Cumann na mBunscol Finals: Kilmessan make amends in fine style
DIV 1 HURLING - Kilmessan NS 5-13 Kildalkey NS 1-2
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Kilmessan’s Freddie Lynch gathers possession ahead of Kildalkey’s Oran Dolan and Cillian Davis. Photo: David Mullen/www.cyberimages.net David MullenImage 2 of 5
Kilmessan NS captains Michael Gallagher and Liam O’Brien received the Div 1 Hurling Cup from Cumann na mBunscol’s James Battersby. David MullenImage 3 of 5
Kilmessan NS’s Tommy Clynch received the Spirit of the Final award from Meath Chronicle’s Tom Gannon. David MullenImage 4 of 5
The Kilmessan NS players (from left) were: back - Stephen Kelly, Aidan Gannon, Freddie Lynch, Liam O’Brien, Eoin Horan, Harry Domican, Michael Gallagher, James Keane, Sean Lynch, Charlie Comiskey, Thomas Gallagher; front - Shay Quinlan, Callum Keena, David Keena, Sean Horan, Tommy Clynch, Brody McNally, Patrick Duignan, Bobby Keogh, Fionn McCormack, Joe Martin. David MullenImage 5 of 5
The Kildalkey NS players (from left) were: back - Fiinn Kenny, Tom McEneaney, Liam Ward, Sean McNamara, Paddy Potterton, Jack Carroll, Jacob Mannering, Sam Ward, Jacob McNamara, Alex Grant, Conor Ward; front - Alex McCormack, Liam Connor, Matthew Walsh Gibbons, Óran Dolan, Cillian Davis, Oisin Leonard, Joe Molloy, Cian Maguire, Oran Fagan. David MullenKilmessan NS were too strong for Kildalkey NS in the Div 1 Hurling final in the closing game of the Meath Cumann na mBunscol final on Saturday in Trim.
Names that are synonymous with Kilmessan hurling - Horan, Keena, Clynch - were to the fore again only this time it was a new generation of stars in the spotlight.
The eventual winners made amends for a narrow defeat in last year's decider and really put in an impressive performance to win by a comfortable margin.
After only five minutes, Kilmessan were already 1-3 to 0-0 ahead. Michael Gallagher hit the first two points before he set James Keane up for the game's opening goal. Charlie Comiskey then tapped over before Jack Carroll got Kildalkey off the mark.
The next 10 minutes was dominated by one Kilmessan player in particular. Tommy Clych scored 2-1 of Kilmessan's 2-3 in a row. Clynch had a marvellous game throughout and this was certainly a great period for the wing forward.
A Carroll goal provided some reprieve for Kildalkey before David Keena split the posts to send Kilmessan in with a 3-7 to 1-1 advantage at the break.
Kildalkey's task in the second-half was always going to be a huge one but they got off to a good start when Oran Dolan scored a fantastic individual point.
After that score, it was back to business as usual for Kilmessan as Gallagher hit the next three points before Keena hit a brace of scores. Eoin Horan got in on the action before Kilmessan polished off the contest with goals from Keena and Comiskey.
Kilmessan NS - Harry Domican; Brody McNally, Liam O’Brien, Seán Lynch; Sean Horan, Freddie Lynch, Callum Keena; Michael Gallagher (0-6 two frees, two '45'), Eoin Horan (0-2 one free); Tommy Clynch (2-1), Charlie Comiskey (1-1), David Keena (1-3 one free); Stephen Kelly, Bobby Keogh, James Keane (1-0). Subs - Aidan Gannon, Shay Quinlan, Thomas Gallagher, Fionn Maguire, Joe Martin, Patrick Duignan, Fionn MacCormaic. Mentors - Róisín Carolan, Neil Heffernan, Julie Anne Gallagher.
Kildalkey NS - Oran Fagan; Alex Grant, Matthew Walsh-Gibbons, Samuel Ward; Finn Kenny, Seán McNamara, Oisín Leonard; Jack Carroll (1-1), Patrick Potterton; Cillian Davis, Jacob Mannering, Óran Dolan (0-1); Joe Molloy, Alex McCormack, Cian Maguire. Subs - Liam Ward, Jacob McNamara, Thomas McEneaney, Liam Connor, Conor Ward, Dáithí Birmingham. Mentors - Nodlag O’Neill-Forde, Hannah Kealey.
Referee - John Byrne (St Columbanus’ NS, Ballivor).