Both teams served up a feast of football in this exciting encounter in Scoil Dara on Saturday morning. After the horrific weather of the last month it was great to have a dry morning and both teams took full advantage of the good conditions.
Kilcullen won the toss and elected to play with the wind and they took full advantage as they forced two corners in the first few minutes.
This constant early pressure paid off in the tenth minute when Luke Doyle connected with a cross from the edge of the box and slotted home the ball past the advancing keeper.
The home side soon settled and began to mount a few attacks of their own with chances falling to Shane O’Brien and Neil Vorster. The game went from end to end as both teams battled to create chances but neither keeper was called into action.
With only five minutes remaining the visitors won a corner after sustained pressure. The home defence failed to clear the loose ball and John Daniel pounced to give his team a two nil lead. A minute later Dane Hoban was adjudged to have fouled Stephen Lawless in the box and a penalty was awarded. Stephen himself stepped up to take the spot kick and he can consider himself very unlucky. He excellently placed the ball towards the left upright but Cian McIntyre dived brilliantly full length to push the shot wide of the upright.
In the second half Celtic took advantage of the wind and mounted a series of attacks on the visitor’s goal. Ten minutes into the half Shane O’Brien was unlucky not to score for Celtic as his shot rolled wide of the upright.
Kilcullen always looked dangerous on the counter attack and the home defence of Adam Leonard, Dane Hoban, Cathal McCabe and David Costello were kept on their toes as the visitors tried to kill the game off.
With twenty minutes left in the game Kilcock got their breakthrough when Leon Glennon and Neil Vorster combined to put Jonathan McGrath through on goal and his squeezed his shot inside the right goalpost from the tightest of angles.
Celtic rallied and went in search of the equaliser. Arran Talbot made a great save from a goal bound in-swinger from Conor Dully as Kilcock turned up the heat. With fifteen minutes left in the game Ian Mooney won the ball on the left wing and passed inside to Jonathan McGrath and his fabulous curling shot from outside the box found the roof of the net to level the game.
Kilcullen responded well and forced a corner after determined work by Stephen Lawless. The out-swinging corner from the left was forced home by Stephen to regain the lead for Kilcullen. Kilcock looked devastated but recovered quickly to once again go in search of an equaliser. With only two minutes left Kilcock were awarded a free-kick forty yards from goal. The home side sent eight players into the box in a final throw of the dice. Leon Glennon sent in a lovely in-swinger, which was meet by a series of heads until Dane Hoban passed to Conor Dully who headed it onto Leon Glennon on the penalty spot. Glennon blasted the ball to the roof of the net to the delight of the home supporters.
This was a trilling free-flowing game which either team could have won but which no team deserved to lose. Special mention to the Referee Mr Kenny Cribbin who allowed the game to flow and to Cathal McCabe who was “man of the match” for Kilcock while Stephen Lawless was best for Kilcullen.
Kilcock Celtic: Front Row Ian Mooney, Cian McIntrye, Cathal McCabe, Conor Dully
Back Row: Shane O’Brien, Dane Hoban, Jonathan McGrath, Leon Glennon, Neil Vorster, Adam Leonard, David Costello. Missing from photo Michael Bambury, Evan Comerford, Elliot Fowler
