Slick Kilmeena display seals semi-final place

KILMEENA'S drive to return to senior football is still on track after a 0-20 to 1-12 win over Kilmaine by Clew Bay on Saturday afternoon. The boys in black and white didn't get anything easy though as their South Mayo guests never gave them a minute's peace and kept prodding and probing all day.

However, Damien Egan's Kilmeena men were more balanced and had seven scorers while the brilliant Adam Barrett accounted for Kilmaine's 12-points, and wing-back Luke Muniz was their only other scorer when he crashed home a fine goal in injury time at the end.

The match was played in damp, windy conditions but both sides threw everything forward in an entertaining match where nothing was spared.

Daniel Kelly was smart and effective in attack early on for the home side while midfielder Kevin Ryder was tireless in the middle.

Kilmaine were hugely competitive and Adam Barrett gave an exhibition of kicking, notching eight points in the first half, but Kilmeena led by two at the break as John McGlynn, Darragh Slattery, Darragh Keaveney and Ryder joined Kelly on the scoresheet.

Kilmeena showed their class in the second half when they began to move the ball impressively. Kilmaine never took a backward step but the home defence gave them little or no room in which to operate with John Ryan, Colin Hastings and Ciaran Kilcoyne to the fore.

Liam Moore came off the bench for the home side and made a huge impact, kicking four points and helping the home side into a six-point lead after 43 minutes.

It seemed as if they'd pull away at that stage but Kilmaine refused to die.

They drew a line in the sand and looked to close the gap.

Barrett kicked a two-pointer from out on the right to close the gap to four and when he converted a free ten minutes from the end, there were only three between them.

Kilmeena were being asked serious questions at that stage and responded brilliantly. Ryder and Jack Carney did their stuff in the middle and Moore, Jack Mulchrone and McGlynn kicked points to leave them 0-18 to 0-12 clear entering the final minutes.

Then, Moore landed a two-pointer and the Kilmeena roars could be heard in Boston.

However, Kilmaine refused to go quietly and were rewarded for their courage when wing-back Luke Muniz slalomed forward and sent a screamer into the bottom corner for a superb goal.

That brought the curtain down on an entertaining and well-contested clash which sent Kilmeena into the last four and kept their dream of a return to senior football well and truly alive.