Kilbrittain 3-14 vs. St.Colums 1-10

Easter Sunday April 5th Carbery Div 1 Hurling League For all images from the match see Match Photos here >

Kilbrittain's junior hurlers hosted St. Colums this past Easter Saturday in their second match of the Carbery Div 1 Hurling League. On a delightfully sunny day in Kilbrittain, while cold there was a good atmosphere around the place, not due in part to the pre match and halftime music supplied from the banks by Crowley Car Radio, match commentary lacking on the day, but surely to come... Patrick O'Mahony opened scoring first for the black and amber, with a lovely point off a good offload from Mark O'Shea while St.Colums corner forward Cian Kelleher struck a free for the visitors in reply, so that both teams were on the scoreboard within the first two minutes. Then when Kilbrittain's Keith Hunt lobbed the ball in for a point but it dropped short, Paudie Brennan was on hand to clear up inside and he raised the green flag to put Kilbrittain on their way. To St. Colums credit their left wing forward Rob Cronin made a strong effort down the other end and pointed over for the men in orange, before Hunt, doing well to win possession around the center-forward line, pointed over for Kilbrittain from 30 meters out.

Kilbrittain's Paudie Brennan fends off JD O'Sullivan of St. Colums as he solos through midfield.

Both sides were firing on all cylinders to win the breaking ball but St. Colums came out the better for it over the next few minutes, securing a point from play from Tadhg Crowley and a free from corner forward DJ O'Brien. Then Hunt pointed over again after some excellent interplay from Séamus O'Sullivan and Sam Dewey around the half-backline and midfield.

St. Colum's Mike Riordan and Kilbrittain's Sam Dewey race for a loose ball. St. Colum's were unlucky to find themselves with three wides back to back under pressure from Kilbrittain's defensive lines, Charlie Kenny and Kevin O'Neill to the fore, leading an attacking style of defence. Across the midfield and halfward lines, nice movement was orchestrated by O'Sullivan, Dewey, Brennan, O'Mahony and Lyons, reminiscent of the freeflowing, fun and creative play enjoyed by onlookers in some particular matches that come to mind from 2022 and 2023. John Ryan found a bit of ball coming into his corner which he did well to keep out and when Kenny won the next ball in the backline he brought it to O'Sullivan who with vision found Brennan free of his mark. He sent the ball to sharpshooter Eamonn Lyons who was eagerly awaiting delivery in around the square. Connecting, he let the ball fly at his ease for Kilbrittain's second goal of the day.

Séamus O'Sullivan commands midfield. To St. Colum's credit they retaliated in force, sending their own wave of a attack down the field. Full forward Jamie McSweeney brought the ball to midfielder Tadhg Cronin who was lying in wait and he rattled the net to make the scoreboard interesting with just three points between the teams, 2-03 to 1-04. Kilbrittain needed to reply astutely and signal it wouldn't be that easy to pull away from them and so when O'Mahony found himself in possession he soloed the ball into space before letting the ball soar over the bar to put another point between the teams.

Kilbrittain's Patrick O'Mahony takes on St. Colums JD O'Sullivan. We had it that O'Brien helped St. Colum's recoup that point with a free moments later and another point when he capitalised on an opportunisitic ball that he intercepted wonderfully and pointed over, which would've brought St. Colums to six points however one must've been considered wide by the referee, whose score naturally always stands, and at the break he had them at just five. In either case two wides followed for the visitors, before Kilbrittain won a free which Hunt stood over and duly pointed through the uprights. At the break it was 2-05 to 1-05.

Keith Hunt takes a free in the first half.

HALFTIME: Kilbrittain 2-05 St. Colums 1-05

O'Brien was doing well for St. Colums so far and he started the second half as he meant to go on, with another point not a minute in. However, two frees in quick succession for Kilbrittain, helped them to keep the lead, Hunt pointing over first before reliable Lyons followed. Then St. Colum's Rob Cronin made an impressive run through the forward line before letting fly for an excellent point down the other end. O'Brien followed with a handy point tapped over the bar to bring the score to 2-7 to 1-08 with five minutes gone in the second half.

Star forward for St. Colums, DJ O'Brien takes a free in the second half. While St. Colum's were playing well, Kilbrittain were about to hit cruise control and step their teamwork up a gear with some good looking interplay. Heralding the start of Kilbrittain's purple patch Dewey belted his first point of the season over the bar from a well taken effort. Then after a dropping ball saw a melee for possession in around the forward line, young Cillian Harrington did well before O'Shea won the ball and passed it out to O'Mahony who was in space. He threw back the shoulders and sent the a tall ball sailling through the uprights at his ease. St. Colums managed a free in front of goal down the other end, which we think was from O'Brien again, but that would be their last score for another while. While around the pitch they were putting in some hard graft, from fullback JB O'Connell through the halfback line of Mike Riordan, Alan Kelleher and Anthony O'Sullivan, they did have a fight on their hands against Dewey, O'Sullivan and Brennan. St. Colum's brothers Tadhg and Gearoid at midfield tag teamed creatively an made some neat runs at the Kilbrittain halfback line where they met Kilbrittain's Coolmaine brothers Gavin and Charlie Kenny working well to defend.

