Cloyne 0-18 Kilbrittain 0-15

Sunday May 17th Red FM Div 5 Hurling League Click here for more match photos >> Kilbrittain were in control from the whistle when they played Cloyne on Sunday May 17th in East Cork. The rain lashed for all of the first half, with a brief respite at half time and for ten odd minutes here and there in the second. Even with conditions as they were, from the get go Ronan Crowley was in flying form up the wing. Both he and Seán Sexton, playing in full forward, teamed up well to make use of the good dropping ball from Tomás Sheehan at centerback. Rinsing and repeating this formula saw Kilbrittain capitalise on the first half, with Sam Dewey, Keith Hunt and Josh O'Donovan also eager for any ball that came to them.

Eye on their prey: Kilbrittain's centerback Tomás Sheehan and Ronan Crowley chase down possession of the ball. With Mark Hickey abroad, his younger protegé Crowley, was the main freetaker, and he opened the scoring with a free and a '65 within minutes. Then Sexton broke the ball in the forward line and ran it to Luke Griffin, in space, who took his point. Crowley followed again, confidently rifling the next ball low over the bar. Cloyne were on the back foot and didn't seem to manage to get, nor keep, possession. Kilbrittain on the other hand were playing well as a team.

Sharpshooter Ronan Crowley takes a '65 as the heavens opened in Cloyne.

Paudie Brennan was putting in the work in midfield to secure any loose ball and made some good moves orchestrating ball to the wings. O'Donovan was also always on the look out for opportunities also. He spotted the long striped socks of Sexton who had run into space and passed the ball to him. Connecting, Sexton drove the ball onward into the hand of Griffin who converted for Kilbrittain's fifth point. Then when Cloyne fouled again, Crowley stepped up the mark, 65 meters out and fired the ball cleanly through the uprights.

Ardacrow native Seán Sexton eyes up his next move early in the first half. Moments later, Crowley was on the wing after winning possession off his mark. He zeroed in on Sexton waiting in the square and dropping the ball in high, albeit tight against the post where it was punted out by the goalkeeper after a small scuffle for possessio. Indeed, this goalkeeper was kept on his toes, with numerous runs by Sexton and Dewey into his territory at this time but Cloyne were about to get their first foothold in the game when they secured their first point down the other end. At some point here Kilbrittain got another point, between the rain and drying the camera we missed the scorer, possibly Hunt.

Kilbrittain's Paudie Brennan wars for possession with his Cloyne mark.

Cloyne made another play as the rain worsened and managed a nice point down the other end from their corner-back and then they managed another point in quick succession, giving them a bit of a breather from the initial black and amber onslaught.

But the pairing of Ardacrow's Sexton and the village's Crowley was not to be underestimated, Crowley indeed now almost an honorary Ardacrow man himself, having spent the last few years with Sexton at LJG Dairy. The two interacted as if it were second nature. From the long puck-out the ball was won by Sexton 30 meters out from goal. Harried by his mark Sexton turned and broke away, handpassing off to Crowley, who let fly for Kilbrittain's eight point. The next ball also made it's way back downthe field deep into Cloyne's half. There, one of Cloyne's backs retrieved the ball and made his way out of the back line. Sexton gave chase and dispossessed him, then he turned and took off back down the field soloing. Before he could be hooked he popped it over to Crowley who drilled it through the uprights like he owned the place.

Second nature: Kilbrittain's Sexton handpasses off to Crowley who lets fly for a point in the first half.

Whatever about owning the place, Kilbrittain indeed owned the half, with Cloyne outmaneuvered for the most part. The black and amber played a fast and powerful game despite the rain being so heavy and persistent. If it was dry we may have seen an even better display. Again, another point made it onto the board, but who it was we can't tell you - we can barely read our writing on the notebook as the ink ran with the deluge and those in the unroofed dugout huddled in place. If anyone does know do let us know and we'll amend. When Kilbrittain were called for a rare foul in this half, Cloyne converted and then sent another point over the bar as both teams neared the break. Kilbrittain managed a tenth point, again we're not sure by whom, but for a finish Crowley sounded out the half with the sides 12th point, after shouldering past Cloyne's half back and letting fly from center field.

