Victory is Long time coming for Killala
Kilmovee and Killala players tussle for possession at midfield during the Mayo GAA Treanlaur Catering Junior B Football Championship final at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park last Sunday. Picture: David Farrell Photography
It was a mark of Killala captain Matthew Long’s sense of perspective that amid all the jubilation following his side’s victory in MacHale Park on Sunday, before he accepted the junior ‘B’ trophy his very first words were to remember two men still with the club in spirit but alas not in body. Some things will always remain more important than football.
The sudden passing of Eddie Walsh in late September has left a huge void in Killala GAA who, as Long pointed out, were served impeccably by Walsh as both player and administrator and to whom the club is indebted for his role in the development of its facilities. The captain also assured the attendance that Ryan Moran “would have played a big part in this final” had he not passed tragically in February 2022.
Ryan Moran had cemented himself at corner-back having debuted just two years before his death.
“I hope the two of them are proud of us today,” said Matthew Long.
You can be sure they were smiling down through the clouds. Killala had just claimed their first county junior title – ‘A’ or ‘B’ – in 17 years.
The Seasiders were much the better team in the cold, blustery and very damp conditions at the county ground. Red hot, however, was the boot of full-forward Ben Stowe whose eight points from frees and 20th minute goal, allied with a storming midfield display by Ray Murphy, were major factors in north overcoming east.
“We’re absolutely delighted, relieved,” beamed Stowe afterwards.
“We had a tough year. Injuries came at the wrong time, took away from our squad, and we had a tough run in the championship, a few close draws. But we’re just absolutely delighted to bring back some silverware to Killala today and finish the year on a high note.
“Days like this are going to give us momentum and energy for next year and hopefully we can bring that in from the get-go and give it a right good shot at junior ‘A’.”
Kilmovee Shamrocks had threatened to make a real game of this in the first-half but their last score from play came as early as the 23rd minute and in the second-half the sum total of their scoring was three frees. Problem was, they already trailed by five points at half-time. In fact, Killala weren’t to know it but they had already scored enough to win their first junior ‘B’ title by the 26th minute, when captain Long had slammed home his side’s second goal. Long by name, leader by nature.
A competition that involves all exclusive junior clubs who failed to reach the quarter-finals of the ‘A’ championship, Kilmovee had been under pressure from the very first minute of this final, with a fumble of Sean Gildea’s kick by goalkeeper Killian Golden almost resulting in a goal but Killala settled for a pointed free by Ben Stowe.
Shamrocks led for the only time when Sean Horan opened their account with a glorious two pointer off the outside of his boot but by the time of their second score, another two pointer, this time from Peter Horan’s free, Killala had already flexed their muscle with Stowe adding four more points from frees, a two-pointer included, and Ray Murphy and Sean Gildea popping over one apiece from play.
The game was lit up by two goals at opposite ends in the space of sixty seconds. Killala’s energetic wing-back Michael O’Hora got forward to provide the final pass for Ben Stowe who drilled the ball low past Golden but Kilmovee responded from the very next attack, with a long ball into Peter Horan seeing the corner-forward roll the ball past Sean McAndrew off his left boot.
1-7 to 1-4 in Killala’s favour after 21 minutes, a Callum Sweeney point narrowed the margin to two points before arguably the game’s most telling score. Stowe offloaded to the onrushing Matthew Long and despite a full stretch block by Kilmovee captain Liam Moffatt, unfortunately for the full-back the ball skidded up off the greasy turf span into the top right corner of the net.
A sixth point from a free by Stowe, this one awarded for a Kilmovee defensive breach, and suddenly Killala were six points clear.
Sean Horan did convert a tricky self-won free at the heel of the half but Killala were very much in the ascendancy at the turnaround, 2-8 to 1-6.
Stowe and Peter Horan traded frees upon the restart before both teams sprang county minors of yesteryear to their respective full-forward positions – a heavily strapped Cathal Horan for Kilmovee and Andrew Farrell for Killala.
Horan, whose injury problems have been cruel luck on Shamrocks, was only a peripheral figure, as the direction of traffic was mainly the other way for the second-half. Ben Stowe, a free, and Ray Murphy added points to the Killala tally and while Peter Horan tagged one point back from a free, Kilmovee were very fortunate their net hadn’t bulged for a third time with five minutes to go.
Farrell and Matthew Keane freed up Stowe on the overlap but when his piledriver smashed off the post, there was a strong argument that referee Jamie Hoban should have awarded a penalty for goalkeeper Golden’s late hit on Keane in the build-up. Indeed Killala didn’t hit their first – and only – wide until the 59th minute, at which stage the result was beyond all doubt.
Another powerful run by Ray Murphy ended with Sean Gildea popping over his second – and Killala’s last – point before Sean Horan kicked a 64th minute free by way of consolation to Kilmovee whose attempt to in a first junior ‘B’ crown since 2017 fell six points short.
“There’s no excuse, we were beaten by a better team,” said Kilmovee joint manager Kieran Flatley.
“Killala were outstanding and they played very well. It didn’t happen for us and there’s no way of buttering it up, we were just beaten by a better team and that’s the top and bottom of it.”
The view in the opposition camp was naturally more upbeat.
“It’s great to get that win,” said Killala boss Martin Farrell. “The lads deserve it after all the hard work. I know things didn’t go right for them in the group stages but they knuckled down and we still had 25, 26, 27 at training every night,” he noted.
“I hope it’s a building stone for them to keep going. They’re good enough to keep pushing forward.”
Scorers – Killala: Ben Stowe 1-1-6 (1tpf, 6f), Matthew Long 1-0-0, Ray Murphy and Sean Gildea 0-0-2 each.
Kilmovee: Peter Horan 1-1-3 (1tpf, 3f), Sean Horan 0-1-1 (0-1f), Callum Sweeney 0-0-1.
Killala: Sean McAndrew; Kevin Walsh, Liam Maughan, Michael Gough; Michael O’Hora, Conor Gilvarry, Cian Monaghan; Callum McDonnell, Ray Murphy; Matthew Long, Rory McGuire, Michael Nealon; Matthew Keane, Ben Stowe, Sean Gildea. Subs: JJ Nealon (for O’Hora 41), Andrew Farrell (for Walsh 50), Aaron McDonnell (for M Nealon 58), Ronan Coyne (for Monaghan 60), Alan Murphy (for Long 60+2).
Kilmovee Shamrocks: Killian Golden; Sean Higgins, Liam Moffatt, Liam Boyle; Callum Sweeney, Liam Frain, Tom Horan; Oisin Duffy, Kevin Moffatt; Daragh Towey, Eoghain Duffy, Ronan Dunleavy; Gavin Duffy, Sean Horan, Peter Horan. Subs: Rob Kelly (for G Duffy ht), Cathal Horan (for Dunleavy 45), Thomas Rush (for Frain 51).
REF: Jamie Hoban (Westport)
