Charlie Mitchell helped Kilcormack-Killoughey to a comfortable win over Coolderry in the Offaly SHC semi-finals.
Molloy Precast & Environmental Systems Offaly SHC semi-finals
KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY 4-21 COOLDERRY 1-11
BALLINAMERE 1-21 ST. RYNAGH’S 2-14
Kevin Egan at Glenisk O’Connor Park
Offaly county champions Kilcormac-Killoughey were at their devastating best in Tullamore today when they crushed Coolderry in a semi-final performance that was even more one-sided than the final score suggested, but they face an interesting and potentially dangerous threat in the shape of Ballinamere in the Offaly senior hurling final in a fortnight, as a sensational finish from the mid-Offaly club set up their first county final appearance since 1908.
Ballinamere came into this game after going unbeaten through the group stages, and backboned by a host of county senior panellists. However defeats at the first knockout hurdle in 2022 (to Birr) and last year (to Shinrone) meant that there were serious doubts about their ability to win a do-or-die game.
When Brian Duignan sent a penalty wide with the team trailing by 1-14 to 2-14 with a little under ten minutes to play, those doubts loomed very large.
Instead they found a hero in man of the match John Murphy, who shot four points from play in a sensational finish.
Murphy’s first half goal helped Ballinamere to start well and lead by five points briefly in what was a hugely enjoyable contest in which Aaron Maher was dominating, hitting the target four times from open play.
However Rynagh’s settled well and Aidan Treacy fired home a penalty to nudge them in front at the interval. When Luke O’Connor crowned a strong run from Eoin Woods with a clever finish from close range, the wily Banagher club, who were three-in-a-row champions from 2019 to 2021, looked like they might see out the job.
Teenagers Darragh Scully and Shane Rigney shot some excellent points as they took their three- point lead, but instead they were to be the supporting cast in a ‘coming of age’ finale.
Kilcormac-Killoughey were the hottest of favourites for the second semi-final in today’s doub;t header and in a bid to curtail the potency of the K-K attack, Coolderry manager Brian Carroll put a defensive strategy in place with two extra covering players in his own half. However this only meant that his own forwards were hopelessly outgunned, and the K-K backs had the time and space to give excellent deliveries into Charlie Mitchell, Ter Guinan and Adam Screeney.
Guinan shot three from play and should have set up Charlie Mitchell for a goal, but Mitchell did make up for that with a close range strike from a narrow angle that Stephen Corcoran couldn’t repel. Screeney nailed two trademark points from the sideline and was clinical from frees as the champions moved 1-14 to 0-5 in front at half-time, with Daniel Miller the only scorer for Coolderry.
Mitchell got a second goal while veteran centre forward Conor Mahon added two more even though K-K dropped a couple of gears after half-time, allowing Coolderry to gain some traction in the final quarter, outscoring the winners by 1-5 to 1-1 in that period.