Kilbrittain's Ronan Crowley shoulders past Cloyne's half back. HALFTIME Kilbrittain 0-12 Cloyne 0-05

Cloyne to their credit regrouped at halftime and came out with more vigour in the second half. But first, O'Donovan won the throw in and did well to bring the ball to Crowley who made a run for goal. The conditions didn't make it easy and Cloyne got lucky dispossessing him. Minutes later they converted the first point of the half. Crowley saw his next effort skin the uprights and out wide but he made sure moments later. Tomás, the elder Sheehan brother, was doing well at centerback throughout the match picking out free men and he found Crowley running into space. Lobbing the ball in front of him, Crowley pointed it over the bar.

Kilbrittain's Tomás Sheehan won't let Cloynes hurles come between him and the ball.

A free and another point followed for Cloyne before Luke, the elder Griffin brother, took control of possession in the half forward line. He turned and passed off to Brennan in midfield. From a difficult position, with little space afforded to him by his mark, Brennan did well, launching the ball high through the uprights for Kilbrittain's 14th point.

Kilbrittain's Sam Dewey keeps a tight grip on the ball.

Cloyne had become a focused outfit however and began to come back into the game, play by play. They started with focusing on the big guns of Kilbrittain's half back line to try and curb the balls being rained down in their territory which had been feeding Crowley, Sexton, O'Donovan, Griffin, Dewey and Hunt. With the balls reduced and a breather given to their back line they could focus on their own scoring. While the Sheehan's, and James Hurley, worked hard to keep them away from the goalmouth the eastmen were adept at taking scores from out the field.

Kilbrittain's corner back James Hurley retrieves the ball in the second half.

Taking their points they slowly edged up the digital scoreboard which at that point read 0-14 to 0-08. Over the next ten minutes they racked up six unanswered points. the first from a '65 and the fourth from a free so that as the game pushed into the last ten minutes they'd brought the game level to 0-14 a piece.

Kilbrittain were still packing a punch physically too though. Young Adam Griffin, the younger of the two brothers, was impressive at wingback, with a hunger for winning difficult balls and Séamus O'Sullivan, Brennan and Griffin the elder were busy too.

Wing back Adam Griffin bombs away from trouble as he escapes Cloynes clutches soloing the ball upfield. A reshuffle of the team, brought Sexton back into midfield while O'Neill was brought up from the corner to join him. Brennan was moved to the wing and young Griffin crossed to the other wing. This all in an effort to quell some of the control Cloyne had garnered over the last period.

Kilbrittain needed a break and deft Crowley was on hand again, making the most of Kilbrittain's first opportunity on the ball in minutes, he catapulted it quickly over the crossbar, rousing the side and supporters, as the rain lashed on.

Kilbrittain's Ronan Crowley turns and races up the wing ball in hand.

A free for Cloyne followed however to even the sides again, before another free saw Cloyne edge ahead, 0-16 to 0-15. Fresh on the field for Kilbrittain, Gavin Kenny got stuck in in the forward line and O'Donovan and Griffin were making tracks too, but Cloyne, buoyed up by home support drove on, rifling over another point and then another as the game edged into injury time.

A scuffle at the end, up by the Cloyne dugout, saw tensions rise, but the eastsides trainers were a credit to their club, holding their lads to account as the melee dispersed. As the rain eased a touch the referee then called time on the game.

Kilbrittain's Séamus O'Sullivan hooks his man as they race up the wing. While the excellent start in difficult conditions was dimmed somewhat by the loss for a finish, it certainly wasn't a bad match for what it was and if anything it's made us more eager to watch the next one. As the lads stretched briefly after the match on the wet ground, Cloyne's manager approached to offer his congratulations to the players on their achievements last year, adding that they were a credit to Cork and it's where Cloyne would love to be. His gracious words somewhat brightening the Kilbrittain side's day before they dispersed for a hot shower and some dry clothes.

Scorers: R.Crowley(0-05)(0-02F)(0-02'65), L.Griffin(0-01), P. Brennan (0-01) Unattributed (0-03) Team: David Desmond, Éoin O'Neill, James Hurley, Eóghan Byrne, Adam Griffin, Tomás Sheehan, Colm Sheehan, Josh O'Donovan, Paudie Brennan, Ronan Crowley, Keith Hunt, Luke Griffin, Sam Dewey (Inj Sub: Gavin Kenny), Seán Sexton and Séamus O'Sullivan. Mikolaj Kalitka.