Kilanerin pushed hard
Eric Bradley has possession for Adamstown.
Wednesday July 28 2010
KILANERIN HAD to call on all their experience before they eventually saw off a determined Adamstown challenge with five points to spare in this entertaining WFC Senior football championship Group C game at Wexford Park on Saturday last. Having trailed by a point at the interval, the experience of their two longserving attackers, Matty Forde and John Hegarty, helped them lift the siege before going on to record a victory that sees them maintain their one hundred per cent start to the campaign.
Adamstown gave it everything in their efforts to upset the former kingpins, but their lack of scoring power eventually came back to haunt them. Their cause was not helped by the sending off of centre-forward Barry Power as the game moved into additional time.
Playing with a real pep in their step during the early exchanges, Adamstown led by 0-2 to nil inside two minutes, with Shane White pointing a free, and James Breen tagging on an excellent second score.
Despite playing into the breeze, it did not take Kilanerin long to press their claims once Matty Forde had opened their account with a fourth-minute pointed free. Points followed from Gavin O'Toole and Tommy Boland, while experienced campaigner John Hegarty then picked off a delightful score, leaving them leading by 0-4 to 0-2 after just twelve minutes.
Adamstown responded with four unanswered points through Shane Bradley, after a fine individual run, Shane White, Barry Power and a White free to lead by 0-6 to 0-4.
Approaching the break Kilanerin launched an attack and forced a free that Matty Forde drove into the wind and over the bar, leaving the minimum separating the sides, but Adamstown should have been further ahead at the break.
Within one minute of the re-start Shane White missed a free, while at the opposite end a Matty Forde 36thminute point had the sides level at 0-6 each.
Adamstown were still playing some neat football and matching their opponents in the outfield exchanges, but all they had to show was a 39th-minute Michael Furlong pointed free. Amazingly this turned out to be their last score as they failed to raise a flag for the remaining 21 minutes plus additional time, despite the outstanding play of Eric Bradley in midfield and James Furlong along with James Breen in defence.
It was at this juncture that John Hegarty stepped in with two excellent points, leaving his side one in front. Kilanerin were now beginning to control the game, adding further points through Bobby Hughes, Forde (free)and two from Gavin O'Toole to emerge with their unbeaten record intact, but not without a real fright.
- BRENDAN FURLONG in Wexford Park
