Cocks dig deep to hold off battling Kilbride and reach Junior 'A' final
Aaron Dowling (Fighting Cocks) lines up a shot as Michael O'Brien (Kilbride) tries to block Photo: Pat Ahern
The Fighting Cocks will meet Leighlinbridge in the final of the Carlow Junior 'A' Football Championship after seeing off the challenge of Kilbride in this semi-final on Saturday night in Netwatch Cullen Park.
There was little between the sides in the opening half with the lead changing hands eight times. Nathan Doran opened the scoring with a point for Kilbride. The experienced Trevor Watchorn levelled for the Cocks but they found themselves two points down in a matter of minutes.
Darragh Foley posted a two-point free and Padraig Waters drilled a two-pointer at the O’Hanrahan end of the ground. Even though Foley knocked over another two-pointer, the Cocks had the better of the final minutes of the half with Cillian Fagan and Aaron Dowling (f) raising white flags to leave The Cocks 0-10 to 0-9 ahead at the break.
The eventual winners were that bit better in the second half but never did enough to make sure their opponents were not in the game. The accuracy of Alan Quigley was crucial and he ended the game with seven points which included a two-pointer.
Cillian Fagan and Liam Sheppard both scored three points each over the hour for the winners. In the end the heroics of the former intercounty senior footballer, Darragh Foley, who accounted for ten points of Kilbride’s total was not enough to usurp their rivals.
A Quigley 0-7 (1-2pf 5fs), L Sheppard, C Fagan 0-3 each, A Dowling 0-2 (fs), B Nolan, E Moran, T Watchorn 0-1 each.
D Foley 0-10 (3-2pfs 2fs), P Waters 0-2 (1-2p), D Bolger, N Doran 0-1 each
Darragh Byrne; Conor Ruane, James Hickey, Dylan Ruane; Billy Molloy, William Kelly, Billy Nolan; Cormac McElligott, Liam Sheppard; Trevor Watchorn, Jack McDonald, Emmet Moran; Cillian Fagan, Alan Quigley, Aaron Dowling. Subs: Matthew English Hayden for C Ruane (h/t), Mattie Dowling for Watchorn (53), Padraig Eustace for Molloy (55).
Michael Brown; John O’Neill, Tom Donald, Michael O’Brien; Sean Foley, Padraig Waters, Davy Francis; Darragh Foley, Pierce Deane; Jack Fitzgerald, Daniel Bolger, Rian Farrell; James Foley, Nathan Doran, Eoin Nolan. Subs: Stephen Carroll for S Foley (36), Joe Waters for J Foley (55), jack Cranny for Bolger (57), Lochlann MacGagh for Nolan (60).
Jonathan Murphy (St Mullins).
