Kilcormac/ Killoughey make history

OFFALY SHC FINAL: Kilcormac/Killoughey 2-16 St Rynagh's 2-12:HISTORY WAS made in Tullamore yesterday as Kilcormac/Killoughey captured the county title for the first time with a fully deserved four-point win over favourites St Rynagh's.

There were wild scenes after Kilcormac/Killoughey ended decades of misery, hard luck stories and tales of ones that were thrown away, thanks to a power-packed second-half performance.

The foundation for victory was laid with a brilliant performance in the opening 20 minutes of the second half. Behind by 2-8 to 1-7 at the interval, Kilcormac/Killoughey came out with all guns blazing and stormed into a 2-15 to 2-9 lead after 20 minutes, with sub Kevin Grogan scoring a goal.

St Rynagh’s did rally well inside the closing 10 minutes and brought the deficit back to three with four minutes left but a lovely point from Mark Leonard got the winners across the finish line, much to their relief.

Kilcormac/Killoughey had made a nervous start and this allowed St Rynagh’s to establish an early grip on the game. Ciarán Slevin settled the winners with a penalty goal after ten minutes to level it but a 21st-minute goal from Diarmuid Horan gave Rynagh’s a 1-5 to 1-3 lead.

Rynagh’s were very opportunistic in the first half, registering only one wide and an injury time goal from Gary Kelly gave them the initiative.

KILCORMAC/KILLOUGHEY:Conor Slevin; C Guinan, G Healion, A McConville; J Geraghty, P Healion, B Leonard; D Kilmartin, K Coyne; Ciaran Slevin (1-9, goal, pen and six frees), C Mahon (0-1), P Geraghty (0-1); J Gorman (0-1), D Currams (0-1), T Fletcher (0-2, one free). Subs: K Leonard for J Geraghty (27 mins), K Grogan (1-0) for Coyne (35 mins), T Geraghty for Gorman (41 mins), J Grogan for Guinan (48 mins), M Leonard (0-1) for Fletcher (56 mins).

ST RYNAGH'S:C Clancy; C Hernon, P Camon (0-1), F Shortt; S Wynne (0-3, two frees and one 65), D Shortt, S Óg Lyons; G Conneely, N White; S Dolan (0-2), C Flannery (0-3), G Kelly (1-0); S Quirke (0-1), D Horan (1-0), G Scales (0-2, two frees). Subs: N Wynne for F Shortt (31 mins), A Tracey for White (44 mins), S Clancy for Dolan (49 mins), G Healy for Quirke (57).