Three Orange flags prove the difference for clinical Kilrossanty
Superior shooting from range was the difference for Kilrossanty as they fired three crucial second half two-pointers en-route to a deserved six-point win against An Rinn at Fraher Field on Sunday.
Alan Dunwoody kicked seven points while the evergreen Paul Whyte yielded two orange flags in a bright cameo as the green and gold got their season up and running at the expense of the Gaeltacht men.
Kilrossanty were the brighter in the opening exchanges, aided by the elements as they broke into a four-point lead. Alan Dunwoody, who had a real battle with Corey De Roiste in the opening half - was instrumental to that cause. A pair of frees in quick succession made it 0-2 to nil on five minutes, but neither side could work the scoreboard in the intervening minutes, before Dunwoody was again on hand to raise a white flag from play on 16 minutes.
Pa Cunningham then sent over a fine strike off his left boot on 16 minutes, but An Rinn clicked into life from here and had all the momentum up to the sound of the half-time whistle. A superb surge upfield and score from Caolán Mac Craith opened their account with 17 minutes played, before they thought they had drawn level moments later.
On 23 minutes, good work on the left flank from Lorcán Ó Corraoin afforded Nioclás Breathnach the opportunity to fire into the Kilrossanty net, but the play was brought back for a throw ball on the aforementioned in the build-up, and they had to settle for a point, which was knocked over by Conor Mac Diarmada.
An Rinn were beginning to win the individual battles by this point, and on the stroke of half-time, Mac Diarmada turned provider to tee up the onrushing Ben Mac Ualtair, leaving just a point between the Western rivals at the break, 0-4 to 0-3 in Kilrossanty’s favour.
Both sides struggled to maintain meaningful possession throughout and it was the same case early on in the second period as scoring opportunities were at a premium. The game cried out for a moment of quality and who better than Dunwoody to provide it - as with 38 minutes gone, he swivelled and sent over a strike from just outside the arc to yield the afternoon’s first two-pointer and restore a three-point cushion for the green and gold.
Mac Diarmada quickly reduced arrears to two as Donal Breathnach was blooded from the bench, but Breathnach couldn’t repeat Dunwoody’s heroics with an attempt at the other end as Kilrossanty remained in control. A foul on Seamus Fitzgerald allowed Dunwoody to bring his tally to 0-6 approaching the final ten minutes.
A game littered with fouls and devoid of any risk created a relatively dour spectacle, but An Rinn did find themselves back within two points going down the straight as Mac Diarmada and Mac Craith combined for the latter to send over his second.
Kilrossanty however had the knack of being able to find the target from range, as from the next play, they went downfield and worked the ball to Paul Whyte and the veteran showed all his class to curl over another two-pointer and give his side some much needed breathing room.
Donal Breathnach did open his account with three minutes of normal time left, but Eoin Power quickly responded at the other end. Four additional minutes were announced as An Rinn chased a lost cause, but it was lost for certain as Whyte curled over a carbon copy of his first two-pointer to all but end the challenge of the Gaeltacht men.
Fearghal Ó Ceallaigh and Dunwoody again rounded out the scoring, before Mac Diarmada burst through but fired agonisingly wide - Kilrossanty picking up their first win of the season on a 0-13 to 0-7 scoreline, by virtue of a more clinical display in front of goal, condemning An Rinn to a second consecutive defeat in the process.
Alan Dunwoody (0-7; 1 tp; 0-3f); Paul Whyte (0-4; 2 tp); Pa Cunningham and Eoin Power (0-1 each)
Conor Mac Diarmada (0-2; 0-2f); Caolan Mac Craith (0-2); Donal Breathnach (0-1; 0-1f); Ben Mac Ualtair and Fearghal Ó Ceallaigh (0-1 each)
Rian Hogan; Rian Hayes, Patrick Whyte; Stephen Prendergast; Seamus Fitzgerald, Padraig Fitzgerald, Caoimhín Walsh; Colm Barry, Martin Dunne; Daniel Behan, Darragh Walsh, Jack Whyte; Eoin Power, Pa Cunningham, Alan Dunwoody.
Paul Whyte for Daniel Behan (41); Ultan McCusker for Pa Cunningham (50); Oisin Walsh for Jack Whyte (55); Tiernan Ryan for Eoin Power (60)
Odhrán Ó hUallacháin; Corey De Roiste; Darach Ó Cathasaigh, Eoghan O Crotaigh; Caolán Mac Craith, Ray Ó Ceallaigh, Lorcán Ó Corraoin; Ferdia Ó hAodha, Cathal Ó Cuirrín; Conor Ó Cuirrín, Tadhg Breathnach, Ben Mac Ualtair; Nioclás Breathnach, Fearghal Ó Ceallaigh, Conor Mac Diarmada.
Donal Breathnach for Cathal Ó Cuirrín (39); Jack Ó Lonáin for Tadhg Breathnach (44); Senan Ó Drocháin for Ferdia Ó hAodha (53)
Killian O’Sullivan (Cappoquin)
