Kilmurry seal stunning season with U21 county win over St Nicks amid flurry of late red cards

Kilmurry 0-15 St Nick’s 1-2

They did the heavy lifting in the first half with the wind – but Kilmurry finished deserving winners against 12-man St Nick’s in the Cork U21 B Football Championship final.

Kilmurry celebrate their win over St Nicks in the U21 B final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh 4G. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

A dominant display in Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s 4G on Sunday, Kilmurry were up 0-13 to 1-2 and in control with five minutes to go, before the chaos ensued.

With St Nick’s struggling to regain possession, tempers boiled over after the concession of a free, and the ensuing incident saw both Rhys Dunne and Diarmuid Wall receive straight red cards.

A late challenge two minutes later from Jack O’Sullivan ensured he would be the third player to be dealt marching orders.

A trio of scores late on from Joe McGinn ensured the 10-point victory, but the game had been long over as a contest at that stage.

Joe McGinn, Kilmurry captain, receives the cup from Cork chairman Pat Horgan. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

While St Nick’s did get the first score through Eoin Downey after five minutes – that marked the end of their joy in the first half.

With six starters from their Munster Junior title win over Firies Kilmurry quickly established control, scoring the next 11 points to lead by 10 at the break.

Their response to Downey’s driving run and point after five minutes was a sniped effort from Lawrence Asling 60 seconds later, which levelled the contest for the only time.

Nick’s fashioned another driving run through the middle of the Kilmurry defence when Rhys Dunne surged through and shot for goal, and while he got his effort beyond Cian Desmond, corner-back Fionn Kelleher was there to clear it off the line.

Lawrence Asling then set up Sean O’Leary for a score, leaving it 0-2 to 0-1 after nine minutes. In the next five minutes the Muskerry side reeled off five without reply, not hitting a wide until they were 0-7 to 0-1 up.

During that spell they came close to getting a goal – as captain Joe McGinn was closed down by Nick’s goalkeeper Ross Cronin. His shot looked to be dropping but was kept off the line as the northsiders’ defence scrambled to the rescue.

In the end it was recovered by Denis O’Mullane, but he had to settle for a point, 0-4 to 0-1 after 12 minutes.

A second superb long-range effort from O’Leary preceded a brace of points from Leahy, which took Kilmurry six points in front after a quarter of an hour.

While Kilmurry’s pace slowed, and their deadly accurate shooting faded in the second quarter – they were completely impenetrable at the back.

Rhys Dunne, St Nicks, takes on Aaron O'Mahony, Kilmurry. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Nick’s could hardly find a way through – only managing a wide from a free, a short attempt and an audacious effort from Eoin Downey that landed wide of the mark.

By contrast Kilmurry managed to raise another four white flags, with Lawrence Asling, Oisín McDonald, McGinn and Leahy all finding the target – the latter’s effort the only converted free of the half.

The northsiders did get an early goal on the restart though – with Jack O’Sullivan dropping the ball in from a free which was fisted in by Eoin O’Leary, leaving it 0-11 to 1-1.

They couldn’t find a way back from there though – only managing one more score through Dunne. Kilmurry were favourites and justified that tag – but the three late dismissals for the northsiders rubbed salt in the wound.

Scorers for Kilmurry: R Leahy 0-5 (0-2 f), J McGinn 0-4, S O’Leary 0-2, L Asling, R Duggan, D O’Mullane, O McDonald 0-1 each.

St Nick’s: E O’Leary 1-0, E Downey, R Dunne 0-1 each.

KILMURRY: C Desmond; E Keane, A O’Mahony, F Kelleher; S O’Leary, A Asling, M O’Leary; L Asling, C Kelleher; R Duggan, R Leahy, O McDonald; J McGinn (c), D O’Mullane, J O’Mullane.

Subs: J Devine for O’Mahony (38), M Fitton for McDonald (54), O’Mahony for Duggan (60), S Dineen for D O’Mullane (61), D Keane for M O’Leary (65).

ST NICK’S: R Cronin; B Heffernan (c), F O’Driscoll, S Cronin; C Maguire, E Varian, D Wall; E Downey, E O’Sullivan; Z Lynch, R Dunne, J Brosnan; C McCarthy, E O’Leary, J O’Sullivan.

Subs: S Lynam for Maguire (38), C Connolly for Downey (46 inj), J Murphy for Brosnan (53).

Referee: Niall Hayes (Carbery Rangers).

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