In the equivalent game last year an injury time goal saw Kildress snatch the points but there was to be no repeat this time round as they fell to a 2-6 to 1-12 defeat in their opening League game of 2022 at the increasingly impressive Red Knights venue.
In a very competitive first half, Kildress opened the scoring through Mattie McGuigan with play then see-sawing and goals from Corey Holland and Shea Quinn followed by three points in a row from Beragh leaving the sides all-square at half-time. The Red Knights continued with that unanswered scoring run on the re-start and four more points in a row in the first 20 minutes of the second half settled the game. Try as they might, the Tones just couldn’t pull back that deficit.
In a new-looking team Kildress were best served by Dean McNally, Enda McAleer Shea Quinn, Corey Holland, Matty McGuigan and Shea Murphy.
Kildress: Nathan McKernan| Aaron Loughran, Stephen McGurk, Chrissy McKenna | Stephen Loughran, Dean McNally, Johnny Connolly | Odhran O’Driscoll, Enda McAleer | Philip Lennon, Shea Quinn (1-0), Conor McAleer | Shea Murphy (0-2), Mattie McGuigan (0-3), Corey Holland (1-0) | Eoin Brannigan and Shea Loughran
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It was a double-defeat for Kildress as the Reserves went down by 3-11 to 3-14 in a game that had a bit of everything. Eoin Brannigan scored a penalty whilst Eoghan Gallagher saved one, with Conor Quinn and Ben Donnelly also scoring first-half goals. Kildress led by five at the break but could only tack on another four to Beragh’s 1-9 in the second half.
