Kelly masterclass as Kiltale advance to final

SHC SEMI-FINAL

Kiltale.................2-20

Kilmessan...........0-13

It wasn't quite the polished performance they might have hoped for, but Kiltale booked their place in the SHC final for the first time since 2021 with a resounding victory over Kilmessan at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday.

Kilmessan needed almost everything to go their way, but they left themselves in the mire following a poorly executed opening half when they hit only five points and shot 11 wides when playing with the aid of a strong breeze.

Kiltale were marginally more economical in the tricky opening period, but when they turned with the wind at their backs they were clinical and added only one more wide to their nine wayward efforts from the first period.

Jack Regan was, as expected, the scorer-in-chief with 10 points in another excellent display, but it was the magical scores from the stick of James Kelly that provided the inspiration for Kiltale, while his 48th minute goal hammered the final nail into Kilmessan's aspirations.

Both sides struggled to adapt to the stormy conditions and it took until the third minute for Regan to open the scoring from a free. Before the next point was registered the sides shared eight wides between them while Kilmessan also hit the upright. One of those Kilmessan wides came from a Steven Clynch puck-out that went the length of the field and out at the O'Mahonys end.

Luke Horan restored parity in the eighth minute, but then Kiltale found their groove with two pointed frees from Regan sandwiching scores from Mark O'Sullivan and Regan to make it 0-5 to 0-1 by the end of the first quarter.

Seanie Doyle pulled one back for Kilmessan following some sublime skill and when Shane Brennan added a point Nicky Horan's side looked back in the contest.

However their waywardness continued and they were living on the edge with Steven Clynch saving well with his feet to deny Ross Ryan before Peter Durnin fired the rebound through a crowd of legs for the first goal to make it 1-5 to 0-3.

In between points from Finn Conroy and Mark Horan Clynch made another fine save to keep out Fearghal McCabe's deflected shot, but Kilmessan would have hoped to have been well clear at half-time with the wind at their backs instead of being 0-5 to 1-5 adrift.

Regan stretched Kiltale's lead with a pointed free two minutes after the restart, but Kilmessan continued to be a threat with Paddy Lally pointing after the ball was throw-in following an error by Shane McGann and Lorcan O'Connor was also on target to close the gap to 0-7 to 1-6.

Regan and the majestic Kelly settled Kiltale again before Clynch produced a remarkable save to deflect Hugh O'Sullivan's goalbound effort over the bar.

Another O'Connor score just about kept Kilmessan in the game, but Kiltale continued to edge clear with Regan (free) and Kelly with a monster score from the left making it 1-11 to 0-8 by the 42nd minute.

Two more frees from Mark Horan closed the gap to four points, but then came the killer score when Kelly pulled McGann's puck-out from the sky, raced goalwards and produced a stunning finish to put the result beyond doubt.

Conor Ryan and Durnin put nine between the sides and even though Mark Horan kept Kilmessan ticking over they were a long way second best with Kelly and Regan making it 2-15 to 0-11.

Outstanding scores from Mark Horan and Kris Gorman sandwiched a superb score from Philip Garvey, but the life was gone out of Kilmessan's challenge at that stage and it was Kiltale who closed the scoring with Regan (two, one free), Kelly and Conor Ryan pushing them off into the breezy afternoon horizon.

Kiltale - Shane McGann; Padraig Kelly, Iarla Hughes, Jack Bannon; Conor McNally, Philip Garvey (0-1), Conor Ryan (0-2); Brian O'Reilly, Fearghal McCabe; Adam Murphy, Mark O'Sullivan (0-1), James Kelly (1-4); Peter Durnin (1-1), Ross Ryan, Jack Regan (0-10 six frees). Subs - Hugh O'Sullivan (0-1) for M O'Sullivan 32m, Darragh McVann for O'Reilly 44m, Gavin McVann for Bannon 52m, Anthony Forde for Murphy 57m, Luke O'Halloran for R Ryan 58m,

Kilmessan - Steven Clynch; Noah Conroy, Shane Brennan (0-1), Peter Brennan; Paddy Lally (0-1), Harry Cahill, Kyle Donnelly; Lorcan O'Connor (0-2), Cian O'Sullivan; Lorcan Byrne, Luke Horan (0-1), Finn Conroy (0-1); Mark Horan (0-5 three frees), Kris Gorman (0-1), Seanie Doyle (0-1). Subs - Mal Doyle for S Doyle 30m, Joey Keena for Brennan 44m, Darragh Horan for Conroy 50m, Cian Maguire for Cahill 55m, Cathal Burke for O'Sullivan 60m.

Referee - Stephen Masterson (Kildalkey).