Kilbrittain's Charlie Kenny and Eoghan Byrne challenge St. Colum's Jamie McSweeney and Dan Andrews for the ball.

Lyons sent an outstanding long range free over the bar next before Hunt chanced for a goal from his free. From a Lyons sideline, O'Sullivan mastered the ball and brought it to Dewey. Dewey found Cathal O' Callaghan, fresh on the field, who made tracks with the ball but was fouled not 15 meters from goal. Hunt stood over it and made, in our eyes, a good decision to chance the goal. It was a perfect time to practice it in a match setting with Kilbrittain up 2-10 to 1-09. One day, a pressure free for a goal will depend on that practice by Hunt, so while it didn't work out here it was important to try. Kilbrittain didn't lose out, a minute later Lyons was over the ball for another free and he pointed over.

St.Colum's Jamie McSweeney runs into Kilbrittain backs Eóghan Byrne and Ivan Burke.

Defensively Kilbrittain were strong, with Ivan Burke finding a lot of ball falling to him, while Eoghán Byrne, O'Neill and Kenny were contesting every ball with eye catching skill. O' Callaghan found himself with the ball next and ran up the sideline before popping a handy point over the bar for himself. St. Colum's were bracing around the pitch, wing-back Anthony O'Sullivan bravely breaking a hurley in an effort to stop O'Shea from striking by the sideline.

St. Colum's Anthony O'Sullivan bravely goes to block Kilbrittain's Mark O'Shea's strike breaking his hurley as he goes. Then, the reliable shoulders of Séamus O'Sullivan swung wide and launched a rocket of a ball down the field from a good 65 meters out to pin O'Sullivan's name to the scoreboard, where it belongs. 2-13 to 1-09St. Colum's were under pressure to respond and, in fairness, they drew a brilliant full length stretched save off Kilbrittain's Owen McCarthy, in goal, with minutes left on the clock. It had been a while since Kilbrittain put pressure on St. Colum's goalmouth, so, perhaps inspired, they made the most of their own opportunity moments later.

Conor O'Donovan wins possession before offloading to Lyons for Kilbrittain's third goal. A tussle for possession by the sideline 50 meteres outsaw Conor O'Donovan and Mark O'Shea challenge St. Colum's Alan Kelleher and Anthony O'Sullivan for the ball. O'Donovan came out of the contest ball in hand and handpassed to Eamonn Lyons lying in wait, as lions do, a few yards away. He collected and belted the ball down field, as if for a point. Dropping sharply, it fell just behind the goalkeeper into the back of the net with five minutes left to the whistle. Kilbrittain were now leading well 3-13 to 1-09.

Eamonn Lyons dropping ball from midfield heads into the back of the St. Colums net. St. Colums to their credit, pushed hard for the last few minutes. Indeed it just goes to show how a bunch of people could be at a match and we'd all have different scores, we thought Kilbrittain missed their next free but it must've gone over, while St. Colum's could've had three points on the board where they just had the one, but the referees final score is what matters. All that being said, while St. Colums could be a dark horse to watch in their championship later this season, with three goals on the board and going home with a hefty bag of points, Kilbrittain were out the gap on this occasion anyway, 3-14 to 1-10.

Kilbrittain's Ivan Burke and St. Colum's Jamie McSweeney tussle for control of a loose ball.

Kilbritttain Scorers: P. O'Mahony (0-03), P. Brennan (1-0), K.Hunt (0-02)(0-02F), E.Lyons (2-0)(0-03F), S.Dewey (0-01), S. O'Sullivan (0-01) C.O'Callaghan (0-01) Kilbrittain: Owen McCarthy, Kevin O'Neill, Ivan Burke, John Ryan, Gavin Kenny, Eoghán Byrne, Charlie Kenny, Séamus O'Sullivan, Padraig Brennan, Sam Dewey, Keith Hunt, Mark O'Shea, Pat O'Mahony, Eamonn Lyons and Cillian Harrington. Subs: Conor O'Donovan, Shaye Ustianowski, Cathal Callaghan. St. Colums Scorers: DJ.O'Brien (0-01)(0-04F), J.McSweeney (1-0) R.Cronin (0-02),T.Cronin (0-02), UN (0-01)

St. Colums: Sé O'Mahony, Seán Cronin, JB O'Connell, Martin Hurley, Mike Riordan, Alan Kelleher, Anthony O'Sullivan, Tadhg Cronin, Gearoid Cronin, Rob Cronin, Dan Andrews, JD O'Sullivan, DJ O'Brien, Jamie McSweeney and Cian Kelleher