Kilmainhamwood 2-15 St Marys 3-9 

Kilmainhamwood maintained their 100% record with a hard fought win over St Marys on Sunday morning. 

It was the home side who started far the stronger, a quickfire 1-1 from Rian Stafford helped his side along into a 1-3 to no score lead within the first 6 minutes, and it seemed like the East Meath men had struggled to wake up from the journey North for the 10am throw in. AJ Bradshaw stopped the early onslaught, registering the first score for Marys after a good run forward. Stafford was next to score with a free, before Andrew Brien, Sean Nulty and Cormac Victory got their first scores of the game, all three scores well worked from play following good work out the field, and it was starting to look like Marys were growing into the game. Niall Bennett and Brien traded scores, before Kilmainhamwood got their second goal of the game following very poor defending from Marys. A long Darragh Smith run wasn’t dealt with, leaving a close range finish for Dylan Ogle. After working hard to get back into the game, the away side found themselves with a mountain to climb again. The home side finished off the half with two more scores to go in eight points to the good at half time, 2-7 to 0-5.

The second half required a far better performance from Marys if they were to salvage anything from the game. 

The signalled their intent from the get go, Sam Victory narrowly missing the target before Brien scored the Marys opening goal, following up on a Cormac Victory shot to hit the net. Within two minutes, the Marys had their second goal, great work from Sam Victory and Brien released Tadhg Dixon, who finished well to the net, and the half time lead of eight had now become two. A further two Stafford frees pushed the gap back out to four again. Nulty, who was starting to gain control of the middle sector with some fine fielding, pushed forward to reply for Marys with a well taken score. Bradshaw, who was having a fine game after moving to 6 early on, got his second score of the game to push it back to a two point game again. Stafford sent over another free, whilst in the meantime Marys had another huge goal opportunity, Dixon this time being denied at close range. Cormac Victory then punched one over the bar to keep the Marys in touch, whilst Shane Townley replied with two points of his own to keep the home side at arms length once again, and the momentum that Marys had built at the start of the second half was looking be slipping away from them. Sam Victory then rattled the post after excellent work to create a turnover when the goal looked on and it looked like Kilmainhamwood had been let off the hook again. A Stafford free was then followed by a point for Bradshaw, following great work from Dylan Craig and Callum Reilly in defence. A turnover from the home side was then worked up the field smartly which ended up in a fine score for the minor player Vaughan. Marys needed something to bring the fight to the end, and got it when a speculative Maithiu Brien ball wasn’t dealt with by the Kilmainhamwood keeper, leaving Sam Victory with the easy task of finishing to an empty net to bring it back to two again. Marys then won a free 50 yards out, which presented Brien with the chance to level the game up. The well struck free just tailed off to the side of the post, and the gap stayed at two. In the pursuit of a winner, Nulty was seemingly fouled as he pushed towards the goal, but nothing was given to the amazement of the Marys side. The home side countered, and Stafford was on hand to pop the insurance point with the last action of the game. 

A disappointing defeat for the away side to take, but there will be plenty of heart taken from the strong second half performance, which on another day would have taken the win. 

St Marys: Adam Byrne; Liam Lynch, Neil Floyd, Dylan Craig; Adam Craven, Joey Greene, Maithiu Brien; Sean Nulty 0-2, Tadhg Dixon 1-0; Eoin Jackson, AJ Bradshaw 0-3, Callum Reilly; Andrew Brien 1-2, Sam Victory 1-0, Cormac Victory 0-2. 

Subs: Robbie Callaghan for Greene, Liam O’Brien for Jackson, Michael Everard, William McSweeney, Paddy Owens.

 

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