‘Castle see off Killucan despite Nugent injury

Garrycastle 1-13, Killucan 2-6

By Paul Hughes

Garrycastle made it two wins in a row in section ‘B’ of this year’s SFC on Saturday night, inflicting a four-point defeat on an often wasteful Killucan side in TEG Cusack Park.

The Saffrons went into this game with high hopes after leaving Ballynacargy some weeks ago with a merited win over Caulry, but last weekend they encountered a game and disciplined Garrycastle outfit who worked well as a team to eke out the win.

Killucan played the last 17-odd minutes of this game with 14 men and will have felt aggrieved by one or two refereeing decisions but, in truth, they only had themselves to blame for this defeat, racking up a wide count well into the double figures and missing several goal chances.

Garrycastle, meanwhile, had their own obstacles to overcome en route to victory. Jason Nugent, one of their two best forwards on the day, was stretchered off after 42 minutes with a nasty leg injury and later removed to hospital by ambulance.

Nugent had already posted 1-2 before his withdrawal, but in Conor Cosgrove and Michael Monaghan the Athlone side had more going for them than their opponents in the accuracy stakes. At the other end, after Rory Keyes netted a second Killucan goal in the 35th minute, Conor Jordan’s charges added only a single point to their tally during the remainder of the game.

Only three points separated the sides at half time, with Garrycastle leading 0-8 to 0-5 and Killucan’s offensive struggles already laid bare by a tally of eight first-half wides.

On the restart, Eoin Keyes found the net for Killucan and when, shortly after Garrycastle replied with a goal from Nugent, the other Keyes brother raised a green flag, Killucan briefly had a psychological edge.

But Garrycastle rallied after Nugent’s injury, while Killucan’s profligacy, coupled with a 52nd-minute straight red card for Conor McKeogh, combined for a frustrating defeat for the Saffrons.

Garrycastle set out their stall in the opening ten minutes. They led by 0-4 to 0-1 and were full value for it, with Michael Monaghan cancelling out Sami Clarke’s early free, before Jason Nugent cut inside from the right to give them the lead after six minutes.

Jamie Carroll (off the outside of his right boot) and Monaghan (a free) extended this advantage, while Killucan struggled to add to Clarke’s early score. Clarke himself went wide from another free, Sean Leech had a shot stopped by a ferocious block from James Dolan, and on six minutes, Leech scuffed a close-range shot that on any other day he would have finished with ease.

Despite these setbacks, Killucan edged their way back into the game with points from Clarke (a free) and Rory Keyes, with the latter denied a two-pointer after Garrycastle custodian Sean Brennan touched the ball on its way over the bar.

Sean Leech equalised for the Saffrons with a curled effort on 19 minutes, but Killucan’s profligacy returned to haunt them from there, with Keyes getting a sniff at goal before Clarke missed the resultant ‘45’.

Monaghan and Nugent combined for the latter to put Garrycastle back in front, and Conor Cosgrove extended this lead further before a free from Devin Hill reduced Killucan’s arrears to a point once again.

However, the Saffrons clocked up more wides in the closing minutes of the half, while Michael Monaghan converted another free before being teed up by Nugent to leave the Southerners three ahead at the interval.

Killucan, attacking into the Dunnes Stores end, got the start to the second half they badly needed, with Devin Hill picking out the inrushing Eoin Keyes at the far post and he fisted to the net to level matters.

In the space of a minute, the advantage swung firmly in Garrycastle’s direction again, with Conor Cosgrove pointing a dipping free (tapped over the bar by Killucan ‘keeper David Bryan). Then, on 34 minutes, Ben Donegan played Jason Nugent in behind the Killucan defence and he finished low to the net, with Garrycastle now leading by four (1-9 to 1-5).

Cusack Park patrons had barely caught their breath when the ball was in the net at the other end, with Rory Keyes showing great skill to solo past the experienced James Dolan before drilling the ball into the bottom corner.

This was a real boost for the Saffrons and to add to Garrycastle’s woes, Nugent’s injury followed minutes later, causing a long break in play. This seemed to affect Killucan more, as they continued to misfire while Gary Dolan’s troops added two more scores through Monaghan (teed up by Jamie Carroll) and Cosgrove (a free).

To make matters worse for Killucan, they were reduced to 14 men with 52 minutes gone when Conor McKeogh, despite having his jersey torn, was justifiably adjudged to have been the worst offender in an off-the-ball schemozzle. Killucan moved to replace him with a substitute but as he left the field, McKeogh was recalled by referee Declan Nugent and shown the red card.

With the Saffrons in dire need of scores, Sami Clarke missed two frees off the ground, and when they eventually scored courtesy of Sean Leech, it cancelled out an earlier free from Conor Cosgrove and left a goal between the sides going into stoppage time. Leech’s point was allowed to stand despite Garrycastle’s strong protests that Killucan had only two men in their own half in the build-up, as opposed to the three required as per rules.

As Killucan went in search of a goal, they felt justifiably aggrieved when Leech was hauled down en route to goal, with no action taken by the referee. Garrycastle cleared and at the opposite end won a free which, to add insult to injury for Killucan, was moved forward due to dissent and tapped over by Michael Monaghan. With the prolonged stoppage time ticking away, Garrycastle had a crucial cushion.

Nine minutes into that added time, Luke Darby had a potshot at goal for the Saffrons brilliantly saved by ‘Castle netminder Sean Brennan. Leech missed on the rebound but, even if a green flag had resulted, Garrycastle had done enough to record a difficult but crucial win.

Scorers - Garrycastle: M Monaghan 0-6 (3f), J Nugent 1-2, C Cosgrove 0-4 (3f), J Carroll 0-1. Killucan: R Keyes 1-1, E Keyes 1-0, S Clarke (frees) and S Leech 0-2 each, D Hill 0-1f.

Garrycastle: Sean Brennan; Jack Mulvihill, Jack Donohue, Matthew Guiheen; James Dolan, Mark McCallon, Gary McCallon; Cian McCarthy, Eoin Mulvihill; Ben Donegan, Cathal Mannion, Jason Nugent; Jamie Carroll, Conor Cosgrove, Michael Monaghan. Subs used: Rory McGowan for Nugent (inj., 42), Andrew Monaghan for Mannion (50), Eoin Monaghan for Carroll (inj., 60+4).

Killucan: David Bryan; Luke Darby, Jamie Mulkearns, Andrew Flood; Cormac Boyle, Sam Smyth, Adam Smyth; Conor McKeogh, Rory Keyes; Sami Clarke, Eamon Cunneen, Eoin Keyes; Devin Hill, Sean Leech, Eoghan Ahearn. Subs used: Winston Larkin for Hill (36), Conor Leech for Ahearn (55), David Weir for A Smyth (55), Matt Shaw for S Smyth (60+8).

Ref: Declan Nugent (Maryland).