Irish World (26th August 2006)

Kilburn Gaels 2-14 Thomas McCurtains 1-6

Kilburn Gaels comfortably overcame a weakened Thomas McCurtains at Ruislip on Saturday to keep their championship dream alive. Despite some McCurtains resistance Kilburn came through to go into their vital last game with Fr Murphys in a good vein of form.

Michael O'Dwyer opened the scoring in the opening minute for the men in green when he pointed and this was soon followed by Kilburn's first goal of the match when Ollie Noonan fired the ball in the bottom corner of William Burke's goal to give his side an early four point lead.

Kilburn should have extended their lead in the next couple of minutes but Keith Kennedy fired wide from a free and Mick Hayes followed suit from open play.

McCurtains got themselves on the scoreboard after five minutes when John O'Shea pointed but Francis O'Dwyer hit back seconds later for Kilburn with a point of his own.

John Walsh then made it four scores in the opening six minutes for Gaels when he pointed after a run on the left but Neil Reilly halted their flow when he hit McCurtains' second point.

However, Kilburn soon put their foot back on the pedal just a minute later when Noonan added to his tally with a point before points from Gareth Glynn and Sean Stakelum gave Kilburn a 1-6 to 0-2 lead after just 13 minutes.

Hayes again fired wide on the 15 minute mark but Noonan made no mistake when he pointed after good work from John Walsh on the left.

Hayes did however point from a free with nine minutes left in the half before McCurtains added their third point with a free from Joe Mullins.

Kilburn got back on the scoring trail with a point from Glynn on 25 minutes and should have at least had another two points but wides from Hayes (free) and Stakelum meant that at half time Kilburn had a 1-9 to 0-3 lead.

It was McCurtains who started the second half the better as Richie Gilligan saw his shot saved by Kilburn goalkeeper John Joe Burke after creating space for himself. However, a fine point from Steve Donoghue from the left touchline gave McCurtains their fourth point.

Kilburn got their first score of the half after six minutes when they pointed but McCurtains kept up their pressure and Paul Ryan was unlucky to see his goalbound shot from a free blocked on the Kilburn goal line.

The underdogs did manage to add their fifth point in the ninth minute of the half and gave themselves real hope a minute later when Reilly directed a high free into the Kilburn goal to reduce the deficit to four points - 1-10 to 1-5.

Kilburn calmed any nerves temporarily when they pointed soon after before O'Dwyer pointed after a scramble for the ball near the McCurtains goal.

McCurtains' hopes suffered a real blow when Dermot Mullins and John O'Shea were sent off along with Kilburn's Francis O'Dwyer for an off-the-ball incident with 16 minutes left. Kilburn began to take advantage of the 14 against 13 as Hayes pointed before Shane Linnane followed suit to all but end the game.

The men in green then added a bit of gloss to the scoreline when Hayes fired the ball into the top of the McCurtains net with four minutes left before Kilburn completed the scoring with a point from a free.

McCurtains did manage a consolation point near the end but it was Kilburn who came through to win quite easily.

Team: J.J. Burke, R. O'Connor, M. Finnerty, L. Mullan, H. English, K. Kennedy, S. Stakelum, S. Linnane, G. Glynn, F. O'Dwyer, M. Hayes, J. Walsh, B. Aherne, M. O'Dwyer, O. Noonan.