Laverty points the way to victory for Kilcoo over Lorcha na Farriage - 09/02/03

East Down Minor League, Section A
Sunday 9th Feburary Kilcoo 2-08 Lorcha na Farriage 1-07

By Seamus O'Hanlon, Kilcoo

Almost unbelievably Sundays East Down Minor League game between Kilcoo and Lorcha na Farriage (an amalgamation of Ballykinlar and Dundrum) was played in almost perfect conditions for the time of year in a sunny Owen Roe Park. Lorcha na Farriage which means Heroes of the Sea fielded a strong panel and looked the physically stronger side as they lined out against the Kilcoo lads.

Straight from the throw in Kilcoo won possession and raced down on the visitor’s goal but shot wide. From the resulting kick out the Kilcoo forward line won control again but some wayward shooting from Kilcoo over the next 5 or 6 good chances ensured that the score line remained at nought all until the tenth minute, when the gamed burst to life with scores coming at an almost unbelievable rate. It was then that the visitors Paul McComiskey took the bull by the horns and went on a blistering run out of his own defence carrying the ball almost the length of the field before passing to a team mate who had the easy task of tapping the ball over the Kilcoo crossbar and registering the first score of the game.

From the kick out the visitors won possession again and split through the Kilcoo defence and unleashed a screamer of a shot towards the roof of the Kilcoo net, which Kilcoo’s keeper Phelim McGreevy somehow got a hand to and turned over the crossbar to leave the home side trailing by two points. A minute later Conor Laverty scored Kilcoo’s first point from a 13 metre free. Almost immediately Marty O’Hare scored from a free kick to leave the visitors two in front once more. In the fifteenth minute Niall McEvoy scored from a free kick 40 metres out field to close the gap to a point but it was then that the visitors would enter a purple patch and dominate for the remainder of the opening half. Some strong fielding at midfield and hard work from the Lorcha na Farriage half forward line meant that the Kilcoo lads were on the back foot.

Marty O’Hare who was a real thorn in the Kilcoo side in a period of 2 minutes scored 2 brilliant individual points that would put a lot of senior team players throughout the county to shame scoring both from close to the 45 line out along the wing. The under pressure Kilcoo defence were split open once more by the tireless onslaught from the visitors and in the 25th minute they conceded a penalty. Paul McComiskey struck the penalty into the bottom corner leaving the Kilcoo keeper no chance and then added another point from a 30 metre free 3 minutes later. In the 30th minute Gary Morgan scored Kilcoo’s third point of the half which incidentally like all Kilcoo’s previous scores was from a free kick, leaving the half time score Kilcoo 0-3 Lorcha na Farriage 1-6.

Despite the half time defecate Kilcoo manager Barney McEvoy gathered his lads round him and gave them words of wisdom and encouragement which seemed to work wonders for at the throw in Kilcoo came out all guns blazing. In the first minute Alphonsous McEvoy took up the mantle of responsibility and scored Kilcoo’s first point from play. A minute later Conor Laverty scored another for Kilcoo from a free kick in front of goal. Four minutes later it was the visitors defence which were forced to concede a penalty to Kilcoo attack buoyed up from their good start to the half. Conor Laverty hit the penalty in similar style to the opposition’s first half effort and the result was that the Kilcoo lads were now only a point behind. In the thirteenth minute Conor Morgan scored a fine point from play and the teams were level, but not for long as almost immediately Marty O’Hare put the visitors in front with a brilliant long range point from play. It was however their only point of the half.

Another score from Alphonsous McEvoy pulled the teams level again and then in a decisive move Ruari Devlin found himself through the opposition defence having received an excellent pass from Laverty leaving him the simple task of tapping the ball past the helpless keeper. At this stage the visitors threw caution to the wind and attacked relentlessly but could find no inroads into the Kilcoo defence. A late Conor Laverty point left the home team 4 points clear of their spirited visitors and it was with much relief that referee Peter O’Reilly blew the final whistle on this entertaining game.

Kilcoo over come Lorcha Na Farriage - Report by Marc Siomoin's Dundrum

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