Two-goal Gavin Horan haul secures win for Milltown/Castlemaine over Spa
Milltown/Castlemaine 2-11 Spa 0-16
GOALS at crucial stages, from star performer Gavin Horan, and a much improved collective second half performance, saw Milltown/Castlemaine return to senior county championship football in style with the narrowest of victories over Spa.
Trailing by four points at half-time, after a poor opening half, the Mid Kerry club upped the tempo considerably on the resumption. Horan’s second green flag in the 39th minute really ignited their self-confidence levels, and they were transformed from there to the finish.
To be fair to Spa, they dug in resolutely themselves, Ryan Carroll, Dan O’Donoghue and Evan Cronin always well to the fore, but Milltown/Castlemaine were not to be denied, dynamic corner-backs Gavin McKenna and Pa Wrenn marauding forward to register three vital second half scores.
With both sides missing their inter-county stars – Dara Moynihan for Spa and Cillian Burke for Milltown/Castlemaine – it was the East Kerry outfit who were quicker to get into their stride, Oran O’Neill opening the scoring with a point in the second minute.
Inspired by the influential O’Donoghue, who kicked a superb long-range score to double their early lead, Spa moved into a three-point cushion, 0-4 to 0-1, by the end of the first quarter, with Milltown/ Castlemaine’s solitary reply coming from a Jonathan O’Sullivan free.
Evan Cronin and wing-back Carroll also kicked admirable points from distance for Spa, but they had an extremely lucky escape in the 15th minute. Stephen Roche and Brendan Casey did the spadework for Horan to be sent through on goal, but he blazed high and wide with a great chance.
Down the other end, four minutes later, there was a significant green flag opportunity for Spa but, after receiving a pass from David Spillane, Shane Cronin (an injury doubt before the off) was wild with his right-footed effort from close range for William Harmon’s side.
Trailing by four points, 0-6 to 0-2, and with Éanna O’Connor introduced off the bench, Milltown/Castlemaine finally found a first half lifeline in the 25th minute. A fine move released the advancing Horan once again, and this time he was absolutely clinical with a low drive to the net.
Despite being the better team, Spa now only had a one-point advantage to show for their overall sense of control, and with Shane Cronin being forced off the field with a knock after he had seen a goal attempt smothered, they had to now bounce back from a couple of setbacks.
The response before the break was emphatic. O’Donoghue and Evan Cronin, showing their leadership credentials, lofted over another brace of fine points from play, and with Tobin tapping over a free, Spa retired at the break with a four-point comfort blanket, 0-9 to 1-2.
The talismanic Horan opened the second half scoring with a point from play and, while Éanna O’Connor had to be replaced with a re-occurrence of an injury, Milltown/Castlemaine were completely re-energised when Horan goaled, at the second attempt, in the 39th minute, 2-3 to 0-9.
Although Spa quickly regained the initiative with a Ciaran Spillane point, four successive scores – Jonathan O’Sullivan (free), substitute Seán Hogan, and buccaneering defenders McKenna and Wrenn on the mark – tilted the balance in favour of Milltown/Castlemaine after 50 minutes, 2-7 to 0-10.
The last ten minutes of normal time, plus the five added, ensured a real tit-fortat conclusion down the finishing straight, with Spa reducing the deficit to the bare minimum on a couple of occasions. However, the eventual winners simply refused to let this collision slip from their grasp.
McKenna stormed up the park to loft over his second point, and though the excellent Carroll launched over two long-range scores for Spa, it was fitting that star man Horan had the last say for Milltown/Castlemaine with an excellent white flag under pressure in injury time.
Spa never gave up the ghost, Evan Cronin and Tobin (free) narrowing the gap, once again, at the death, but Milltown / Castlemaine stuck to their guns, and with the losers holding onto possession in the last play, without manufacturing a shooting chance, the referee’s final whistle was relief for the victors. MILLTOWN/CASTLEMAINE: Cormac Leane; Gavin McKenna 0-2, Anthony Kelliher, Pa Wrenn 0-1; Kieran O’Carroll, David Roche, Killian Kerins; Dónal Dennehy, Gavin Horan 2-2; Jonathan O’Connor, Stephen Roche, Conor Spillane; Brendan Casey 0-1, Jonathan O’Sullivan 0-3 (3f), Cathal Moriarty 0-1. Subs: Éanna O’Connor for C Spillane (21), Sean Hogan 0-1 for Kerins (ht), Jerome Flynn for E O’Connor (inj, 37), John Dennehy for J O’Connor (60+2), Oisín Spring for O’Sullivan (60+5)
SPA: Shay O’Meara; Eric O’Donoghue, Eoghan Cronin, Eoin Fitzgerald; Conor Stack, Dan O’Donoghue 0-2, Ryan Carroll 0-3; Ciaran Spillane 0-1, Michael Foley; Oran O’Neill 0-1, Evan Cronin 0-3, Michael Kearney; David Spillane 0-1, Shane Cronin, Cian Tobin 0-4 (4f). Subs: Luke O’Neill for S Cronin (inj, 27), Michael Horgan 0-1(m) for Kearney (42), Jack O’Sullivan for O’Meara, inj (46), Thomas Cronin for O O’Neill (53)
REFEREE: Éamonn Moran (Ballydonoghue)