Nervy ‘Dangan come late to thefinal

By Shane Brophy

Kiladangan management team member Sean O’Meara admitted having mixed emotions about having to go to a replay to decide the destination of the Dan Breen Cup.

“At one stage we looked as if we were in control,” he began.

“With a few minutes to go we were up two or three points. They brought it back and then they went ahead. In the end you’d be delighted just to get away with a draw and live to fight another day.”

He added: “I’ve been saying all week, it’s a local derby. Two teams fairly evenly matched. A bit of experience and some youth and serious fitness levels. We drew with each other in the North Championship, today is another draw so it just shows where we’re both at and we both have room for improvement to get ready for a replay next weekend.”

Kiladangan trailed the whole way until the 52nd minute when Paul Flynn’s cracking goal put them in front for the first time, a score O’Meara felt was needed.

“It was a great goal at the time,” he said, adding: “but then we conceded frees at the other end, which meant they were getting it back to all square again. The key when you get a goal like that is to be able to kick on and we didn’t do it today and we paid the price.”

While Kiladangan came into the game with the most recent final experience compared to their opponents, it was Kiladangan who looked the more nervy which O’Meara sensed.

“It’s funny, having been there in 2019 and 2020, I felt out lads were a small bit nervy today,” he said.

“What it’s from, I don’t know. There was a huge momentum behind Kilruane this week, whether that had an effect on them or what, I don’t know but we were a little bit nervy.

“We dropped a lot of ball, stuff that we would normally have a straight ball into the hand and gone, we fumbled it and when you’re doing that. Fair play, it’s down to Kilruane’s work rate as well. It’s not just that we were poor on the ball, it’s pure workrate from Kilruane and they deserve great credit for it.”