Kiltimagh prove too much for Aughavas in Connacht final 

The Leitrim men came into the game as underdogs and would need to take all the scoring opportunities that came their way if they were to cause an upset, but that wasn’t to be.

Aughavas put in a brave display and mounted a solid second-half push against what was a Kiltimagh outfit that was simply more developed and dangerous around Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada on Saturday afternoon.

Aughavas largely lived on frees but failed to get good returns on the scoreboard from them, kicking five wides in the opening half that saw a three-point return.

The ball inside that worked so well against Cárna Caiseal was more difficult to execute, with Kiltimagh’s inside line showing an impressive display, and corner back Evan Cosgrove being very good at cleaning up dangerous balls inside.

The best spell of the half came when Aughavas threw off the shackles and went at Kiltimagh. When they did, they had success and revealed a defence that would concede frees if they were run at with confidence.

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For their part, Kiltimagh were quality and clinical in the opening stages - scoring their first ten shots - while Aughavas’s defence had their hands full with good inside play from Thomas Keegan and Fionan Burke, both scoring well, aided by scores from deep runners in Paul Kelly and Liam Smyth.

Both teams showed early signs of nerves as Joey McBrien shot a free from range wide for Aughavas, while Kiltimagh’s Stephan McDonnell over-carried the ball under little pressure.

Pearse Kenny snapped at a shot early from the edge of the arc, pulling it wide, before Kiltimagh got their first score of the game when top scorer Thomas Keegan converted a free from thirteen metres after a foul on Darragh McGovern on three minutes.

Kiltimagh had a tendency to come in and out of the game, but when they were there they were very effective, as a minute later midfielder Paul Kelly followed that up with a huge two-pointer from the edge of the arc and the outside of his right boot.

The difference in size was evident from the beginning of the game as Aughavas struggled in the tackle against a more mature team.

Kiltimagh added another point from a 45 a couple of minutes later with keeper Jamie McNicholas coming up to convert.

Aughavas had their keeper Declan Brooks to thank a minute later when Jordan Henry found his way in behind the defence and sent a shot from an acute angle towards the top corner. Brooks pulled an acrobatic save out of the bag to deny them.

The Mayo men scored again from a free for an off-the-ball foul on Fionan Burke that was converted by Thomas Keegan twenty-five metres out.

A long ball inside to Aughavas’s forward line was scooped up by Mattie Cummins, but soon after, Captain Conor Canning led by example for Aughavas, breaking the Kiltimagh line before handing off to Joey McBrien, whose shot was wide of the sticks.

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Aughavas were causing problems when they ran directly at Kiltimagh, as Eanna McNamara ran at Kiltimagh, earning a free on the edge of the arc. The free kick from Joey McBrien went wide of the post.

Aughavas got their first score of the game on 19 minutes as Joey McBrien slotted a two-pointer over the bar from a free outside the arc.

Aughavas had a small period of dominance, but tucked another free wide before Kiltimagh ramped up again with a point from Conor Mallee after the centre forward broke through a gap in the Aughavas defence.

Paul Kelly hit his second point of the game after Kiltimagh won an Aughavas kick-out and returned it.

Aughavas held the ball well in attack at times, but didn’t get the return they needed when Darren Shortt, darting across the arc, found some space; however, his shot drifted wide.

Kiltimagh found a hot streak as Conor Mallee jinked his way into the Aughavas defence before sticking the ball over the bar. That was followed up by a Fionan Burke point off his left boot.

Thomas Keegan added another from a 25-metre free kick before Aughavas returned the favour after a long ball into the square for Conor Canning led to a 13-metre free that was happily converted by Adrian Shortt.

Kiltimagh hit a wide and dropping a two-point effort short to round out a half where they were deadly clinical.

Aughavas started the second half positively and showed an intention to go direct with long balls inside.

Pressure on a Kiltimagh defender coming out with the ball led to an over-carry and the Leitrim men’s first chance to put the ball over after the restart, which they took via Darren Shortt.

Kiltimagh hit back with a free of their own, slotted over by Thomas Keegan 25 metres out. He followed it up by swinging over a point on his right foot.

Declan Brooke was excellent under the high ball for Aughavas all day and had to come to the edge of his square to punch away a long ball dropping in on a Kiltimagh forward.

The keeper was on hand a couple of minutes later to make a vital interception when a shot from Liam Smyth was blocked down and fell into the path of wing forward Oisín Mulderrig in the small square, but Brooke was quickest and managed to toe-poke it away.

Joey O’Brien gave Aughavas something to cheer about when he hit a booming two-pointer to reduce the gap to seven.

Kiltimagh’s Jack Niland tried to repeat the feat a minute later but blasted wide from range, but they were finding success when they ran at Aughavas in numbers, kicking points through substitute Eoghan Lavin and Oisín Mulderrig.

Meanwhile, Eanna McNamara found his way into the heart of the Kiltimagh defence and found his mark, scoring another point for them.

Aughavas’s defence was under pressure late on as Kiltimagh pressed for a goal, but their scrambling defence was brilliant with Gary Mitchell, Fiachra Casey and Liam McIntyre acting as an effective clean-up crew late on.

On the other end, Aughavas put on a huge press looking for a goal late on, but all they found in the last ten minutes were points from Darren Shortt, while Kiltimagh saw out the game with a point from Thomas Keegan, as they claimed their second Connacht Junior Championship - and the seventh for a Mayo team in the last eleven years. 

Kiltimagh

Jamie McNicholas; Mattie Cummins; Kevin Mulderrig; Evan Cosgrove; Jack Niland; Liam Kelly; Darragh McGovern; Paul Kelly; Liam Smyth; Stephan McDonnell; Conor Mallee; Oisin Mulderrig; Fionan Burke; Jordon Henry; Thomas Keegan. Subs: Eoghan Lavin for Jodon Henry (40); Aidan Cosgrove for Stephan (40); Jack Moran for Jack Niland (50); David Lydon FOR cOOR Mullee; Callum McNicholas for Darragh McGovern (58).

Scorers: Jamie McNicholas 0-1, 45; Paul Kelly 0-3,1tp; Conor Mallee 0-2; Fionan Burke 0-02;  Thomas Keegan 0-5; Jordon Henry 0-1, Eoghan Lavin 0-1. 

Aughavas 

Declan Brooks; Gary Mitchell; Fiachra Casey; Liam McIntyre; Eanna McNamara; Paul Bohan; Pearse Kenny; Shane O’Brien; Eoin Kenny; James Canning; Conor Canning; Cathal McNamara; Joey McBrien; David Charles; Darren Shortt. Subs: David Charles for 

Scorers: Joey O’Brien 0-4, 2tp; Adrian Shortt 0-1,1f; Darren Shortt 0-2,2f; Eanna McNamara 0-1.