Stars shine brightly to see off Crosserlough

ACFL

Kingscourt 4-8

Crosserlough 0-14

Despite missing a lot of regulars, Kingscourt showed greatly improved form today as they saw off Crosserlough in a repeat of last season’s county final.

The Stars started sluggishly and were 0-5 to 0-1 in arrears after eight minutes but they gradually improved and, crucially, struck for the killer goals at opportune times. The county champions will be disappointed with their defending for a couple of them but each was expertly finished by the Stars, who deserved their victory, out-scoring the visitors comfortably once they overcame that poor start.

Crosserlough opened the scoring just 10 seconds in when Darren Gaffney set off on a run from the throw-in and Barry McKiernan split the posts with the left boot.

Shane McVeety, who led the line well, added the next and although Cian Shekleton replied with a free for Kingscourt, Brandon Boylan converted an attacking mark with a fine strike from the right corner to make it 0-3 to 0-1.

With the wind at their backs, Crosserlough were humming and McKiernan sent over a sublime point from a tight angle before McVeety drove at the Stars defence and won a free which McKiernan converted in the eighth minute.

Crosserlough almost got in for a goal, too, with James Farrelly saving smartly from Ben Kelly-Flynn; had that got in, the away team may have run away with it but Kingscourt hung in there and grew into the contest.

The experienced Philip Tinnelly got them going again with a long-range point from play and he soon added another after great work at the back from the outstanding Odhran Cunningham and his brother Oisin.

That cut the gap to two at the water break and that was how it remained at half-time, by which stage Crosserlough held a 0-8 to 1-3 lead.

Enda Gaffney and McKiernan (one free and one mark) were Crosserlough’s scorers in this spell but a goal from Dean Malone, after a lovely team move, had propelled the hosts back into the game.

Two frees from Shekleton early in the second half drew Kingscourt level but the in-form McKiernan hit back with a 40-metre free of his own.

Then, nine minutes after the restart, came the key score. A clever ball from Tinnelly found Peter Corrigan; he laid off for Richie Curtis whose shot was weak but was turned into his own net by the unlucky Conor Rehill.

A minute later, Kingscourt and Curtis had the ball in the net again; once more, Tinnelly delivered the pass and this time Curtis gathered well and finished superbly to the bottom corner.

A tremendous point on the run from Sean Burke followed moments later and suddenly Finbar O’Reilly’s side were 3-6 to 0-9 ahead.

Two from McKiernan (one free) either side of a score for McVeety and a free from Peter Smith made it a three-point game but Shekleton provided some breathing space with a left-footed point from play.

The clincher arrived, then, on the home stretch when Kingscourt broke out on the counter and Kevin Curtis found the driving Odhran Cunningham, who capped off a fine performance with a well-taken goal.

McVeety and Shekleton (free) traded scores in the dying seconds but Kingscourt were never in danger.

Full report in this week’s print issue.