One of Kildress’ most controlled displays in a long time saw them through this Reserve Championship Semi-Final against Greencastle by 1-8 to 0-5 in the pouring rain earlier tonight on a Greencastle pitch that stood up brilliantly well to all that the weather could throw at it.
If there was a flaw in the Tones’ display, it was their passing up of a series of gilt-edged scoring chances in the first half, including the dropping of at least half-a-dozen efforts short and into the goalkeeper. But the longer the game went on, the tighter the Kildress grip became, as if they were adamant that those missed chances were not going to be costly.
Greencastle opened the scoring with an early point, and Kildress lost Altan McCrory to an early injury, but The Tones then started to take control of things and moved into a two-point lead. Two good goal and several point chances were created but passed up by Kildress, though Greencastle too had their share of wides, but late in the half a direct ball in was finished to the net by Shea Quinn, helping The Tones to a 1-4 to 0-4 half-time lead.
Greencastle again opened the scoring on the re-start but it turned out to be their only score of the half as Kildress played a possession and quick-breaking game to perfection and steadily added a further four points as the rain teemed down. Greencastle never relented, but too often their final ball in went just that bit too far, or their play was closed down by a very tight Kildress defence.
On a night when every Kildress player impressed, particularly in their ball handling given the conditions, Nathan McKernan’s kicking proved to be very important, Jack Loughran was resolute at full-back and Shea Loughran and Niall Connolly real dynamos in the half-line. At centre-field Conor McAleer was just masterly and the number of his possessions must have gone off the scale. In an attack that also provided a big part of Kildress’ defensive effort, Shea Quinn, Caolan Mullin, Adam Connolly, Damian Kelly and Marty Grimes were constant presences and Ben Donnelly frequently stretched the home defence.
Brian McCallion’s well-judged refereeing helped greatly to produce a very attractive game in the conditions.
