Four goal Kevin stars
Moorefield 5-9 BUT for Moorefield full forward Kevin O’Neill this U -21 FC tie might have
been a very close contest. Starting the game at full forward, the ‘bould’
Kevin rattled in two first half goals. He switched out to the forty in the
second half and repeated the dose, on a day when he probably thought that all
his Christmases had came together. Take into account also two glaring misses at
the other end by the normally reliable Colm Reilly and you realise that this
game was really much closer than the score suggests. In fact Carbury, on their home patch, fairly put it up to Moorefield for long
periods and only O’Neill’s two goals separated the teams at the end of a
lively first half. Moorefield led at this point by 2-5 to 0-5 but Carbury had
wind advantage in the second half. It was point for point in the early stages
with the winners’ Patrick Murray and Carbury’s Conor Moore swapping points
before Moorefield’s Brian Collins and the losers’ Noel Kenna did likewise.
O’Neill struck for his first goal after just eight minutes but a brace of Colm
Reilly points kept Carbury well in touch In the second quarter the winners tacked on points from Patrick Murray and
Brian McGrogan. At the other end Conor Moore kicked his second point for Carbury
but Bernard Behan quickly cancelled out that one with a good score. With the
half in stoppage time, O’Neill struck again and in similar fashion, using his
height to effect in out jumping the Carbury defence, turning and planting the
ball in the back of the net. That score was rough justice on Carbury who
scarcely deserved to be six points adrift at this point. Nothing daunted they set about hauling in the deficit with three early points
form Colm Reilly, Ross Sullivan and Willie Reilly before Moorefield sub. Paul
Murnaghan swapped points with Willie Reilly. Kevin O’Neill pointed for the
winners at the three quarter stage before two Colm Reilly points left Carbury
just two points adrift with just seven minutes on the clock. From the kick out
Patrick Murray sniped a point for the winners to give them breathing space and
leave the game finely balanced. Enter Kevin O’Neill. Twice in the space of three minutes he galloped
through the heart of the Carbury defence to beat Colm Cash with two almost
identical rising shots. When Paul Murnaghan added a fifth goal it all became a
bit academic really with the final score doing scant justice to a rattling good
Carbury side, almost all of whom are eligible for this grade next year