Kilskyre/Moylagh v Donaghmore/Ashbourne I.H.C. Sun. 23.7.23 at Dunboyne
Final Score: Kilskyre/Moylagh 2.14 Donaghmore/Ashbourne 2.8
Kilskyre/Moylagh made the long trip to Dunboyne on Sunday evening a worthwhile one as they ran out 6-point winners in this Round 2 Intermediate Hurling Championship Group B match over a gallant Donaghmore Ashbourne outfit.
Having received an unexpected walkover from St Peter’s Dunboyne in Round 1 this was the victors first game in over a month. They made a positive start however and, in the 1st, minute a Tom Shine shot was well saved by the Donaghmore Ashbourne goalkeeper at the expense of a 65 which Shine converted. The same player added a point from a free in the 3rd minute but Donaghmore Ashbourne hit back with a brace of points in the 4th and 6th minutes to level the scores. Kilskyre/Moylagh then hit 4 points in a 5-minute spell from the 9th to 14th minutes through 2 Shine frees and 2 from play by Willie McGrath. Donaghmore halved the deficit with 2 points in the 16th and 18th minutes before Kilskyre/Moylagh added 3 points between the 20th and 27th minutes – a free from Daire Shine and 2 from Tom Shine – 1 a free to lead 0.9 to 0.4. Willie McGrath also rattled the crossbar on the 21st minute with a fierce shot. Donaghmore Ashbourne were not going to lie down and they hit back with a goal and a point in the remaining minutes of the half to reduce their deficit to a point at the interval 0.9 to 1.5.
The team in green were energised following the break and 2 points in the first 5 minutes of the second half gave them the lead for the first time. Tom Shine pointed in the 6th minute to level the match but Donaghmore Ashbourne hit back immediately with a goal to take a 3-point lead. Kilskyre/Moylagh backed by a solid defensive display then put in a strong final 20 minutes plus nearly 8 minutes of injury time outscoring their opponents by 2.4 to 0.1 in that spell. Tom Shine pointed a free in the 12th minute to narrow the gap and in the next play the veteran Peadar Byrne got on the end of a McGrath pass to hit the net and put the North Meath team into a lead they would hold to the end. The sides exchanged points from placed balls in the 16th and 20th minutes before Kilskyre/Moylagh through 2 frees from Tom Shine and a goal from substitute Sean Tunney got the scores that ensured a deserved victory.
Picture taken of Tom Shine speaking to the panel and backroom team after the match
Kilskyre/Moylagh: D Muldoon, M Farrell, P. Muldoon, J Connell, B Smith, S Geraghty, E Briody, D Shine (0.1), L Maguire, O McDermott, T Shine (0.11), K Og Lynch, W McGrath (0.2), P Byrne (1.0), K McCaffrey.
Subs: S Tunney for Lynch, P Briody for E Briody.
Referee: M Dawson
