County Senior Football League, Division 2, Round 3.

Templenoe 2-12, Milltown/Castlemaine 1-16.

Templenoe welcomed the visit of Milltown/Castlemaine for Round 3 of the County League last Saturday evening. Boasted by the availability for this fixture of County players Gavin Crowley and Killian Spillane, hopes were high that the hosts would bag their first County leagues points of the season. However it was not to be, but the game did go down to the wire and in the end a late point from Milltown/Castlemaine’s Dylan O’Neill edged the contest to maintain the visitors 100% record in the league.

The match was played on a dry but chilly evening with Milltown/Castlemaine having the aid of the breeze for the first half.  Cian O’Connor and Killian Spillane traded points to open the scoring, before the first goal of the game from Templenoe’s Daniel Crowley who palmed the ball to the net, following good build up play from Danny Cahalane and Stephen O’Sullivan. Templenoe then made it two goals in as many minutes, with Danny Cahalane and Stephen O’Sullivan once again involved, with the latter fisting to the net after a high ball in from the former. Danny Cahalane followed this up with a point of his own to make the score 2-02 to 0-01 and the hosts were off to flyer. Soon after a black card for Templenoe’s Colin Crowley followed by pointed free from Eanna O’Connor for the first of his 11 points tally, gave hope to the visitors. John Rice replied with a fine long ranged effort, before a brace of points from Eanna O’Connor (2) and Cathal Moriarty reduced the margin to four points. Then a brilliant Cathal Moriarty goal after he showed great skill to get inside the Templenoe defence blew the game wide open. Killian Spillane though continued to be a threat up front and he had two points either side of Moriarty’s goal. It was very much ebb and flow coming up to the break with Cathal Moriarty and Eanna O’Connor having their scores cancelled out by Sean Sheehan and Stephen O’Sullivan respectively, before Daniel Crowley struck over a fine score to leave the hosts ahead by four points at the interval.

Half Time Score: Templenoe 2-08, Milltown/Castlemaine 1-07.

It was all to play for and Eanna O’Connor continued his expedition from placed balls with three converted efforts on the trot - punishing the Templenoe defence for every adjudged foul inside their own half. In between, the visitors did lose Jerome Flynn to a black card, but Templenoe failed to capitalize on this. Yet they did have chances, Killian Spillane looked to be through on goal only to see the ball come off the post and then Stephen O’Sullivan had a goal bound effort stopped by the keeper. Ultimately, the hosts would rue these missed chances. A Cathal Moriarty point mid-way through the second half levelled the scores at 2-08 to 1-11. Brian Crowley and Killian Spillane restored Templenoe’s lead to two points, but Milltown/Castlemaine were refusing to go away and responded with who else but Eanna O’Connor with two more frees. It was all square again and a grandstand finish was on the cards. Aidan Crowley with a monstrous free and Kieran McCarthy from play swapped points with Eanna O’Connor (2 frees) to make 2-12 to 1-15 two minutes into injury time. Then amid a frantic finish, an Eanna O’Connor placed ball dropped just short, but broke kindly for the in rushing Dylan O’Neill who managed to pull on the ball for the all-important point and match winning score.

Final Score: Templenoe 2-12, Milltown/Castlemaine 1-16.

Before the match a minute’s silence was held in honour of the late Gerald McKenna.

Scorers:

Templenoe: Killian Spillane 0-04 (2f), Stephen O’Sullivan 1-01 (1f), Daniel Crowley 1-01, Danny Cahalane 0-01, John Rice 0-01, Sean Sheehan 0-01, Brian Crowley 0-01, Aidan Crowley 0-01 (1f), Kieran McCarthy 0-01.

Milltown/Castlemaine: Eanna O’Connor 0-11 (10f), Cathal Moriarty 1-03, Cian O’Connor 0-01, Dylan O’Neill 0-01.

Teams:

Templenoe: Colm Breen, Kieran McCarthy, Kieran O’Neill, Tommy Spillane, John Rice, Gavin Crowley, Colin Crowley, Sean Sheehan, Josh Crowley Holland, Danny Cahalane, Killian Spillane, Daniel Crowley, Stephen O’Sullivan, Brian Crowley, Aidan Crowley.

Subs used: Martin Reilly, Michael F O’Connor. 

Milltown/Castlemaine: Cormac Leane, Stephen Roche, David Roche, Gavin McKeanna, Killian Kerins, Pa Wrenn, Anthony Kelliher, Brendan Delaney, Donal Dennehy, Dylan O’Neill, Cathal Moriarty, Cian O’Connor, Jerome Flynn, Eanna O’Connor, Gavin Horan.

Subs used: Jack Teahan, Jonathan O’Sullivan