Relieved Seir Kieran stumble over big Kilcormac-Killoughey examination

Seir Kieran stumbled rather than marched into next Saturday’s Offaly Senior ‘B’ County final to add yet another chapter to an incredible year for the club’s three adult teams, but while there are plenty of rough edges to be knocked off their performance in advance of that clash with Clodiagh Gaels in Tullamore, their management will be quietly happy with the manner in which they extricated themselves from a very sticky situation on Saturday afternoon at St. Brendan’s Park.

Molloy Environmental Systems Senior “B” Hurling Championship semi-final

Seir Kieran 1-18

Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-16

Two minutes into the second half, Kilcormac-Killoughey would have been by far the happier team of the two, ideally poised to push on and record an upset victory.

It wasn’t just that the strong wind was blowing at their backs, but by that stage, the Seir Kieran attack was suffering from a crippling bout of the yips in front of the posts. The score was 1-6 to 0-7 with the Clareen side in front, but in the 120 seconds after half-time they added wides number 14 and 15 to their tally and were floundering.

Kilcormac-Killoughey weren’t flawless in front of the sticks either with two straightforward Mark Mulrooney frees their most egregious misplaced strikes - Mulrooney had a peculiar day, landing some incredible scores from distance while his percentage return from inside 50 metres was woefully below par – but they were quietly edging the battle in the middle third, particularly at midfield where the pairing of Michael Gilligan and Kevin Dunne would have been perceived as a trump card for Brian Troy and his selectors.

Enter Seán Carey, who punctuated an impressive performance from frees with some outstanding moments of quality from open play. He started by earning a free that he tapped over from 25 metres but then followed it up with a majestic strike over his shoulder from the stand-side touchline, giving inspiration to a group that was beginning to wonder if the goalposts and the sliotar were like oil and water, always separated.

Two more frees rounded off a run of five points unanswered and while Kilcormac-Killoughey didn’t go away or anything like it, it set them on the road to converting 12 out of their last 14 attempts on goal, a stark contrast to the dire shooting that went before that.

Defensively, Seir Kieran were never second best for any sustained length of time and they got out to a very strong start, conceding just one point to a tricky Stephen Leonard shot in the first 14 minutes.

Carey’s early goal got them out to a dream start at the other end, with most of the credit going to his brother Luke, who somehow lifted the ball between two Kilcormac-Killoughey defenders and got his strike away with barely enough room to swing a table tennis bat.

The ball dropped off the post and it was Seán who reacted first and best, giving him the chance to drop his shoulder and fire inside Shane Mulrooney’s near post from 12 metres out.

Karl Guinan had the chance to reply in kind but it was a Meat Loaf of a play, with just two out of three aspects hitting the mark. Guinan’s catch was inspirational, his run powerful and devastating, his finish utterly misguided, well wide of the far left post and in stark contrast with the wonderful shot he produced at the other end of the hour’s hurling.

Shane Guinan (twice) and Mulrooney (three frees) were on target for K-K while Seir Kieran went through their worst spell of errant striking, and when Karl Guinan took in a good pass from Killian Leonard and stepped in to score off his left early in the second half, there was a rising tide behind the Double Ks.

Carey’s run of scores steadied the Seir Kieran ship and they were still on course for victory when Luke Carey and Barry Bergin hit the target to stretch the lead back out to six points entering the last seven minutes.

Richie Bracken split the posts from his own 45, JK Kilmartin also hit the target and suddenly, when Dylan Hand fed Karl Guinan and the wing forward made a decent fist of ripping the net at the town end with his finish, a contest that meandered for long spells was suddenly poised to finish with a flourish.

Carey doubled the lead to stem the flow, Mulrooney landed another free from somewhere around Neptune, and Kilcormac-Killoughey went into stoppage time needing one point to force extra time.

