Kilmeena are Croke Park bound after an outstanding display of football in Perase Park in Longford on Saturday afternoon.
John Reilly’s men led from the first whistle to the last ball, looking calm, composed and every bit a team who could be tasting All Ireland glory next weekend.
The Kilmeena armada was out in full force, and they enjoyed every single minute of the game. With the wind in their sales, right from the off they showed their class. Darragh Keaveny settled any early nerves with a pointed free inside the first minute.
Sean Ryder followed that up with a good score from the right after some good build up play involving John McGlynn and Keavney.
That was quickly followed by a point from the boot of Jack Carney, who was found by Niall Ryan on the break from the middle of the park.
Clonbullogue did manage to get things moving for them on the scoreboard with the next score of the day thanks to a Ruairi O’Neil pointed free - but that was as good as it got for them.
John McGlynn drifted over a point from the left after Ryder had punched a big hole in the Clonbullogue defence with a probing run.
Kilmeena were well on top and dominating the middle of the field and picking apart the Clonbullogue kick-out at their ease.
On the ten minute mark they got the goal their play had deserved, Carney burst through the middle of the field and found Keavney on the break on his right hand side, the Kilmeena number 15 held his nerve and drove the ball to the back of the net and the Kilmeena faithful erupted in jubilation.
The scores kept coming Keavney tagged on a point from a free, from a tight angle, then Keith Joyce chipped in with a brace to put his side 1-7 to 0-1 up and there wasn’t even 15 minutes gone on the clock.
There was no respite for the Clonbullogue defence with no water-break to try and kill the Kilmeena momentum.
Keavney put over another point after some ferocious tackling saw Kilmeena turn over the ball inside the the Clonbullogue danger area.
Niall Feehan stepped up and curled over their ninth point of the day and the focus of the fans was turning towards Croke Park and dreams of All Ireland glory.
There was time for three more points before the break with Feehan, Keavney and John McGlynn all raising the white flag, with just a solitary point in response from the Clonbullogue coming off the boot of Jamie Guning free - to send Reilly’s side in leading 1-12 to 0-2 at the break.
The second half was all about seeing it out for Kilmeena and making sure that they didn’t pick up and knocks and while still keeping Clonbullogue at arms length.
It is exactly what the did with Ryder and Joyce kicking early scores to stretch out their lead. Clonbullogue did have a bit of a rally with three points on the bounce coming over the next few minutes, but when Jack McEvoy was shown a second yellow card on 45 minutes, any small slimmer of hope they had went with it.
Kilmeena kept doing what they needed to do and tagged on a few more points before the end, it’s Croke Park next weekend and dreams of All Ireland glory.
Scorers
Kilmeena: D Keavney (1-4, 2f ), J McGlynn (0-3 ), K Joyce (0-3 ), J Carney (0-3 ) S Ryder (0-2 ), N Feehan (0-2 ), N Ryan (0-1 )
Clonbulogue: K O’Neill (0-3,2f ), J Guing (0-1 ), R O’Neill (0-1 )
Kilmeena: P Groden; C McGlynn, J Keane, J Ryan; N Feehan, S Staunton, R O’Donnell; J Carney, N Duffy; K Joyce, S Ryder, C Madden; J McGlynn, N Ryan, D Keaveney.
Subs: K Sheridan for Duffy, J Groden for D Kearney, S Moore for Ryder, P Keane for Staunton, J Smyth for Joyce.
Clonbullogue: C Corcoran; D Dempsey, J Quinn, S Furey; E Bennett, I Curry, T Morrisey; J McEvoy, P Bennett; S Foran, K O’Neill, S O’Brien; J Guing, D Quinn, R O’Neill.
Subs: J Foran for Quinn, T Dempsey for O’Brien, J Byrne for O’Neill, E McEvoy for Moore
Ref: M Farrell (Cavan )
