Cootehill see Stars at home
2009 Senior Panel
Cootehill Celtic 0-4 Kingscourt Stars 2-12
Kingscourt Stars rolled back the years at Hugh O’Reilly Park on Sunday last when they came, saw and conquered with considerable ease in a surprisingly lop-sided ACFL Division Two encounter.
In a blast from the past, the Stars tossed Cootehill’s challenge aside with the sort of swagger and panache redolent of victories chalked up by the club when it was in its pomp in the late eighties.
In finishing the season cock-a-hoop with their unbeaten record in tact and confidence sky-high, the Stars showed just why some pundits have earmarked them as championship contenders in 2010. And while the visitors’ fourteen points winning margin might have been a tad flattering, the gulf in class between the sides was there for all to see.
For Cootehill, the fall-out from their IFC final disappointment clearly continues. On the evidence of last weekend, it appears that a major improvement in attitude and form will be required if they are to see off the challenge of Ballyhaise this weekend in their dog-fight for fourth place and a semi-final berth.
Once again the adage that ‘forwards win matches’ once again came home to roost for Cootehill and their paltry four point tally fully paints a dreary picture of the ammunition they have in their locker up front at present.
Truth to tell, Cootehill played a poor second fiddle in a whole raft of departments last Sunday and the words ‘black’ and ‘board’ could almost be heard richocheting around the ground at the final whistle.
Perhaps most worryingly and most frustratingly for the hosts’ supporters though was the way their favourites failed to match Kingscourt’s hunger all over the field and their level of determination in the close-quarter exchanges.
Apart from the glaringly obvious disparity in the respective scoring departments, Kingscourt’s superior mobility, craft and fitness were stand-out features of their armoury; acting as crutches that their innate footballing abilities scarcely required.
The Stars were bright and breezy in the wintry conditions and five points from AFL target Barry Reilly – incorporating four frees – served to propel Kingscourt into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead inside the opening 19 minutes.
Playing into the chapel end of the ground and with the aid of a stiff breeze, Kingscourt’s work-rate, movement off the shoulder and better passing had Cootehill almost playing a game of damage limitation well before half-time.
By that juncture, a tremendous double-save from Kingscourt netminder McCabe and an Anthony Corcoran goal (26th min) – from a Ryan McCormack assist – had helped leave Cootehill 0-3 to 1-6 adrift and in need of some resusitation.
Sadly for the hoops, the revivalist zeal needed to put new life into their game was unforthcoming. Instead, their efforts in the second half continued to lack the sort of punch, pace and precision needed to puncture either Kingscourt’s rearguard or self-belief, however temporarily.
The Stars were able to continue to operate in a comfort zone for the remainder of the match and when Darryl Martin drove through the heart of the Cootehill defence in the 49th minute before finding the net, the issue was all but done and dusted.
Trailing by 0-3 to 2-8 in the wake of Martin’s major, Cootehill were unable to extricate themselves from the mire with a no-nonsense Kingscourt defence, a tireless midfield and a quick-fire attack conspiring to frustrate the hosts at every opportunity.
Ryan McCormack and Barry Reilly added salt to Cootehill’s gaping wound with clever points before Paul McCarney shaved the Kingscourt crossbar after latching onto a quick-free two minutes from time.
Predictably, the stylish Stars had the final say with Ryan McCormack putting the gloss on a performance which said as much about Kingscourt’s inherent potential as it did their current peerless position in the second tier of Cavan league football.
Cootehill Celtic;
Ciaran Boyle; John Deery, Barry McGahan, Christopher Sherlock; Sean Fitzpatrick, David McCarney, Joshua Hayes; Brian Sherlock, John McCutcheon (0-1); Mark Mullen (0-2), Ciaran Fox, Cathal McCabe; Barry Dempsey, Paul McCarney (0-1), Dean Connolly.
Subs; Neil Kelly for D Connolly (inj); Aidan McCabe for D McCarney (inj); John Grogan for C Fox.
Kingscourt Stars;
Cathal McCabe; Paddy Farrelly, Alan Clarke, Shane Grey; Barry Tully, Colm Smith, Keith McCabe; Gavin Sheenan, Sean Og Gargan; Thomas Malone, Philip Smith (0-1), Barry Reilly (0-7, five frees); Anthony Corcoran (1-0), Ryan McCormack (0-3), Darryl Martin(1-0).
Subs; Joe McMahon (0-1) for S Og Gargan; Sean Farrelly for P Smith; Kevin Shiels for B Tully; Drew McCabe for B Reilly.
Match Report courtesy of Kevin Carney
