SHC: Potterton strikes late as Kildalkey save best till last

Kildalkey's Nicky Potterton

Kildalkey 3-18 Kilmessan 1-23

Kildalkey senior hurlers saved their best performance of the year for their last game v table toppers Kilmessan and came home from sunny Boardsmill with a 1 point win and avoided a relegation play off with Na Fianna.

Nicky Potterton got the all important winner after quick thinking from Martin Healy with a short free to the unmarked Nicky and he lofted over the winner as both teams went point for point coming down the home straight.

Kildalkey started well and got 2 goals from Nicky Potterton and Cian Colhoun but still trailed at the break 2-8 to 1-14 with Kilmessan getting the last few points of the half after the sides being level on a few occasions.

Potterton, Paddy Conneely, Jamie Kavanagh and Paddy Potterton all scored vital points in the half.

Kilmessan went 6 points up at one stage but Kildalkey clawed their way back and an Evan Fitzgerald goal brought them back into it 

Both sides went point for point after that and Brian Coneely came off the bench to set up a point and score another one.

Cian Colhoun and Niall McNally also pointed for the blues while Kris Gorman and Kevin Keena scored for Kilmessan and with the game looking like it was going to end all square Potterton got the winner to claim Kildalkey’s second win of the campaign in what was a very tough championship with not much separating any of the 6 teams involved.

Kildalkey team and scorers: 1 D Harmon, 2 D Conneely, 3 B Kelly, 4 E Dunne, 5 M Healy, 6 B McKeon, 7 P Barnwell, 8 J Kavanagh (0-1), 9 N McNally (0-1), 10 L Rickard, 11 C Colhoun (1-1), 12 P Conneely(0-2), 13 N Potterton (1-10) (7f), 14 P Potterton (0-2), 15 C Fitzgerald 

Subs: E Fitzgerald (1-0) for J Kavanagh, G Kelly for B Kelly, K Lynch for P Coneely, B Conneely (0-1)for C Fitzgerald