Kilbride 2-20

Fighting Cocks 1-9

By Kieran Murphy

THIS quarter-final in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday was a one-sided game waiting to happen. Neither club had set the world alight this year. One felt Kilbride had a better chance of turning their season around but they still had a long way to go. Not so their opponents whose poor season came home to roost and they were well beaten in this intermediate quarter-final.
Yet there is a proviso. If Fighting Cocks had been awarded a deserved penalty in the first half and then converted another which was given in the second, the margin would have been far closer.
Kilbride twins Eoin and Pauric Nolan were in devastating form in the opening quarter. Pauric opened the scoring with a point from play but Alan Quigley equalised for the Cocks.
Kilbride always threatened and they made an early breakthrough when Pauric spotted his brother on the move and delivered expertly. The ball carrier held his head, made his decision and Craig Doyle had no chance in the Cocks goal. Brendan Butler followed with a point as Kilbride built up a healthy looking lead.
Sixteen minutes in Davy Moran delivered the scoring pass to Stephen Curry and Kilbride had their second goal and a passport to the semi-finals.
Quigley converted a number of frees for the Cocks which from a Kilbride point of view must be worrying. In the half they conceded a total of nine and considering they were 2-11 to 0-6 ahead at the interval, that was not good.
The penalty claim arose when Quigley was fouled just inside the square but referee Jonathan Murphy only gave a free which was converted.
The second half was a bit of a non-event. Fighting Cocks did regain an element of respectability with Kieran Nolan scoring 1-1. Kilbride pushed on as Darragh Foley accounted for six points which helped his side reach the 20-point mark. That haul looked well alongside their two goals.
Just before the end Conor O’Byrne for the losing side was possibly a surprise choice of penalty taker instead of Quigley. To his horror, keeper Thomas Gray clawed his high shot to safety. That summed up Fighting Cocks’ day.
Kilbride: Thomas Gray; Michael Brown, John O’Neill, Sean Foley; Davy Moran, Mark Curry, James Foley; Darragh Foley (0-7, 5fs), Seamus Gray; Mitch Kelly (0-1), Eoin Nolan (1-4), Colin O’Toole; Stephen Curry (1-1), Pauric Nolan (0-6), Brendan Butler (0-1). Subs: Alan Reamsbottom for James Foley (35 mins), Jason Carroll for O’Neill (52 mins), Paul Kealy for Curry (57 mins), John Fitzpatrick for O’Toole (58 mins), Joe Waters for Moran (Black card 59 mins).
Fighting Cocks: Craig Doyle; Paul Hickey, Tom Eustace, Jason Kelly; Eoin O’Byrne, James Hickey, James Connolly; Liam Sheppard, Trevor Watchorn; Matty Dowling, Gary Nolan, Colm Quigley (0-1); Kieran Nolan (1-1), Seamus Quirke, Alan Quigley (0-7,5fs). Subs: Ruairi Nevin for Colm Quigley (19 mins), Jason Kelly for Hickey (h/t), Conor O’Byrne for Quirke (46 mins), Tom Smithers for Kelly (53 mins), Patrick Curry for Watchorn (56 mins),
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (St. Mullins)