December football poses a lot of challenges for players, but both Kildress and Greencastle rose to them well today and produced a strongly-contested game that ultimately delivered the League II title to the St Patricks on a 1-9 to 0-10 score-line. Although it was a ‘ten-scores-to-ten’ game, over the hour Greencastle kicked more wides than Kildress and in the end were deserving of their victory.
This was a tight and gruelling game throughout, the wind and wet, heavy, slippery conditions making it tough for players. At the first water-break it was four points apiece, at half-time Greencastle led by one, despite playing into that strong wind, and at the end triumphed by two, having withstood some strong late Kildress pressure.
The winning of the game was a 1-2 burst that the St Patricks delivered in the third quarter, this giving them a four-point cushion, a strong lead on the day that was in it. Kildress rallied back hard, but Greencastle produced good spells of nerveless possession football and saw the game out, despite a late, loud call for a Kildress penalty.
A changed Kildress team played very well, with particularly good showings from MJ Connolly, the Holland brothers, Tiernan McNamee, Shea Loughran and the full-forward line (which claimed all ten Kildress scores) of Matty McGuigan, Shea Murphy and Marty Grimes.
The game completes our 2021 season and cemented The Tones’ in fourth place in their first season back in Division II after a two-year absence.
Ultimately this was our neighbours’ day however, and Kildress’ full congratulations go to them on a hard-won League title. Ba dual daoibh é!
Kildress: | MJ Connolly | Aaron Loughran, Callum Holland, Tiernan McNamee | Jonny Connolly, Dean McNally, Shea Loughran | Philip Lennon, Paraic Lagan | Stephen Loughran, Shea Quinn, Corey Holland | Matty McGuigan (0-6), Shea Murphy (0-3), Marty Grimes (0-1) | Marty Loughran, Eoin Brannigan, Adam Connolly, Enda McAleer
