Kilmainham/Drumbaragh win well

They had to withstand some nervous moments as they approached the finishing post, but Kilmainham / Drumbaragh just about made it over the line to win the u-21 A FC at Simonstown on Sunday. This was the first time the two clubs amalgamated in this competition and it's likely to become a permanent fixture after this fully-merited victory against Walterstown who also lost the 2010 final. The Kilmainham / Drumbaragh combination may well look back on this encounter and reflect on little incidents that went their way and helped them secure a victory. Early in the second-half it didn't look like Kilmainham / Drumbaragh would need to hang on by their finger tips as they controlled the game and raced into a six-point lead helped by a goal from DJ Carry. Ahead by 0-8 to 1-3 at the interval the Kells parish side struck what proved to be a decisive blow four minutes into the second-half when Michael Newman took a free from about 40 metres out. The ball landed in the square and Carry reacted smartly, punching the ball home from a few metres out. By the three-quarter stage Kilmainham/Drumbaragh were ahead by 1-9 to 1-5 and looked to be in control, although Walterstown were displaying signs of regaining the initiative. Suddenly the Blacks put together arguably their best move of the afternoon with Stephen O'Keeffe and Paul Donnellan involved in getting the ball into Stefan McDonnell who found himself one-on-one with the Kilmainham/Drumbaragh goalkeeper Andy Stevenson. McDonnell hit his shot low and hard. It was a well-struck effort yet Stevenson managed to get a hand to the ball and turn it away. It was a fine save and the incident undoubtedly represented a turning point. As it transpired Walterstown did dominate the closing stages, but they just couldn't close the gap sufficiently despite almost five minutes of injury-time played with some staunch defending by Kilmainham/Drumbaragh keeping their opponents at bay. Just how nervy it got for the winners could be measured by the fact that they failed to score in the last 20 minutes. Instead, during that time they squandered a series of decent scoring opportunities and it looked like they would pay the price for their profligacy. Over the hour they hit 10 wides compared to five from Walterstown. It was somehow fitting that the last player to touch the ball was William Carry because he was one of the Kilmainham/Drumbaragh backs who worked tigerishly to stem the Walterstown tide in those tense, closing stages. Time and again Carry emerged from a pack of players turning defence into attack as Kilmainham/Drumbaragh sought to clear the danger. There were others who made big contributions including Shane Morgan at centre-back and Michael Newman, who topped a fine display with three excellent points from play. There was some doubt about Newman's first point from out on the right, but the umpires had a close look at it and indicated that the ball had squeezed inside the post. Few could have guessed at the time just how crucial that score would be. Paddy Murray, Mark Newman and Ryan Farnham slotted over excellent points from play while DJ Carry and Thomas Carry also split the posts from frees and generally caused the opposition defence plenty of difficulties with their sniping runs. Farnham also delivered a stinging shot in the second-half with the ball rebounding off the post and wide. While Kilmainham/Drumbaragh led by two points at the interval they were on the backfoot for much of that opening half and trailed by 0-2 to 1-3 after just 17 minutes. They were losing the battle for midfield supremacy and talented forwards such as Darragh McNamara were struggling to get much leeway from the Walterstown defence. That all changed in the opening 10 minutes of the second-half when Kilmainham/Drumbaragh laid the foundations for this victory coming out and blitzing Waltertown with 1-1 without reply to extend their lead to six points. Walterstown showed plenty of fighting spirit to whittle their opponent's lead down to just a point and they were desperately disappointed to lose another final. They had first-rate performances all over the pitch with Colin McGrane, Mark McCormack - who did well to curb the influence of the skilful McNamara - and Andrew Daly forming a solid half-back line. O'Keeffe won a world of ball around midfield, particularly in the second-quarter, and invariably used it well while Mark Reynolds showed some fine high-fielding skills. David Donnellan, McDonnell and Paul Donnellan proved a handful for the Kilmainham/Drumbaragh defence with their pace, ability to pick out a pass and their ceaseless running. Cormac Madden also made his presence felt with 1-4 with one of his frees a high-pressure kick in injury-time from out on the left that reduced Kilmainham/Drumbargh's lead to a minimum. The Walterstown goal arrived on 17 minutes. Paul Donnellan did well to force a Kilmainham/Drumbaragh player to concede possession. The ball was moved forward and Walterstown won a free about 35 metres out. David Donnellan lofted into the square and Madden stole in to punch home. Kilmainham/Drumbaragh's goal later on was almost a carbon-copy. The Blacks were shell-shocked by their opponents' blistering start to the second-half. DJ Carry's goal left them on the canvas and it took some time for them to recover. They eventually did and almost made up the ground. However, Kilmainham/Drumbaragh did enough to get across the line first and claim the prize. Kilmainham/Drumbaragh - Andy Stevenson; William Carry (0-1), Johnny Quigley; John D Smith, Shane Morgan, Paddy Murray (0-1); Enda Nulty, Michael Newman (0-3); Mark Newman (0-1), Darragh McNamara, DJ Carry (1-1); Thomas Carry (0-2), Ryan Farnham (0-1). Subs - Michael Hennigan for Mark Newman 46 mins; Colin Forde for Thomas Carry 53m; Darren O'Sullivan for Smith 61m. Walterstown - John Davis; Joseph Clarke, Conor McGuinness; Colin McGrane, Mark McCormack, Andrew Daly; Stephen O'Keeffe (0-1), Mark Reynolds ; David Donnellan (0-2), Stefan McDonnell (0-2), Paul Donnellan; Cormac Madden (1-4), Aaron McLoughlin. Subs - Ruairi O'Dowd for McLoughlin. Referee - Jason Plunkett (Clonard).