Kilmeena find bit extra to goal down Caltra
Jack Carney was outstanding for Kilmeena as the Mayo intermediate champions advanced to the Connacht semi-final after extra-time. Picture: Sportsfile
Jack Mulchrone goal’s early in extra-time was the difference in the end as Kilmeena advanced to the Connacht club intermediate semi-final after an afternoon of drama in Tuam Stadium.
Kilmeena were the better side for much of the first half, but they failed to translate that dominance onto the board, with some poor wides costing them. The big moment of the half arrived on 12 minutes when Colin Hastings looked through on goal, but he rolled his shot on goal wide of the post.
Jack Carney and John McGlynn were Kilmeena’s best performers of the first half, with the latter scoring four of his sides points but Caltra, aided by the fine shooting of Alan Naughton, reeled their opponents in before the break, with Naughton hitting two beautiful two-point frees, the second on the stroke of half-time to put them 0-9 to 0-8 in front.
The sides were neck and neck throughout the second half, with Mayo intermediate final hero Cormac O’Malley having a huge impact again off the bench with a pair of two-pointers. But Caltra sharpshooter Alan Naughton, who would finish with 0-17, punished Kilmeena from frees to get them back level down the home straight. Kilmeena trio Darragh Slattery, Darragh Keaveney and Cormac O’Reilly all had chances to win it in added time, but could not take them as the game went to extra-time.
A minute into the first period, Jack Mulchrone was quickest to react to Liam Moore’s point attempt coming ack off the post to poke it into the net. Slattery, Mulchrone and McGlynn ensured Kilmeena led by four at the end of the period but further frees from Naughton, including one outside the arc, gave Caltra hope.
Naughton’s sixteenth and seventeen points left two between them but man of the match Jack Carney, a colossus at both ends of the field, popped up with the insurance score for the West Mayo side, who will now play Sligo champions Coolaney-Mullinabreena in next Sunday’s semi-final.
Scorers – Kilmeena: John McGlynn 0-0-6 (2f), Jack Mulchrone 1-0-2, Cormac O’Malley 0-2-0, Liam Moore 0-0-3, Jack Carney and Darragh Slattery 0-0-2 each, Kevin Ryder and Ronan O’Donnell 0-0-1 each.
Caltra: Alan Naughton 0-3-11 (3 tpf, 8f), Mikey Mulryan and Keelan Murray 0-0-2 each.
Kilmeena: Paul Groden; Brian Durkan, Ciaran Kilcoyne, John Ryan; Colin Hastings, Stephen Staunton, Jack Carney, Kevin Ryder; Conor Kelly, Darragh Slattery, Ronan O’Donnell; Darragh Keaveney, John McGlynn, Liam Moore. Subs: Cormac O’Malley (for C Kelly 35), Daniel Kelly (for B Durkan 37), Luke Durkan (for Staunton 41), Aaron Murray (for D Kelly 52-56 blood sub), S Staunton (for O’Donnell 72).
Caltra: Odhran Loughrey; Shane Loughrey, Enda Murray, Evan Naughton; Mark Kelly, Luke Burke, Darragh McCabe; Robbie Greene, Owen Naughton; Luke Cosgrove, Eoin Ó Ceallaigh, Oisin Butler; Alan Naughton, Mikey Mulryan, Keelan Murray. Subs: Robert Kelly (for M Kelly 39), Conor O’Neill (for Cosgrove 41), Seán Butler (for O’Neill 60-inj), Cian Ó Ceallaigh (for Burke 70), M Kelly and Craig Naughton (for E Ó Ceallaigh and McCabe 78).
REF: Ronan Hynes (Sligo).
