Rangers feel the pressure as Kilcummin hit late equaliser

Wednesday September 26 2007

IN truth neither side deserved to lose this game, neither did they deserve to win it. The game was what it was expected to be a teak tough encounter between two sides who are not afraid of hard work. Sure the game was a little lacking in flair and scores, but it nonetheless exerted a certain fascination. Unlike say the All Ireland final last week, this game was in the melting pot until the very last minute. No, make that the very last second.

Playing with the breeze in the first half Kilcummin got off to a positive start. They dominated the centre-field exchanges and were causing the Feale Rangers defence some problems, but once again their point taking let them down kicking two wides in the opening minute, before a DJ Fleming free got them underway in the second. A second DJ effort from the placed ball followed on five minutes.

Feale Rangers were struggling to get any go forward ball and when they did handing errors blighted their good work. Kilcummin looked to be cruising when Eamonn O'Donoghue kicked a beautiful point on nine minutes, but that was to prove to be their last point of the first half as Feale Rangers began to exert a greater and greater influence on the game.

Their full-back line, lead admirably by Pat Corridan, in particular was expemlary for the North Kerry side. Worringly, however, it took Feale Rangers almost ten minutes to get their first shot at goal of the day. Their second came a couple of minutes later from the boot of Paul Galvin, who struck home for a point from between the sticks at the end of a nice move.

Feale's next score came from the boot of Declan Griffin, who in typical swashbuckling style burst up the field to assist his attack and with his left foot struck a sweet shot from wide on the right to make it a one point game. Feale Rangers, much like Kilcummin, weren't putting away as many chances as their supremacy would have warranted.

Kilcummin were still scrapping mightily and as the rain began to fall heavily won a free when DJ Fleming was fouled by Brendan Guiney. The normally accurate Kilcummin man kicked wide, however, no doubt as a result of the worsening conditions.

The next score of the game was a rare moment of beauty in an otherwise dour encounter as Derek Galvin finished off a lovely move, which started back in the half-forward line with Declan Griffin. Griffin found Brian Scanlon with a sweetly struck pass, who in turn found his fellow Listowel man. Galvin made no mistake despite the presence of Kevin Bruton.

It was now level scores and Feale Rangers were beginning to display a certain amount of fluency despite the difficult conditions scores were at a premium, however. In the final ten minutes of the half, both sides only managed a total of four efforts on goal. Rangers earning and kicking a 45 wide as well as kicking a point through the boot of Derek Galvin. Kieran O'Donoghue kicked a wide for Kilcummin on the stroke of half-time.

With the breeze in the second half (as well as their one point lead), many would have felt Feale Rangers were perfectly placed to push on and for the opening five minutes of the second half that's how the game appeared to be going. Derek Galvin was fouled close to goal within a minute of the restart and Noel Kennelly was in no mood to be charitable from the free.

Feale Rangers were exerting considerable pressure on Kilcummin and that pressure told just moments after Kennelly's free when Kevin Gorman (back helping out his defence) was penalised for touching the ball on the ground. Again Kennelly pointed the free, leaving the Rangers with a comfortable three point lead in such a low scoring game.

Kilcummin were spurred into action by the situation, however, and began slowly but surely to claw their way back into the game as Feale Rangers began to flounder.

Indeed DJ Fleming could have had a goal on five minutes, when he hit a shot for a point short. Feale Rangers goalkeeper Shane Quinn came for the ball, but it bounced in front of him. Luckily from the North Kerry men it bounced over the bar and not into the back of the net.

Kilcummin, lead from the back by the outstanding Michael McCarthy, began to surge increasingly forwards. The East Kerry men pulled it back to a single point game with six minutes gone when Killian Murphy slotted cooly home at the end of flowing move from the back. DJ Fleming leveled the game a minute later when he pointed yet another free having earned it as a result of a foul on him by Eamonn Fitzmaurice.

Feale Rangers were on the rack, but Kilcummin didn't have sufficient firepower to put them away failing to score for another thirteen minutes. Thus allowing their opponents to feel their way back into proceedings. The Rangers should have had a score when Derek Galvin was closing in on goal and was clearly being impeeded by Tommy Brosnan. Inexplicably the referee gave a free out to Kilcummin for overcarrying.

Feale Rangers exacted revenge shortly after when Eamonn Fitzmaurice took a pass from Declan Griffin a little over forty yards from goal and struck a magnificent long range effort. Kilcummin weren't finished either and DJ Fleming took an equally impressive score a few moments later.

The finish to the game was frenetic, Feale Rangers regained their advantage through an Eamonn Fitzmaurice 45 with five minutes still to play. In the time remaining Feale Rangers had equally as many chances as Kilcummin, but couldn't close the game out. Kilcummin displayed the grit they have all year and continued to battle getting their reward on the stroke of full-time through a point from second half subsitute Paul O'Donoghue.