Shock victory for Killyon

Killyon caused a major shock in the opening round of the SHC at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening when they got the better of last year's beaten finalists Dunboyne. The joint-management team of Martin Massey and Thomas Duignan had their team ready for the challenge and were pleased with the result which reversed a A HL Div 1 defeat a couple of weeks ago. "We played Dunboyne in the league a few weeks ago and they trounced us, so we knew what they were like and we had to produce a big performance to have any chance," Massey told the Meath Chronicle. "There was a huge effort put in on the training pitch and a win like this will be a great lift for everyone. "Not too many people in Killyon gave us much of a chance tonight, but now that we have got a win, we have to build on that or it will be no good to us. "Maybe Dunboyne underestimated us, but now we have to wait until June for the next round, that will be a challenge in itself, but it's great to get a win like this," added the former Meath player who gave sterling service to the county and was a member of the 1993 All-Ireland SHC B-winning team along with Duignan and another stalwart from the Killyon club, Mark Gannon, who lined out at full-forward on Saturday evening. There was only a point between the teams for the opening quarter as Dunboyne shaded the exchanges and looked capable of upping the tempo sufficiently to carve out a victory for manager Johnny Murray. The early scores arrived fast and frequently with Neil Hackett (three), Paul Fagan and Barry Watters on target for Dunboyne with Killyon staying in touch through wing-back Paddy Ryan and Keith Keoghan (two each). Ryan is starting to show some of the form which he produced a couple of years ago before a bad leg injury kept him out of the game for a lengthy period. Further points from Calvin Ryan and Tommy Raleigh gave Killyon the edge (0-6 to 0-5) by the 18th minute, but Dunboyne's Stephen Moran ended a 10-minute barren spell on the scoreboard when he drew the sides level in the 23rd minute with a good effort from play. Undaunted, Killyon replied from another Keoghan free, but in first-half added time Dunboyne eased into a 0-8 to 0-7 interval advantage through Michael O'Grady and a Hackett free. Gutsy Killyon took the game to last year's beaten finalists after the resumption and four Keoghan pointed frees and one from Cillian Canavan helped them remain in the ascendancy during the third-quarter. By that stage they were ahead by 0-12 to 0-9 as Dunboyne managed a solitary John Watters point. Dunboyne's best efforts were thwarted by a battling Killyon rearguard g and when Mark Gannon flashed the sliotar to the net with eight minutes remaining, it gave the underdogs something to hang on to. Despite a late flourish which produced three pointed Hackett frees and a one from play by O'Grady, Dunboyne were denied by a gutsy rearguard action. Killyon finished with 14 men after Ryan picked up a second yellow card in the final minute from referee Richard Morris. Killyon - S Quinn; C Foley, B Perry, S Mitchaell; P Ryan (0-2 free, '65'), JJ Gilsenan, R McKeown; C Keegan, D Kennedy; C Canavan, C Ryan (0-1), K Keoghan (0-7 frees); T Raleigh (0-1), M Gannon (1-0), A Gannon. Sub - A Connolly for M Gannon 58 mins. Dunboyne - C Kane; S Moran, D Watters, P Gannon; A Watters, P Fagan (0-1) free), N Watters; G Barry, G Watters; J Watters, N Hackett (0-7 six frees), M O'Grady (0-2); N Smith, B Watters (0-1), S Moran (0-1). Subs - G Murphy for Barry, D Moran for Smith both 41 mins. Referee - Richard Morris (Blackhall Gaels)