Castlerahan retain Division 1 status with win over Killygarry

ACFL Division 1

Castlerahan 2-13

Killygarry 0-17

Castlerahan came up trumps in the final quarter to turn a three-point deficit into a two-point win in this entertaining clash between the 2022 Intermediate champions and senior finalists at Castlerahan Community Pitch.

While the stand-out player on show was Killygarry’s Conor Smith, who finished with 0-10 to his name, the home side had the better performers overall and driven on by midfielders David Wright and Cormac Daly, they finished strongly to secure their Division 1 status.

Terry Hyland’s men opened the scoring with a 45 from Smith before Daly won a kick-out and drove through in trademark fashion before fisting over.

Smith added two more points (one free) but Castlerahan hit the front for the first time when his county colleague Oisin Kiernan played a one-two with Enda Flanagan and palmed to the net.

Killygarry had a great chance to regain the lead when they were awarded a penalty but Martin Reilly’s effort was very well saved by Kieran Daly, who made a number of good stops. Killygarry made light of the setback, however, and three points from Smith and one from Reilly (all from play) saw them open a 0-7 to 1-1 lead by the 17th minute.

Cormac Daly (a free, off the deck) and Cian McCabe (free) registered either side of a Shane McCabe effort and when Wright sent over in first-half injury time, the sides went in with Killygarry head by the minimum, 0-8 to 1-4.

Brian Donohoe’s charges levelled matters on the restart with an Enda Flanagan point and soon edged ahead when a driving run from Daly earned a free which McCabe slotted over.

Smith responded before Mark McDermott fisted over another to leave it 0-10 to 1-6 but parity was restored once again when Wright fielded well and ran at the defence, creating a chance which Flanagan took advantage of with a tidy point.

It was anyone’s game at this stage and Killygarry put some daylight between them with points from Cian Keaney and a sublime floated effort from Ross Sheridan; a lovely pass from Oisin Kiernan teed Flanagan up another but when Shane McCabe and Martin Reilly pointed, Killygarry found themselves 0-14 to 1-8 up entering the final quarter.

Castlerahan, though, knowing they needed a win to stay out of the relegation play-offs, weren’t going away. A long-range Cian McCabe point got the scoreboard ticking again and Kiernan then added a similar effort off the ground.

A Smith free left two between them but Castlerahan, playing some nice football, responded, Jason O’Gorman winning a spectacular Aussie Rules-style mark and finding Daly for a crucial point from play.

Smith, who was in fantastic form, hit back but the key score arrived with eight minutes to play when O’Gorman again won possession, Oisin O’Connell’s shot was saved and Wright followed up to hit the net.

Stalwart Stephen Cooney, coming off the bench for his first appearance of the season, sent over after a good move and when McCabe knocked over from play, the home side were 2-13 to 0-16 ahead.

Killygarry pressed late on but all they could muster was another for Smith as Castlerahan ran out deserving winners after a terrific tussle.

This win will give the 2018/19 senior champions renewed confidence ahead of championship, with a number of young players having settled nicely into the side, veterans moving well and a couple of regulars still to return.

Killygarry, for their part, will now meet Lacken in the relegation play-offs. They will rue a lot of missed chances but are down a lot of important players; they were missing seven of their county final line-up from last year including regulars such as Oisin Brady, Darragh Kennedy, Cian Reilly, Mattie and Daryll McKenna and Conor Connolly among others.

Castlerahan: Kieran Daly, Jason O’Gorman, Sean Óg McGearty, John Linnane, Eoin McCaul, Oisin Kiernan (1-1, 1f), Enda O’Connell, David Wright (1-1), Cormac Daly (0-3, 1f), Conor Farrelly, Cian McCabe (0-4, 1f), Luke Caldwell, Padraig McGahern, Enda Flanagan (0-3), Oisin O’Connell

Subs: Jamie Reilly, Stephen Cooney (0-1), Rory Smith, Aaron Reilly

Killygarry: Paddy Galligan, Conor Bates, Daryl Dunne, David Talbot, Ross Sheridan (0-1), Kevin Lovett, Paddy Lynch, Daniel Walsh, Mark McDermott (0-1), Martin Reilly (0-2), Shane McCabe (0-2), Daragh Lovett, Conor Smith (0-10, 3f, 45), Cian Keaney (0-1)

Subs: Jack Murphy, Ben Mooney