Kilmainham 2-11 Dunderry 0-15 

Kilmainham and Dunderry travelled to Seán Newman Park on Saturday afternoon for this first round match of the Intermediate Championship. Kilmainham were hoping to keep the winning momentum from the league going into championship.  

Mickey Newman had the ball in the Dunderry net with just 55 seconds gone to give Kilmainham the perfect start. Newman was on score board again as he increased his team’s lead by one after a great turnover in the Kilmainham defence and good running from Conor Kilgallen. Kilgallen got his own score a minute later after great work from Newman and Dylan Morgan. Dunderry got on the scoreboard on the 5th minute with a pointed free before following it up with another free and a point from play. Morgan responded for his side with a well taken score from play off his right. This left Kilmainham leading 1-03 to 0-03 with just 8 minutes gone. Over the course of the next 10 minutes Kilmainham had chances to go further ahead but they just didn’t come off.  Dunderry kicked  3 points in that time leaving the teams level heading into the last 10 minutes of the half. Morgan added a free on 19 minutes after Freddie Newman did well to win back the ball after initially losing it to pass it out to Morgan before he was fouled. Newman added another free before he kicked a great point from play after Declan Mullen hassled well in defence getting the ball out to Dean Peppard. Mullen found Newman with great pass and Mickey slotted it over. Kilmainham will be disappointed not have added to their tally before half time and were lucky to go in a point up after great defending from Seanie Mahon forcing a wide just before half time. Dunderry added another free soon after to leave the score 1-06 to 0-08 at the interval.  

Dunderry were first off the mark in the second half with a score from play to draw the teams level again. With 2 minutes gone Kilmainham found the Dunderry net again but this time it was corner forward Morgan with the well taken goal after he was found by Newman. Morgan added another with a point from a well taken mark. Kilmainham led by 4 with just 5 minutes gone. Just like the first half, Dunderry didn’t lie down and brought Kilmainham’s advantage back to 1.  Kilmainham lost full back Harry Newman to a black card, the timers were set for the sin bin with many supporters wondering what this new rule was. Kilmainham responded well to the black card with Morgan scoring his 2nd pointed mark of the afternoon. Dunderry brought the teams back within 2 of each other again with another pointed free. Kilmainham knuckled down and worked hard to ensure Dunderry didn’t make the most of their numerical advantage. Dunderry went down to 14 men on 18 minutes when they lost their no. 7 to a black card. Just as Kilmainham did a few minutes previous, Dunderry responded to the black card with a point from play to leave the minimum between the sides, 2-08 to 0-13. Kilmainham were now back to their full quota as Harry Newman re-entered the field of play. It is regularly said that it is not just the 15 players on the pitch that win games, the subs you bring on are just as important and that was proved today. Substitutes Paul Farrelly and Darren O’Sullivan got the all important turn over in their own half before the ball found its way to Newman and he was fouled. With the wind in his face Newman backed himself to put 2 between the sides and that he did as he curled it sweetly over the bar. Dunderry responded with a free before substitute Larry Morgan got on the scoreboard after great work from Jamie Madden and Barry Lynch leaving Kilmainham with a 2 point advantage heading for full time. Dunderry brought it back to 1 once again leaving for a very tense final few minutes for Kilmainham supporters. Kilmainham continued to push and looked to add to their tally before Madden sent a super cross field ball to the unmarked Mullen. The ball found its way to Morgan who was fouled. Just like Newman, Morgan backed himself to give his side a 2 point win and that he did, 2-11 to 0-15.  

Kilmainham will be happy with their whole team performance as the substitutes all contributed to getting over the line. They fought hard in all areas of the pitch and didn’t panic when Dunderry came close.  

Kilmainham will dust off the tired bodies and get ready for the challenge of Blackhall Gaels in a couple of weeks time.  

Kilmainham: Terence Daly, Stephen Newman, Harry Newman, Jamie O’Sullivan, Declan Mullen, Seánie Mahon, Johnny Quinlan, Conor Kilgallen (0-01), James Hennigan, Mickey Newman (1-04, 2frees), Gerard Morgan, Dean Peppard, Freddie Newman, Richie Brady, Dylan Morgan (1-05, 2frees). Subs: Larry Morgan (0-01) for Kilgallen, Paul Farrelly for Brady, Darren O’Sullivan for Quinlan, Barry Lynch for Hennigan, Jamie Madden for Peppard.  

Dunderry Report

Dunderry 0-15 Kilmainham 2-11

Championship football returned this evening and all roads led to Sean Newman Park (well for 200 people anyway). It was great to have the championship feeling in the air once again as only a few months ago that feeling never felt further away and championship football was only a dream.

Sean Newman Park was looking picture perfect and congratulations to the St Ultans club for being fantastic hosts in these strange times.

To the action, the ball was only thrown in a matter of seconds, 40 seconds in fact when Mickey Newman gave Kilmainham the dream start. Finding himself in acres of space and burying the ball into the roof of the net. Two quickfire points soon followed and Kilmainham found themselves with a 5 point headstart. 

Dunderry soon woke up and it was the ever reliable Stephen Coogan who scored an unanswered 0-3 in return. 2 frees and one long range bomb from play. Both Stephen and Aaron Newman were returning from cruciate injuries sustained over a year ago, great to see them both back in action.

Both teams exchanged scores in what was starting to look like an extremely open game. Good scores from play by Conor Farrell and Simon Carthy and 2 more from Coogan left the scoreline at half time:

Dunderry 0-8 Kilmainham 1-6

Luke Martyn opened the scoring in the 2nd half in the opening minute but Kilmainham responded swiftly with a goal. A long ball over the top from the dangerous Mickey Newman found Dylan Morgan who rounded Sean Brennan to calmly slot home another goal. Morgan then backed up his goal with a well taken advanced mark and a point. Kilmainham leading by 4 points.

A Conor Farrell fisted point and a Coogan free tightened things up but Morgan once again for Kilmainham edged them back to 3 points in front.

Dunderry substitute Jordan Martyn announced himself in the game with a nice point mid way through the 2nd half, sandwiched between 2 Coogan frees and 2 Kilmainham frees. The tempo had slowed down now and Kilmainham looking to take the sting out the game while defending well in numbers and frustrating the Dunderry attack. 

The final few minutes petered out with both teams exchanging scores, 2 frees by Coogan who was lethal from dead balls all evening and 2 Kilmainham scores from the impressive duo of Morgan and Newman. 

An entertaining game drew to a close and a deserved victory for Kilmainham who ran out 2 point victors by a scoreline of 2-11 to 0-15.

Dunderry: Sean Brennan, Aaron Newman, Connor Dempsey, Davy McCormack, Conor O'Shea, Ronan Brady, Mark Kane, Connor Farrell (0-2), Morgan Callaghan, Andy Coogan, Luke Martyn (0-1), Dermot Kelly, Conor Daly, Simon Carthy (0-1), Stephen Coogan (0-10, 8f).

Subs: Adam Kelly, Jordan Martyn (0-1), Conor Leavy. 

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