A pair of late frees, a stunning solo goal, and a crucial pass from Barry Walsh proved the difference as Killeagh narrowly defeated Na Piarsaigh in a high-scoring affair in Midleton.
In a tightly contested match where both teams traded blows, Barry Walsh’s influence ultimately secured the victory. His successful free throws on the 55th and 57th minutes, along with a Ryan McCarthy point (assisted by a powerful run from deep by Andy Long), gave Killeagh a three-point advantage.
Daire Connery, having a stellar scoring night, lined up for his ninth shot, but it sailed narrowly wide – his only miss of the evening. A fourth consecutive point from Seán Long appeared to seal the deal for Killeagh as the game entered injury time.
However, the drama wasn’t over. Hanafin drew a foul in the final seconds, resulting in a penalty that Connery converted emphatically into the bottom corner. The gap was reduced to a single point, with one minute remaining.
Philip O’Neill’s subsequent puckout led to a spectacular catch by Barry Walsh, who then set up Cathal Fitzgibbon for a point, putting the finishing touches on an outstanding defensive performance and providing crucial insurance.
The final scoreline, reflecting a combined total of 54 points, highlights the incredible skill and intensity displayed by both teams.
Na Piarsaigh, trailing by a single point at halftime (largely due to Padraig Guest’s late goal), came out firing in the second half. The introduction of substitute Cian Hogan injected energy into midfield, and his equalizing point in the 37th minute leveled the score at 0-17 to 0-14.
From that point onward, the margin between the two sides rarely exceeded two points. The lead changed hands repeatedly. A brief Na Piarsaigh advantage in the 41st minute was quickly overturned by points from Seán Long and Barry Walsh, swinging momentum back towards Killeagh.
Ross O’Sullivan was exceptional for Na Piarsaigh, converting all five of his scoring attempts. His fourth point, a remarkable effort, put his team back in front by the 45th minute.
However, the see-saw battle continued. A long ball eluded both Barry Walsh and Dylan McCarthy, creating a scramble from which Colm Leahy couldn’t secure possession. Ryan McCarthy pounced, finding space to fire the ball into the roof of the net, putting Killeagh ahead 1-21 to 1-19 after 48 minutes.
Just 90 seconds later, Na Piarsaigh were level once more, only for Barry Walsh to produce another moment of brilliance. Under intense pressure from three defenders, he broke free and unleashed a powerful shot into the net, making it 2-21 to 1-21.
Despite this setback, Na Piarsaigh refused to surrender. Within five minutes, they had equalized again. But Killeagh’s composure in the closing stages – even with the late penalty scare – proved decisive.
The quality of play was equally impressive in the first half. Both sides deployed sweepers and an extra midfielder, opting to play with just one full-forward. Brendan Delaney performed the sweeper role for Killeagh, with Evan Lane dropping back into the middle third. Na Piarsaigh varied their setup, with Owen Galvin acting as the spare man until replaced by Hogan before halftime.
That substitution preceded Guest’s goal, a well-executed diagonal ball into the corner, where he evaded Patrick O’Brien and finished low to the net. This left Killeagh with the narrowest of leads, 0-14 to 1-10, at the break.
Killeagh had worked hard to establish that advantage, responding to an early 0-2 to 0-0 deficit by leveling the scores within five minutes. A Barry Walsh free put them ahead, and three swift points opened up a 0-7 to 0-4 gap. By the 21st minute, they had extended their lead to five, the largest of the game.
But from beginning to end, this was a classic encounter. Packed with skill, determination, and plenty of dramatic moments.
: Barry Walsh (1-8, 0-8 f), R McCarthy (1-3), S Smiddy, S Long (0-4 each), E Lane (0-3), D McCarthy, Ben Walsh, R Long, C Fitzgibbon (0-1 each).
: D Connery (1-8, 1-0 pen, 0-3 f), R O’Sullivan (0-5, 0-1 f), P Guest (1-1), C Hanafin (0-3), K Moynihan, C Hogan (0-2 each), P Murphy, C Meaney, L Sheehan (0-1 each).
: P O’Neill; B Delaney, P O’Brien, A Keniry; A Walsh, D Walsh, Ben Walsh; S Long, C Fitzgibbon; R Long, R McCarthy, S Smiddy; Barry Walsh, D McCarthy, E Lane.
Colm Leahy for R Long (43), Ciarán Leahy for Lane (55).
L Donovan; K Buckley (c), C Flynn, G Joyce; P Murphy, C Buckley, C Meaney; G Healy, C Hanafin; K Moynihan, D Connery, P Guest; P Rourke, R O’Sullivan, O Galvin.
: C Hogan for Galvin (29), L Sheehan for Rourke (49), E Sheehan for Meaney (51).
Patrick O’Mahony (Kilbrittain)
