Kiltale put to the sword by Kilmessan

Kilmessan have been involved in many SHC semi-finals in their time. Seldom have they been part of one as lop-sided as this encounter turned out to be at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening. Kilmessan showed all their old efficiency and ruthlessness to close out the game and set themselves up for another final showdown with Kildalkey on Sunday 10th October. Kilmessan will have Peter Reynolds available although he was sent-off on Saturday after 42 minutes. He picked up a second yellow card and while his team were reduced in numbers they still held the upper hand over their opponents. The more the evening wore on the worse it got for Kiltale who also ended the game a man short after TJ Lynch was red-carded. There was 56 minutes on the clock when Kiltale were reduced to 14 men. This time it was a straight red unhesitatingly produced by referee Fergus Smyth and shown to Lynch - who was only a few minutes on the field - after Ger O'Neill was left prone on the ground. O'Neill was carried off and later brought to hospital for tests. It took some time for the ambulance to get in and out of the Brews Hills venue as somebody had parked their car in the wrong place. It took a number of urgent pleas from hurling PRO Martin O'Halloran for the owner to take his vehicle from where he had literally abandoned it. The sight of O'Neill been carried off the pitch motionless on the stretcher was one of the low points of the evening and there was no shortage of those for Kiltale. Kilmessan didn't need to be any more than tidy and efficient to win this one as they quickly established a foothold before turning up the heat and pulling away with ease with Danny Maguire helping himself to two goals. The final scoreline didn't reflect the dominance Kilmessan enjoyed in this game. Kiltale's goal from the evergreen Cathal Sheridan came three minutes into added time and merely put a little respectability on the final scoreline. Kiltale's evening could be summed up in the stark statistic that only John Donoghue managed to get a point from play in the opening half while Peter Durnin notched up three points from frees. While Kilmessan had 15 players on the field they also had at three others who played their part in this victory. These were the 'towel-men' who were strategically located at various points around the pitch. Every time they got an opportunity they were out with the towel to give to Kilmessan players to dry off their sticks, particularly if they were about to take a free or a '65.' It was the kind of common sense planning that helped Kilmessan on a drizzly, wet evening. It is also the kind of organisation that can help a team over the line in a tight game; a small thing that can make a difference. Not that Kilmessan required too many extra aids to win this game which was effectively over at the interval when they led by 2-6 to 0-2. From very early on it was obvious that Kiltale, particularly the Kiltale team that dismantled Dunboyne, didn't turn up for this one. Manager Paul Regan looked a bemused figure on the sideline as he sought to make changes and switches that might turn the tide. An early warning for him and his charges came after just six minutes when a Kilmessan move down the right ended up in the first goal of the game. Richie Donnelly and Charlie Keena were involved in getting the ball forward. Keena's pass looked to be hit a fraction too hard and was on it's way out over the line. Kiltale defenders were happy to guide the ball over the line. O'Neill had other ideas and he stretched out and hooked the ball back across the square where Maguire was waiting to fire to the net from a metre or two out. It was a classic case of never giving up on a cause and O'Neill deserved credit for persisting when the Kiltale backs had thought the ball was dead. On 21 minutes Kilmessan grabbed their second goal. Another move down the right ended with Peter Reynolds and Keena getting the ball to Maguire who once more slotted home. Shortly afterwards rampant Kilmessan almost got a third. Maguire passed to Kevin Keena and his shot was well saved by Kiltale's netminder Shane McGann. Mopping up most of the breaking ball around midfield Kilmessan were rarely short of ammunition for their forwards and it is measure of how well they did up-front that five of their six starting forwards scored. Nicky Horan missed a few frees he might have been expected to pop over yet he also contributed a couple of excellent long-range scores from placed balls in his tally of seven points. Charlie Keena and Eoin Marsh were others who contributed fine scores. William Mahady was excellent, but he was just one of the few Kiltale players who performed near their best and showed any real spark. John Donoghue and Padraig Donoghue were others who put in a lot of work. Not surprisingly Mahady was involved in the creation of Kiltale's goal when he passed to Sheridan who did well to steer the ball home in the dying seconds. It was a mere consolation. SCORERS Kilmessan - Danny Maguire 2-0; N Horan 0-7, five frees, two '65s'; E Marsh 0-1; G O'Neill 0-1; C Keena 0-1. Kiltale - P Durnin 0-3, frees; C Sheridan 1-0; J Donoghue 0-1. THE TEAMS Kilmessan - C Curtis; E Horan, S Clynch, P McGovern; M Horan, J Keena, P Reynolds; R Donnelly, P Farrell; N Horan, E Marsh, K Keena; C Keena, G O'Neill, Danny Maguire. Subs - P Grimes for Farrell 38 mins; S Brennan for E Horan 51m; Darren Maguire for O'Neill 59m. Kiltale - S McGann; S White, S Carroll, D Donoghue; S Donoghue, P Donoghue, W Mahady; I Douglas, D Dixon; M O'Sullivan, J Donoghue, P Kelly; P Durnin, B Dixon, J Kelly. Subs - D Kane for White 21 mins; C Sheridan for Douglas half-time; T J Lynch for D Dixon; P Garvey for Kelly. Referee - Fergus Smyth (Blackhall Gaels).