Kilconly recover from opening round defeat

Prendergast hits 1-9 in win

By Darren Kelly

At Kenny Park

AFTER a surprise first round defeat to An Cheathrú Rua, Kilconly got their Intermediate Championship campaign back on track last Saturday thanks to three early second half goals.

In a five-minute spell, Brian O’Malley, David Prendergast and Jonathan Mannion got green flags to gain a 10-point cushion for Kilconly, but the Stephen Curley and Eoin Walsh managed side still needed four late Prendergast scores to steer them over the line.

Prendergast was fantastic nailing 1-9 in total, along with the industrious Daniel Concannon and captain Cian Davin. And they delivered without the injured Eoin Daly, who departed on 23 minutes, while Niall Daly sat out 10 minutes for a black card.

St. Brendan’s also had their woes with Eoghan Naughton given an early half-time breather when he checked Concannon off the ball on 27 minutes. Midfielder James Mulrooney was their star with two goals from midfield, while Karl Healy’s return from injury was welcome.

Despite two losses, St. Brendan’s can still stay in the championship if they beat An Cheathrú Rua in round three, even if that margin might need to be eight points.

Kilconly, however, are assured their place in the knockout stages as this eight-point victory supersedes their seven-point loss in round one, guaranteeing a positive scoring difference in a potential three-way mini league.

Following a few early misses, Kilconly fisted over scores from Prendergast and Sean Igoe before finding themselves in arrears.

St. Brendan’s were guilty of unforced errors but began their scoring with an Adam Farrell 11th minute point. When Niall Flynn and Cian Downey combined two minutes later, Mulrooney slotted to the net for his first major.

Flynn made it 1-2 to 0-2 on the quarter-hour before Kilconly, who managed to keep former Galway player Rory Cunningham quiet, replied through Prendergast and Concannon. Paddy Downey made it 1-3 to 0-4 for Jonathan Fitzmaurice’s men on 23 minutes.

Despite losing centre-back Eoin Daly, Kilconly jad overturned the deficit by half-time, taking advantage of the loss of Naughton for St. Brendan’s. Three Prendergast points left it 0-7 to 1-3 at the break.

Healy returned with the equaliser 50 seconds after the restart and then Kilconly found themselves down to 14 men when Niall Daly was given a black card for a foul on Diarmuid O’Brien. Down a man, this is where they produced their best spell.

Concannon fed Davin who played a perfect through ball for O’Malley’s goal on 35 minutes; the former added a point before newly introduced Paul Mannion set up Prendergast for the second green flag.

On 40 minutes, Paul Mannion and Davin were the instigators to supply Jonathan Mannion for another. Suddenly, Kilconly were 3-8 to 1-4 clear.Kian Murphy (two) and Paul Mannion put Kilconly 3-11 to 1-6 up on 45 minutes with Niall Brannelly and Paddy Downey pointing for St. Brendan’s. The boys in blue weren’t done as Healy forced a save from Shane Danaher on 47 minutes, the first of three from the Kilconly shot stopper.

St. Brendan’s got their second major through Mulrooney, while Healy (two), Eoghan Naughton and O’Brien reduced the deficit to 3-11 to 2-10 with four minutes remaining. However, they didn’t register again, and Prendergast completed Kilconly’s total with the final four points.

KILCONLY: S. Danaher; R. Morrin, C. Dunleavy, C. Mannion; B. Igoe, E. Daly, C. Davin; S. Igoe (0-1), N. Daly; B. O’Malley (1-0), D. Concannon (0-2), O. Daly; K. Murphy (0-2), D. Prendergast (1-9, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ’45), J. Moran. Subs: J. Mannion (1-0), for E. Daly inj., 23 mins; P. Mannion (0-1), for Moran, 37 mins; C. Steel, for O’Malley, 46 mins; B. Concannon, for O. Daly, 48 mins; C. O’Neill for S. Igoe, 52 mins.

ST. BRENDAN’S: S. Delaney; A. Muldoon, M. Doyle, G. McGuinness; D. O’Brien (0-1), M. Quinn, C. Maloney; J. Mulrooney (2-0), J. Wallace; E. Naughton (0-1), P. Downey (0-2), A. Farrell (0-1); R. Cunningham, N. Flynn (0-1), C. Downey. Subs: K. Healy (0-3), for C. Downey, half-time; N. Brannelly (0-1, free), for Farrell, 39 mins; S. Mooney, for Muldoon, 45 mins; P. Quinn, for Cunningham, 52 mins.

REFEREE: PJ Rabbitte

HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH: David Prendergast (Kilconly).