Cuala 1-23 Kilcormac Killoughey 1-09
It felt like a massive mismatch this afternoon in O’Moore Park as Cuala romped home to retain their Leinster Championship honours and leave themselves only a couple of hurdles away from another All Ireland Crown as they break until February.
Con O’Callaghan was again instrumental in the Dalkey side’s success with 1-02 today, with David Treacy once more showing his accuracy from the dead ball.
The champions completely dominated the first half of this game and held Kilcormac scoreless until the 24th minute.
Treacy opened their account with a converted ‘65 and Colum Sheanon scored 0-02 before O’Callaghan caught a ball out near the corner and made his now trademark run twisting Ger Healion and shooting from the narrowest of angles to see the deflected ball hit the net with only 12 minutes on the clock.
Treacy, Colm Cronin (2) and Con O’Callaghan (2) had made it 1-08 to no score before Ciaran Slevin converted the first of his four frees this afternoon, and less than a minute later, Conor
Mahon was lucky to get his stick on the end of a loose ball to squeeze it past Sean Brennan into the Cuala net to raise a flag and slightly close the gap. A Treacy free and one from play from Colm Cronin finished the scoring for Cuala before the break, with another converted free from Ciaran Slevin.
But it was to be a dramatic end to the first half, as goal scorer Conor Mahon was handed a red card and was asked to leave the field. It appeared that he had grabbed a hold of Cian O’Callaghan’s helmet grill, and then took a wild swing, connecting with the inside of Oisin Gough’s knee.
Kilcormac midfielder Thomas Geraghty got the second half started but Treacy again responded with another pin point free. The Offaly champions were awarded a penalty early but Slevin couldn’t beat Brennan who made a superb stop, spinning the ball out for a ’65, which Slevin did convert.
But every play that Kilcormac created Cuala seemed to have the answer and more. Daniel Currams added a score from play, but Colum Sheanon was at the other end to cancel it out. Peter Geraghty took his turn only to have his score negated by Treacy. A Slevin free converted at the start of the last quarter was again in vein as substitute Cian Waldron returned from play.
In the 19th, Geraghty made Kilcormac’s tally 1-08, but it was time for Cuala to turn the screw and close out the game. And they did so emphatically. Treacy (3) Jake Malone, Darragh O’Connell and Brian Fitzgerald all took turns to hit the target. Geraghty got one consolation score at the end for the challengers, but it was never going to be enough to close a 0-14 gap that Cuala so easily created as they finished deserving provincial champions for the second year running, and will now look toward February and the AIB All Ireland Championship.
Scorers for Cuala:
David Treacy 0-10 (9f, 1 65)
Con O’Callaghan 1-02
Colm Cronin 0-03
Colum Sheanon 0-03
Darragh O’Connell 0-02 (1f)
Jake Malone 0-01
Cian Waldron 0-01
Brian Fitzgerald 0-01
Scorers for Kilcormac-Killoughey:
Ciaran Slevin 0-4 (3f)
Conor Mahon 1-0
Thomas Geraghty 0-02
Peter Geraghty 0-02
Daniel Currams 0-01
Cuala:
1. Sean Brennan
2. Simon Timlin
3. Cian O’Callaghan
4. Oisin Gough
5. John Sheanon
6. Sean Moran
7. Paul Schutte
8. Jake Malone
9. Darragh O’Connell
10. Sean Treacy
11. Colm Cronin
12. David Treacy
13. Colum Sheanon
14. Con O’Callaghan
15. Nicky Kenny
Substitutes:
19. Cian Waldron for Paul Schutte (22)
23. Brian Fitzgerald for Nicky Kenny (44)
20. Niall Carty for David Treacy (55)
17. Ross Tierney for Darragh O’Connell (59)
18. Shane Stapleton for Con O’Callaghan (59)
Kilcormac/Killoughey
1. Conor Slevin
2. Killian Leonard
3. Ger Healion
4. Enda Grogan
5. Kevin Grogan
6. Damien Kilmartin
7. Jordan Quinn
8. Thomas Geraghty
9. Ciaran Slevin
10. James Gorman
11. Conor Mahon
12. Peter Geraghty
13. Stephen Leonard
14. Peter Healion
15. Daniel Currams
Substitutes:
17. Alan McConville for Peter Healion (15)
19. James Geraghty for James Gorman (52)
23. Conor Quinn for Stephen Leonard (58)
21. Brian Leonard for Ger Healion (59)
22. Cathal Mahon for Jordan Quinn (60)