Two steps away from a quick return

Kilmainhamwood survived the challenge of St Michael's in a well-contested IFC quarter-final in front of a large crowd at Carnaross on Saturday night. 'They used to be good once' - that was my first thought after referee Brendan Darby ended the contest shortly after 8.0 - it could be attributed equally to both teams. Thirteen years ago Kilmainhamwood brought the Keegan Cup back to the tiny north Meath village only two years after the won the IFC title. Heady times for all involved with the club, but their fortunes have nose-dived since and last year they were relegated after fighting the good fight in the SFC basement for a couple of years. St Michael's won the IFC crown 20 years ago, but eventually returned to the grade on the way to the junior ranks and almost total anonymity until they won a JFC title as recently as 2005. Fair to suggest that both clubs are rebuilding. Fair also to suggest that both projects are still some way from completion. Keeping it simple proved difficult for both teams, but it provided the spectators with plenty of points to ponder, even if the points on the scoreboard were laboured. St Michael's managed three wides in as many minutes as they dominated the early exchanges and hardly gave Kilmainhamwood a look at the ball. The 'Wood's goalie, Michael Clarke was kept busy kicking the ball out and he also fielded some high centres which dropped short before his colleagues found a rhythm and reeled off three unanswered points. The pattern was predictable. Ray Madden, playing as an extra midfielder, won possession, either cleanly or from a pass and the ball was angled into the corner for Ray Magee to cause problems. Magee claimed two (one free) of those three points after Stephen Kiernan opened the scoring from a sixth minute free. Daithi Regan had St Michael's on the board from a free before the end of the first-quarter, but four points for the opening 15 minutes was a poor return for all the effort and energy which was expended. Ciaran Lynch sent over from play in the 17th minute, the first of his six points. That was as close as St Michael's would get before predictable Kilmainhamwood found an instant response. From the resultant kick-out Madden gained possession and combined with Padraig Owens and Michael Shankey to set up Kiernan for a goal. Kiernan converted a free soon after, but at the other end St Michael's were denied a goal when Clarke saved well at his near post after Regan ran all of 40 yards before unleashing a rasper. St Michael's introduced James Farrell for Philip Rogers in the 20th minute and the sides traded a brace of points each before the interval with Lynch (two frees) countering points from Magee (free) and Francis Owens as Kilmainhamwood took a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage to the dressing rooms. St Michael's wasted more chances in a third-quarter which produced a point apiece, a Lynch free was countered by Magee from play, which left Kilmainhamwood facing into the last 15 minutes with a five-point advantage (1-7 to 0-5). While St Michael's held their own on the scoreboard in the closing stages, they never looked capable of finding the goal they needed to ignite a recovery and Kilmainhamwood lived to fight another day. "We had to start the second-half well, we were ahead by five points at the interval and we have lost leads like that in earlier rounds, we kept it solid and they only managed a point in about 20 minutes" stated Kilmainhamwood manager Colm Kane. "We finished strongly and that is something I hope we can improve on the next day, we are in a semi-final because of the effort the players have made. "I'm proud of the players, coming down from senior can be a real challenge for a club and our target is to win the title, we are into the last four and we will have to see how we get on the next day," he added. For St Michael's it was a disappointing conclusion to a campaign which started with so much promise following a victory over Carnaross at Moynalty. Perhaps there was a touch of irony in the fact that the Carlanstown / Kilbeg combination played their last championship game of the year at the Carnaross venue? The Carnaross club had everything superbly organised and there were loads of stewards on duty throughout the ground which eased both entry and exit for all the spectators, which included Meath u-21 manager Colm O'Rourke. Kilmainhamwood - M Clarke; P Barber, S Smith, D Cunningham; M Shankey, S Mulligan, P Moran; A Farrelly, L Shankey; P Owens (0-1), F Owens (0-2, one free), H Corbally; R Madden, R Magee (0-4, three frees), S Kiernan (1-3, two frees). Subs - E Clarke for Moran 35 mins; D Russell for Corbally 58m. St Michael's - D O'Connell; M Rogers, D Flood, D Reilly; S Gaffney, P Rogers, R Briody; F O'Reilly, B Ryan; JB O'Reilly (0-1), J Reilly, P Clinton; K Cassidy, D Regan (0-1, free), C Lynch (0-6, five frees). Subs - J Farrell for P Rogers 20 mins; R Farrell for J Reilly half-time; M reilly for Clinton 45m; T Moriarty for D Reilly 47m; T Halpin for Ryan 57m. Referee - Brendan Darby (Ballinabrackey)