Egan points to a bright future for Kilmeena after Connacht final defeat

Kilmeena manager Damien Egan admitted their third quarter display was a ‘killer’ as Strokestown denied the Mayo intermediate champions another provincial title last Sunday in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

The withdrawal of talisman Jack Carney due to injury did not help matters, but Egan would not use it as an excuse, instead rueing their efficiency in front of the posts when they had the man advantage after Kevin Finn’s black card late in the first half.

“In the first half, we didn't get into it, but with the wind, it was still manageable, you would say,” Egan told the Western People. “But the killer was that first 10, 12 minutes in the second half when we probably owned the ball. We pressed them in, we boxed them in, but just our efficiency in attacking that 10 minutes was nowhere near good enough. They withstood that and kind of drove on then into the second half. That's probably the main why.

“In the first half, their ability to win breaking ball kind of created runners and hence why the goal chances happened.

“It wasn't for lack of trying into the second half, but some days, look, you come up against a team and, you know, it just doesn’t work. Good luck to Strokestown, they're good team.” 

 A collision between Carney with Ciaran Kilcoyne late in the first half was the beginning of the end of the Mayo senior star’s day. Despite his best efforts, he clearly struggled to play and was hooked at the break.

“He just wasn't [able to continue] in fairness. It wasn't for lack of trying but we needed bodies out there that were fully capable, but I don't think losing Jack was the biggest why as to why lost the game.” 

Stephen Staunton kicked a marvellous two-pointer, along with a point from Colin Hastings, to bring it back to six at the start of the final quarter, but their failure to score when Strokestown were temporarily down to 14 men meant they no further damage was inflicted and the Roscommon champions ended Kilmeena hopes with their third goal shortly after.

“In fairness, that wind was quite awkward to kick into. But some of the end results of our attacks in that period, it didn't work. We needed to score, and we didn't and Strokestown restored that and broke on the counter.

“Some days you just have to go home and reflect on it, and we will over the winter and we'll see what happens then.” 

It is a bitter end to Egan's men for 2025 but Kilmeena will be back in senior football for next year when not many outside their own parish gave them much hope of bouncing back up so quickly. Coupled with young players making the breakthrough in Daniel Kelly, Conor Kelly and Cormac O'Malley, the future is very bright for Kilmeena.

“Obviously today being bitterly disappointing [but] in the context of the whole year, getting back up to senior and the way we try to play football.

“Only one team can win the Connacht competition, and we lost it today, but overall, on reflection, there is a huge amount to build on going into next year,” Egan concluded.