Kildalkey chuck it away

IT wasn"t exactly a Devon Loch moment, but it was one of those occasions when the finishing line was in sight only for fate to intervene and completely turn the afternoon around. At the end of normal time in Sunday"s SHC final at Pairc Tailteann it looked like Kildalkey had done enough to win their first title in 57 years. They led by a precious point with the finishing line in sight, the Jubliee Cup almost in their grasp. Then Kilmessan showed the kind of resilience that has helped them bag 27 titles in their long history. They refused to wilt and instead came back to snatch that last-gasp equalising score. In the second minute of stoppage time Charlie Keena, who had come on as a second-half substitute, won the ball out near the left touchline, cut inside and he was allowed the time and space to shoot goalwards from about 40 metres. The ball just about carried enough momentum to keep going and clear Gary McNally"s crossbar to even the sides up once more. Now the protagonists must do it all again and who would bet on the outcome this time around. Both sets of players could have taken a line from Frank Sinatra"s 'My Way" afterwards - 'regrets, I"ve had a few but then again too few to mention,' The players and supporters of both sides will look back and think of what might have been. The chances were there for either side in the white-knuckle ride both sets of supporters had to endure in the final five minutes or so. It looked like Kildalkey had earned that extra edge with just two minutes to go in normal time. Padraig Geoghegan won a free out near the sideline. Noel Kirby steped up to the mark. In any context it would have to be considered a difficult task to score. Kirby made light of the awkward angle to post the sliotar between the posts. That appeared to be enough until Keena"s last-gasp intervention. This game may not have been filled with high-quality hurling, few finals are, but what was served up was a good old, rip-roaring encounter that swayed one way than the other with the spectators on tenterhooks until the final blast. There was a litany of mis-timed passes with players spilling possession or unable to collect the ball cleanly. There was the wides registered in the helter-skelter action as players struggled to find time or space. The errors were perhaps only to be expected considering the wet and windy conditions and the intensity of the play. At the interval the omens looked good for Kilmesssan. They had faced into a strong wind in the opening half yet were ahead by 1-2 to 0-4 at the interval. They had played only in patches during that opening 30 minutes, their forwards living off little scraps of possession that came their way. They could only manage one point from play, a superb effort from Malcolm Doyle with Nicky Horan also firing over from a free. The score that really injected new life into their challenge came on 17 minutes. Ger O"Neill crossed from the right. The ball passed over the Kildalkey defence to Anton O"Neill who had time to win possession and take aim, but was brilliantly hooked by Mairtin Doran, the ball broke loose and O"Neill swooped again, slotting past McNally who had no chance. Throughout the game Kilmessan played in patches unable to find the rhythm that so devastated Dunboyne in the semi-final. Yet they could have won this game with a few points to spare if one of their most experienced operators, Nicky Horan, had been more clinical from frees. Uncharacteristically, he spurned three very scoreable opportunities from frees he would normally have slotted over with relative ease. The much-vaunted Kilmessan attack never fired up to the same level achieved in previous outings as the Kildalkey defence harried and chased. A highly significant statistic is that Kilmessan only scored three points from play with Ger O"Neill and Keena adding second-half scores to Doyle"s first-half effort. Kildalkey were much more prolific when it came to carving out scores from play. Kirby had one of his best days for Kildalkey this year slotting three points in the opening, each of them a little gem, fired over with great accuracy and skill. He went on to tag two more from frees after the break and looked lively and bright throughout. Kildalkey were also clearly annoyed that another effort for a point was ruled out in the first-half with one umpire waving it wide the other pointed to the white flag before referee Donal Smyth indicated a wide. Incidents like that suggested it wouldn"t be Kildalkey"s day. The players simply refused to accept their fate. After trailing at the break Kirby brought his side level with a booming free in the first minute of the second-half. Kilmessan pushed ahead to build up a three-point lead before Kildalkey conjured up the goal that re-ignited their day. With 13 minutes remaining Kildalkey put together a sweeping move, the ball moved downfield at pace. Maurice Keogh"s shot from 20 metres was full of venom. Kilmessan netminder Mark Brennan got a touch, the ball broke and Padraig Keogh knocked home from literally inches out. Shortly afterwards Geoghegan made a rare escape from the clutches of the Kilmessan defence to point. Within minutes Horan equalised from a free to set up the grandstand finish. Kildalkey"s goal was greeted by a huge roar from their big band of supporters and it clearly energized the players. Their cause was also helped by some quick thinking on the sideline by their management with players brought on to reshuffle the pack. One of those substitutes was Nick Fitzgerald and he went close to finding the net when he shot across the goals after he was played in by Maurice Keogh. The Kildalkey half-back line of Sean Corrigan, Enda Keogh and Mairtin Doran had an excellent afternoon while Stephen Forde and McNally stood out at the back, solid custodians of their own goalmouth. McNally did well to keep his eye on a long-range shot from Nicky Horan late on, despite a Kilmessan player in his line of vision. The balance of the game swayed one way, than the other in the exciting closing minutes. Keena"s late intervention ensured it ended all square. Now they must do it all over again. SCORERS Kildalkey - N Kirby 0-5, two frees; P Keogh 1-0; D Brady 0-1; P Geoghegan 0-1. Kilmessan - N Horan 0-4, four frees; A O"Neill 1-0; G O"Neill 0-1; M Doyle 0-1; C Keena 0-1. THE TEAMS Kildalkey - G McNally; E Potterton, S Forde, D Lahart; S Corrigan, E Keogh, M Doran; T Fox, P Keogh; D Brady, M Keogh, N Kirby; P Geoghegan, S Heavey, G Geoghegan. Subs - N Fitzgerald for G Geoghegan 22 mins; C Dunne for E Potterton 27m; G Kelly for Heavey 41m; M Potterton for Brady 44m; D Fagan for Fitzgerald 60m. Kilmessan - M Brennan; P McGovern, D Donnelly, V Reilly; M Horan, S Clynch, M Reilly; G O"Neill, P Farrell; N Horan, P Reynolds, J Keena; M Doyle, A O"Neill, K Keena. Subs - C Curtis for Reilly 48 mins; C Keena for Reynolds 50m. REFEREE Donal Smyth (Navan O"Mahonys).