Ravenous Kilmessan serve up a feast to down Trim

Meath kingpins on track to end long famine

Kilmessan 4-16

Trim1-19

Hunger is great sauce. Although Kilmessan are Meath's most decorated hurling club with 29 titles, they haven't claimed the Jubilee Cup since their 2013 victory over Longwood, but they seem ravenous in their quest to end that 13 year famine.

Last Saturday evening in Dunganny they gave a performance of sheer determination, of greater desire, of superior stickwork and of magnificent team work - and all that against the side that were being tipped as championship favourites, Trim.

The victory, and a fully merited one at that, moves the Village ever closer to a place in the final, while Trim's first defeat throws the race for one of the two semi-final spots wide open.

Those that witnessed Kilmessan's draw with Ratoath in round one and their subsequent victory over Kiltale last day out might not be surprised at this result against Trim, but what is amazing is that they just seem to keep getting better and better.

Trim, who demolished Kildalkey in round two, couldn't settle and hardly had a second on the ball once Kilmessan found their rhythm.

Against Kildalkey Mikey Cole and Kyle Ennis scored 3-11 between them, yet on Saturday neither got on the scoreboard as Kilmessan got their match-ups perfect and delivered the ideal game plan.

They were also thankful to their goalkeeper Sean Power who made at least three stunning saves, but if Trim had snatched victory it would have been cruel luck on a Kilmessan side that were near perfect (apart from 10 wides in the opening half and another six in the second period).

Sean Doyle was another who impressed for the winners. Gary Fleming didn't have a bad game for Trim, but Doyle was magnificent as he battled hard for every ball he won and was clinical with his finishing.

It was that battling for every ball that was the difference. Kilmessan won almost every loose or breaking ball. Trim didn't seem up to the pitch of the contest and Kilmessan took full advantage.

Such an outcome looked unlikely after just 14 minutes as Trim raced into a 1-6 to 0-3 lead with Alan Douglas' brilliant second minute goal wiping out Lorcan Byrne's opening score for Kilmessan.

James Murray, who was the pick of the Trim attack with 15 points, traded points with Kevin Keena as the Reds maintained a 1-2 to 0-3 lead and when Murray added two more frees and one from play along with a Joey Cole score, Trim looked in a good position with a six-point lead.

After missing a string of decent chances Mark Horan boosted Kilmessan with a goal and that settled his side as Doyle opened his account from a free to make it 1-6 to 1-4.

Mikey Cole was denied by the first of Power's super saves before Trim ended an 11-minute barren spell with a Murray score from midfield.

A Darragh Horan score was countered by a '65' from Murray, but then following a scramble after a long puck out Darragh Horan won possession before firing to the net to draw his side level 2-5 to 1-8.

A Doyle free edged Kilmessan ahead in first-half injury time, but Murray landed another free with the last puck of the half to ensure parity at the break, 1-9 to 2-6.

The concession of just one point from the play in the closing 18 minutes of the opening half was an indication of how hard Kilmessan were working to keep Trim at bay, and that work continued after the resumption.

David Murtagh did push Trim ahead less than two minutes after the restart, but that was the last time the town team were in front as Kilmessan rallied.

Huge scores from Keena and Byrne were followed by a fortunate goal when Doyle's point attempt from out on the right looped over the goalkeeper and into the far corner to give Kilmessan a 3-8 to 1-10 lead.

Two Murray frees and a score from Douglas kept Trim in touch as they countered scores from Darragh Horan and Keena to lead 3-10 to 1-13 at the three-quarters

stage.

However Kilmessan defended superbly and limited Trim to just two more points from play for the remainder, one from Murray and one from Ben Holden late on as he attempted to drop a dangerous ball into the square in search of a goal.

That goal never looked like coming as Power made a wonder save to deny Douglas and Doyle added point after point from frees as well as a stunning goal and Kris Gorman also clipped over to ensure it was Kilmessan who left with their bellies full and hopes high of ending their long famine.

Kilmessan: Sean Power; Lorcan O'Connor, Shane Brennan, Chris Green; Kris Gorman (0-1), Kyle Donnelly, Will Byrne; Cian Maguire, Finn Conroy; Kevin Keena (0-4), Lorcan Byrne (0-2), Darragh Horan (1-2); Mark Horan (1-0), Sean Doyle (2-7 six frees), Jack Cottrell. Subs - Peter Farrell for Green 37m, Joey Keena for Cottrell 41m, Conor Horan for Conroy 54m, Paddy Lally for Donnelly 57m.

Trim: Eoin O'Reilly; Danny Coleman, Gary Fleming, Ben Holden (0-1); Ian Birmingham, Eoghan Ryan, Mark Molloy; Joey Cole (0-1), Dylan Farrell; David Murtagh (0-1), James Murray (0-15 seven frees, three '65s'), George Douglas; Alan Douglas (1-1), Mikey Cole, Kyle Ennis. Subs - Pa Ryan for E Ryan 40m, James Andrews for Farrell 51m, Darragh Heffernan for M Cole 57m.

Referee: Kevin Brady (Louth).