A ruck 25 metres out from the Seir Kieran goal saw Kevin Dunne emerge with the biggest breaking ball win of the day, K-K protested the decision to bring the free up to around 90 metres out, and with adrenaline coursing through his veins and the club’s shooting woes now firmly put to bed, Carey delivered one last killer blow to ensure that Seir Kieran have not one, not two but three county finals to look forward to.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Barry Kealey (Seir Kieran): It may have been just three of his 11 scores that came from open play, but Seán Carey showed incredible composure for the most difficult free of the day in the first minute of stoppage time, one that forced Kilcormac-Killoughey to chase a goal instead of just hunting an equaliser in the closing stages, and it was the final act in a wonderful hour from the teenager.

Even so, he is (narrowly) shaded by Barry Kealey for this accolade, as Kealey picked off two vital early points when the pressure was on, his distribution was superb and he held his ground impeccably, giving Kilcormac-Killoughey no joy down the crucial central channel.

Richie Bracken was also competent and commanding in the equivalent role for K-K, while Karl Guinan was powerful and effective before delivering that stunning late goal.

THE SCORERS

Seir Kieran: Seán Carey 1-10 (0-8f), Barry Kealey 0-2, Luke Carey 0-2, Darragh Guinan 0-1, Adrian Hynes 0-1, Seán Dooley 0-1, Barry Bergin 0-1.

Kilcormac-Killoughey: Mark Mulrooney 0-10 (0-9f), Karl Guinan 1-1, Shane Guinan 0-2, Stephen Leonard 0-1, Richie Bracken 0-1, JK Kilmartin 0-1.

THE TEAMS

SEIR KIERAN: Joseph Connors; Stephen Gilligan, Kieran Connors, Noelie Bergin; Conor Dooley, Barry Kealey, John Coughlan; Michael Gilligan, Kevin Dunne; Darragh Guinan, Adrian Hynes, Luke Carey; Tom Dooley, Seán Dooley, Seán Carey. Subs: Barry Bergin for Seán Dooley, 48mins; Oisín Guinan for Hynes, 59mins.

KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: Shane Mulrooney; Harry Sweeney, Charlie Bracken, Tadhg Donoghue; Killian Leonard, Richie Bracken, Cathal Kilmartin; Conor Quinn, JK Kilmartin; Karl Guinan, James Geraghty, Shane Guinan; Mark Mulrooney, Stephen Leonard, Conor Lowry. Sub: Danny Spain for Stephen Leonard, 47mins; Alan Spain for Cathal Kilmartin, 52mins; Dylan Hand for Sweeney, 50mins; Cathal Kilmartin for Richie Bracken, 56mins.

Referee – David McLoughlin (Shinrone).

REFEREE WATCH

Overall, David McLoughlin had little or no bearing on the outcome of this game, though there were a couple of narrow reprieves as minor errors proved inconsequential.

20 minutes in, it looked as if Tom Dooley was dragged down by the spare arm of Charlie Bracken, and from that no-call, Conor Quinn ran at the Seir Kieran goal and flashed his shot narrowly wide.

Ten minutes into the second half he had his arm outstretched for advantage when John Coughlan wound up for a speculative shot into the wind that dropped short, but took it down just as the ball was struck, even though Clubber replays show it was just four seconds after his arm was initially raised.

In a game bereft of controversial moments or excessive levels of aggression, these small things make it hard to give McLoughlin anything other than a middling grade for this performance.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Undoubtedly it was Seán Carey’s late free from the best part of 90 metres out. If Kilcormac-Killoughey only needed a point from their last possession, the dynamic would have been completely different.

VENUE WATCH

The surface was impeccable, the crowd at St. Brendan’s Park was small but audible, and as always, there was ample stewarding to ensure a comfortable experience for everyone in attendance.

WHAT'S NEXT

Seir Kieran have just a week to prepare for next Saturday’s county final against Clodiagh Gaels at O’Connor Park, while most of this Kilcormac-Killoughey group will continue training with one eye on the second half of that double bill, albeit it’s hard to see many more of this group being called up by Declan Laffan from now on.

STATISTICS

Wides: Seir Kieran – 17 (13 in first half); Kilcormac-Killoughey – 11 (5 in first half).

Yellow cards: Seir Kieran – 0; Kilcormac-Killoughey – 1 (Donoghue, 36mins).

Red cards: Seir Kieran – 0; Kilcormac-Killoughey – 0.