D1IHL R1 Result – Kilworth 1-21 Blarney 1-09

On a bitterly cold Sunday morning, our intermediate hurlers made their first league trip of 2018 to Blarney where they took on the home side in the opening round of this year’s division one intermediate hurling league. Kilworth were aided by a very strong wind in the opening half and they made good use of it leading 1-11 to 0-05 at the half time break. The visitors were first out of the blocks with a pointed free from Noel McNamara followed by Liam Whelan’s first point of the game. However by the fourth minute the sides were level as Blarney clawed their way back through two frees, 0-2 apiece. It wasn’t long until Kilworth got the game’s first goal a minute later when Will Condon laid off a great pass to Brian Sheehan who rounded the goal keeper to take a well taken goal. We now led 1-2 to 0-2 and our lads pushed on from here with points through Noel McNamara, Jamie Sheehan, Will Condon, Liam Whelan and Tom Twomey and they were worthy of their 9 point lead at the break.

Kilworth began the second half as they ended the first with Noel McNamara popping over two frees followed by a Jamie Sheehan point from play to push our lead out to twelve points by the 36^th minute. Blarney registered their first point of the game from play in the 40^th minute but there would be no way back for them from here. The home side did get a late consolation goal in the 51^st minute to reduce the gap to ten but they was the closest they came.  The game finished up 1-21 to 1-09 as Kilworth claimed the points and are now up and running on the league table. Our players produced a great opening performance with the defence strong and the half forward line of Tom Twomey, Liam Whelan and Will Condon especially on form scoring 11 points from play between them. The club would like to congratulate the management and players on a great win and we wish you all the best of luck going forward. Up next we will face Cloyne at home and that game is fixed for next Sunday, March 4^th in Kilworth at 12 noon. Please come along and support. Hopefully the ‘Beast from the East’ will have passed by then!

Team and Scorers: Kieran Walsh, Maurice McNamara, Kieran Lane, Austin O’Hara, James McCarthy, Eoin McGrath, Mark O’Connor, Brian Tobin, Jeremy Saich, Tom Twomey (0-1), Liam Whelan (0-6), Will Condon (0-4), Jamie Sheehan (0-2), Noel McNamara (0-8 – 7F, 1P) and Brian Sheehan (1-0). Subs Used: Eoin Carey, Michael O’Callaghan and Dave Twomey.