Saffrons coast as Shan’ struggle

Killucan 2-19, Shandonagh 1-7

On Saturday evening last in TEG Cusack Park Killucan grabbed their second brace of points in this year’s championship with this destruction of a very disappointing Shandonagh.

Make no mistake their winning margin of 15 points does not flatter them in the least and in truth they could have won by more such was their utter domination of a Shandonagh side who slipped to a second successive defeat. This puts them into survival mode now and they meet The Downs in round three where they will be rank outsiders. Killucan's fine scoring total suggests they will have too much for Mullingar Shamrocks in the next round, but it will surely be much tighter.

Killucan were dominant in every position and kicked some absolutely superb scores from play over the hour and perhaps laid down a marker that they may yet have a say in the destination of the Flanagan Cup, but they will know they will face stiffer challenges than the dismal effort of their opponents on this occasion.

Killucan started like an express train with two excellent Devin Hill points and an Eamon Cunneen free had them ahead early before Adam Treanor pulled one back for Shandonagh with a fine score. Another Cunneen free and a fabulous outside of the boot strike from Cormac Boyle extended the Killucan advantage before Kevin Boyle got Shandonagh's second, but after Michael Doherty made a gut busting run and was denied, he fly-hacked across the square where Eoghan Ahearn was on hand to smash the opening goal for Killucan.

Sami Clarke extended that lead with the point of the half and Hill pointed a free but they were negated by a Brian Kavanagh free and Boyle with another beauty too narrow the deficit. It was short-lived, however, as Ahearn kicked two sublime scores in a row in as many minutes for the Saffron before Brendan Killian ended the first half scoring with a super solo strike but they trailed Killucan by 1-9 to 0-5 at the short whistle.

If the first half was dominated by Killucan then the second was even more so as Shandonagh retreated into a defensive shell and invited the Saffron on and that they did from the restart. Two Cunneen frees, Ahearn again with another fine point and Jason Gorman added another with his first kick after coming on as a sub and it was all so easy. It became easier when Shandonagh's Aaron Craig was shown a straight red card for an off the ball incident.

A Boyle mark and a solo score from Danny Scahill sparked a mini revival for Shan, but it was short-lived as Hill added to his tally before a marvellous goal from substitute Ciaran Doyle, again with his first touch, after a scything run from Sean Leech cut Shandonagh apart. Points followed from Sami Clarke, Leech, Eoin Keyes and a Hill free, each as good as the other as Shandonagh gave up the ghost rather timidly, but their best performer Adam Treanor showed some form of defiance with a brilliant goal that he personally deserved.

However, Hill finished the scoring with a routine strike after another excellent Killucan move that epitomised their dominance and superiority.

Scorers - Killucan: Devin Hill 0-6 (2 frees), Eoghan Ahearn 1-3, Eamon Cunneen 0-4 (all frees), Ciaran Doyle 1-0, Sami Clarke 0-2, Cormac Boyle, Eoin Keyes, Sean Leech and Jason Gorman 0-1 each.

Shandonagh: Adam Treanor 1-1, Kevin Boyle 0-3 (1 mark), Danny Scahill, Brendan Killian and Brian Kavanagh (free) 0-1 each.

Killucan: Lorcan Trainor, Gary Greville, Sam Smyth, Luke Darby, Cormac Boyle, Robbie Greville, Michael Doherty, Conor McKeogh, Eoin Keyes, Sami Clarke, Rory Keyes, Eamon Cunneen, Devin Hill, Sean Leech and Eoghan Ahearn. Subs: Darren Finn for Cunneen (35), Jason Gorman for McKeogh (43 mins), Ciaran Doyle for Ahearn and Jamie Mulkearns for Darby (47 mins), Gavin Flood for Doherty (50 mins).

Shandonagh: Conor Craig, Danny Scahill, Jack O’Brien, Ben Treanor, Cathal Craig, Adam Treanor, Gareth Carr, Brendan Killian, Aaron Craig, Darren Bitu, Luke Tynan, Cormac Coyne, Alan Hickey, Brian Kavanagh and Kevin Boyle. Subs: Daire Conway for Coyne (33), Zane Carroll for Tynan (38 mins), Cormac Gordon for Bitu (43 mins), Jake Costello for Kavanagh (47 mins).

Referee: Barry Pierce (St Mary's, Rochfortbridge).