Irish World (14th April 2006)

Kilburn Gaels 3-22 John Mitchels 0-7

KILBURN Gaels got their season off to a flying start thanks to a second half demolition of John Mitchels at Greenford last Sunday.

The first half saw a pretty even affair but Kilburn scores dominated the other side of the interval, with Mitchels only returning with 0-01.

The story of what was to come was set as early as the opening minute of the match as Kilburn's Thomas Rigley got forward and pointed to open the scoring.

Just three minutes later, the hosts doubled their advantage when the impressive Keith Kennedy poinetd a free before the visitors responded with their first point of the match after ten minutes.

Both teams shared the next eight points, which all came in the next thirteen minutes, with the reliable Kennedy amongst the scorers again.

On twenty-eight minutes, Brian Forde extended Kilburn's lead to two points before he added another point from a free to give the hosts a little breathing space.

The visitors responded well, scoring two points of their own to reduce the deficit to just one point, before Forde added another point from a free, before Kennedy closed the scoring in the half with another point to put his side three points ahead with a half time lead of 0-09 to 0-06.

For some reason, the second half was totally one sided and Mitchels began to collapse as green shirts rained down on them with attack after attack.

Kennedy set the Kilburn wheels in motion with two points in the opening eight minutes of the half, one coming from a free, which sent the hosts score into double figures.

Rigley then tucked away Kilburn's first goal of the game just a couple of minutes later, however, the Mitchels management felt that a square ball had led to the goal, but the score stood. They added another point just a matter of seconds later to leave the score at 1-12 to 0-06.

The Kilburn onslaught was underway as they scored three more points in the next three minutes, with Forde and Kennedy adding to their tallies.

The home side then scored their second goal of the match, when Brian Tennyson burst forward to knock the ball past the Mitchels' 'keeper to put Kilburn firmly in control.

Two more points were added in the space of a minute by the men in green, with Kennedy once again getting his name on the scoresheet.

By the 23rd minute, Kilburn had reached a score of 3-22 with points coming from Rigley, Forde, JJ Burke and Kennedy.

Mitchels managed their first point of the half after 26 minutes of the half and as the rain poured down in Greenford, making playing conditions difficult, it would also signify the end of the scoring for the day.