Fennell’s goal decisive as Kilbeggan earn victory

Kilbeggan Shamrocks 1-15 Lisdowney (Kilkenny) 2-7

By Gerry Buckley

Kilbeggan Shamrocks had to battle all the way to shake off a gutsy challenge from Lisdowney in last Saturday’s first round tie in the Leinster club junior football championship, played in pleasant conditions in front of a small crowd at Lakepoint Park.

When the visitors pounced for a brace of quickfire goals early in the second moiety to lead by three points, a shock looked a distinct possibility. Ultimately, it needed a well-taken goal by the ever-dangerous David Fennell to nudge the men in maroon and white over the line and ensure a home game against Longford representatives Ballymore in the quarter-final next month.

The Kilkenny outfit had the aid of a useful breeze blowing towards the clubhouse end of the ground in the first half and they took the lead when the powerfully-built Aaron Fogarty converted a sixth-minute free from the ground after a foul on towering full forward Mick Kenny.

Niall O’Brien’s troops soon began to settle and they were rewarded with three unanswered and well-worked points from the boots of Nigel Scally (two) and Conor Delaney (one). However, they wasted two further scoring opportunities before the end of the opening quarter, from a ‘mark’ and a ‘45’.

The respective number 13s, Fennell and Eoin Kenny, then traded classy points. The men in blue and white hoops were soon narrowly wide with another brace of decent chances. Fennell was unlucky to see his shot come back off the upright and, in the follow-up, Shaun Pidgeon was blocked with a goal as his target.

Mick Kenny converted a free for the losers (after an unnecessarily-conceded ‘45’ was short of the target), but three late points from the Westmeath junior champions gave them a four-point cushion (0-7 to 0-3) at the break. The white flags were raised by Conor Delaney (two – a delightfully-curled effort from open play and a free) and Colin Draper (moments after Fogarty was wide via the butt of the post, following a great piece of fielding by Mick Kenny).

The Marble County men got off to a sensational start on the change of ends. A great point from Kevin O’Sullivan after 30 seconds preceded a rapid-fire brace of three-pointers, Fogarty and David O’Carroll both clinically finding the net, availing of fine assists from O’Sullivan and Liam Dunphy respectively, to lead by 2-4 to 0-7 with 34 minutes on the clock.

A routine free conversion by Delaney and a quality point from Scally reduced the deficit to the bare minimum by the 42nd minute. Fogarty came close to doubling his goal haul at the other end when Joey O’Neill advanced off his line. The respective number 11s, Pidgeon and Vinny Fitzpatrick, exchanged points to leave the men under the tutelage of Eoin Delahunty and Tony O’Hara a point to the good (2-5 to 0-10) at the end of the third quarter.

A point exchange between Fennell (a terrific score) and O’Carroll (a fisted effort when superbly picked out by Fogarty) ensued. Mick Kenny was wide from a ‘45’ before his opposite number Delaney tied up the scoring from a free after a foul on Fennell. Then came the game-clinching goal, with Fennell finding the net from close range after turning smartly at the end of a fine move. Delaney fired over a point from play within a minute to put the winners four clear (1-13 to 2-6) with five minutes of normal time remaining.

A patient Lisdowney move ended with that man Fogarty shooting very narrowly wide for a goal. On the hour mark, sub Killian Dunne made an instant impression with a neat point to leave a goal between the teams. However, Kilbeggan Shamrocks finished strongly with a point apiece from lively corner forwards Fennell (a ‘mark’) and Scally (a great score from play).

Scorers – Kilbeggan Shamrocks: D Fennell 1-3 (0-1m), C Delaney 0-6 (3f), N Scally 0-4, S Pidgeon, C Draper 0-1 each. Lisdowney: D O’Carroll, A Fogarty (0-1f) 1-1 each, V Fitzpatrick, K O’Sullivan, E Kenny, M Kenny (f), K Dunne 0-1 each.

Kilbeggan Shamrocks: Joey O’Neill; Sean Hanlon, James Fox, Martin Ward; Conor Carroll, Colin Draper, Micheal Coffey; Niall Carey, Brendan McMahon; Mark Wrafter, Shaun Pidgeon, Danny Scully; David Fennell, Conor Delaney, Nigel Scally. Subs used: Darragh Coffey for M Coffey (h-t), James Finnegan for Scully (inj., 43), Alan Fennell for Ward (48), Aidan Stone for Draper (53), Dean Fitzgerald for Pidgeon (60+3).

Lisdowney: Niall Grogan; Peter O’Sullivan, John Brennan, Jack Dunphy; Alan Dunphy, David O’Carroll, Dean Brophy; Willie Kenny, Brian Kavanagh; Kevin O’Sullivan, Vinny Fitzpatrick, Liam Dunphy; Eoin Kenny, Mick Kenny, Aaron Fogarty. Subs used: Peter Bergin for Brophy (36), Richard McEvoy for P O’Sullivan (36), Jimmy Delaney for E Kenny (43), Eibhan McEvoy for K O’Sullivan (50), Killian Dunne for Kavanagh (inj., 59).

Ref: Ultan McElroy (Louth).