Kilmeena climbed to the top of the mountain in Connacht in Markiewicz Park on Saturday afternoon with a stunning display of football.
The west Mayo men were head and shoulders ahead of their opponents all afternoon and goal from Niall Ryan just after the break, broke the back of an already wavering resistance from St Patrick’s from Sligo.
Ryan who had already bagged two points in the first half was on the end of pass from John McGlynn seconds after the restart and he fired it home to put his side into a commanding 1-10 to 0-2 lead.
From there on in, it was only a matter of seeing out the game for John Reilly’s men, which they did in a comfortable fashion until the final whistle.
They were tough in defence and moved the ball quickly from front to back all day, with McGlynn, Jack Carney, and Darragh Keaveney leading the way in impressive style all day.
Kilmeena started the game brightly and were leading by three points by the quarter of an hour mark and stretched that out to four by the time the first water break was blown.
Both sides opted to let the ball in long to try and get their forwards into the game early and it was west Mayo men who settled to their task best early doors.
John McGlynn got the scoring going with a well taken effort after he got out in front of his man, swivelled his hips to get away from his marker and clip it over the bar.
Winning time: @KilmeenaGAA are the @ConnachtGAA JFC Club champions after their win over @StPatricksSligo #mayogaa #gaa pic.twitter.com/W7VTn94mwU
— Colm Gannon (@ColmGannon ) January 8, 2022
Darragh Keaveney doubled their lead on the eight-minute mark with a fine effort from the right-hand side after he was found by the hard-working Niall Feehan.
The Sligo champions got their first score of the day through their danger man Jim Davis just before the ten-minute mark after some neat interplay by his fellow attackers.
They had a good chance to level the game from a close range free, but Padraic Clarke dragged his effort wide of the far post.
Kilmeena took advantage and reeled off three points on the bounce before the water break, Feehan cut in from the right and was picked out by Keaveney, he broke for goal but opted to fist the ball over the bar.
Then John McGylnn followed that up with a long-range effort and Niall Ryan fisted one over the bar after a Keaveney free dropped short in front of the St Patrick’s goal – to send his side in leading 0-5 to 0-1.
Kilmeena kept the pressure up in the second quarter, with Jack Carney drove one over from out the park, Keaveney slipped over a free and then followed it up with his own long ranger – before Carney and the ageless Niall Ryan raised flags to put their side 0-10 to 0-1 up as the game approached half time.
St Patrick’s did manage to get their second score of the day just before the breakthrough a Padraic Clarke free – but it was all Kilmeena and they were looking good to claim the Connacht title.
Scorers
Kilmeena: D Keaveney (0-5, 2f0, N Ryan (1-2 ), J McGlynn (0-3 ), S Ryder (0-2 ), K Joyce (0-2 ) J Carney (0-2 ), N Feehan (0-2 )
St Patricks: J Davis (0-3,2f ) P Clarke (0-1 ), C Finneran (0-1 )
Kilmeena: P Groden; P Keane, J Keane, C McGlynn; N Feehan, S Staunton, J Ryan; J Carney, K Ryder; K Joyce, S Ryder, C Madden; J McGlynn, N Ryan, D Keaveney. Subs: T Gill, J Smyth, N Duffy, K Sheridan, K Moore, S Moore
St Patrick’s: T McMunn; J Kearns, J Egan, J McMunn; D Giblin, C Keavany, C Giblin; J Clarke, C Kearins; P Kearins, D Brady, C Finneran; J Davis, O Keavany, P Clarke. Subs: N Connolly, P Boland, J Higgins, P Farrell,
Ref: Michael McGirl (Leitrim )
