu 2-2; Seán Warren 0-4; Brian Hinchion 0-2; Lawerence Aisling 0-2; Rory Duggan 0-1; Ryan Leahy 0-1. Greg Barrett 0-1; Joe O’Mullane 0-1. Feenagh-Kilmeedy: Colm Ryan 0-2 (0-1 free).
KILMURRY: Jason McDonnell; Brian Hinchion, Kevin Barrett, Gearóid O’Mahony; Alexander Aisling, William Ronan, Tomás Collins; Kyle Kelleher, James O’Mullane; Daniel Cahalane, Lawrence Aisling, Rory Duggan; Padraig Brehanu, Liam Wall, Seán Warren. SUBS: Padraig Brehanu for Ryan Leahy (half-time); Sean Curzon for Cahalane (half-time); Joe O’Mullane for James O’Mullane (40 mins); Greg Barrett for Alexander Aisling (40 mins); Owen Keane for Warren (48 mins).
FEENAGH-KILMEEDY: Dan Gayer; Bobby Donegan, Maurice Fitzgibbon, James O’Regan; Seán Kelly, Bryan Hannigan, David Boyce; Patrick Donnelly, Dylan Murray O’Connor; Diarmuid Ryan, Cian O’Connor, Diarmuid Colmen, Ruairi O’Connor, Luke Ryan, Colm Ryan. SUBS: Michael O’Connor for Murray O’Connor (44 mins); Patrick O’Doherty for Coleman (44 mins); Darragh Lynch for Hannigan (48 mins); Patrick O’Connor for Fitzgibbon (51 mins); Seán Murray for R O’Connor (56 mins).
REFEREE: Seán Joy (Kerry).