Kilmaley  2-15  -  Eire Og 2-7 at Clarecastle Grounds

THE picture in Group Three is drawing into sharper focus. Kilmaley have one foot in the quarter-finals after recording their second straight win the championship.
They did so, without ever hitting full throttle, easing to eight-point win against an Eire Og team that slumped to a second successive championship defeat.
It's still early days yet, as those calling the shots on the line for Kilmaley will be at pains to remind their team that they'll have to contend with much stiffer opposition than a hapless and disjointed side like the Townies were on this day.
Yet, the champions of 2004 look primed to top the group and clearly yearn for greater things.
If Kilmaley do make it through, it is likely they will be leaving Eire Og behind them. It's not a mathematical certainty, but the prospect of the Townies making the knockout stages looks increasingly unlikely.
To stand any chance, they must beat O'Callaghan's Mills and Clarecastle and even then they are still at the mercy of other results. At the moment the spirit seems unwilling, while they haven't got the hurling either, something that was really shown up here.
Two first half goals were the basis for an eight-point half time lead for Kilmaley.
You expected Eire Og to come flying out the dressing room, bristling and ready for war. That never happened. With the exception of a few individual, hyper outbursts, collectively, you never got the sense from Eire Og that this was a game they simply had to win.
Fergus Flynn's 57th minute goal caused minor palpitations but came way too late. The Townies managed just one score from play all afternoon. It was a poor return, but a lot of the credit too must be directed to a miserly Kilmaley defence, anchored at centre-back by Diarmuid McMahon.
They condensed the space close to goal making it endlessly difficult for Eire Og to even squeeze a shot off.
That work-rate was matched and possibly even surpassed by the forwards. How often too will you see Kilmaley cruise to a championship win with relatively low-key performances from Colin Lynch and Diarmuid McMahon.
Instead, others like Seamus Hurley, a bustling full forward and spearhead of the Kilmaley attack, and Kenneth Kennedy, shone brightest on Saturday.
These two tormented Eire Og in the first half. Alan Markham cracked an early free before Eire Og moved swiftly into a decisive looking lead. Danny Russell pointed two frees and was presented with another easy opportunity in the eighth minute. Russell had other ideas and blasted a 20-yard free to the back of the net for a morale boosting goal.
Kilmaley stayed in touch with points from Markham and Conor Neylon. Then the supply of ball to Hurley increased and that's when Kilmaley really got going.
Hurley set Kennedy away with smart reverse pass in behind the Eire Og full back line. Kennedy was pulled down. Kilmaley were awarded a penalty. Markham blasted his shot over the bar.
Kilmaley had their goal in the 18th minute when Hurley pounced on a mix up in the Eire Og defence to scoop the ball home. The second goal arrived minutes later when Markham's sideline cut was dropped under the crossbar and a combination of Kennedy and Hurley forced the ball over.
Kilmaley moved out of reach before the break with points from Diarmuid McMahon (2), Hurley and Markham. At half time it was Kilmlaey 2-8, Eire Og 1-2.
Eire Og needed a rapid transfusion of urgency to turn things around. Instead, they prouduced little by way of inspiration and the game listed along.
Points from Brian McMahon and Anthony Cahill, ensured that by the 37th minute, all six of Kilmaley's forwards had got on the scoresheet.
Eire Og finally got going with a free from Russell but Kilmaley counter-punched with points from Markham and Diarmuid McMahon. It could have been worse for Eire Og, but for a fine double save from Brennan in the 36th minute.
Fergus Flynn's shift in the forwards yielded a goal from a powerfully struck free as Eire Og closed the gap to six points with three minutes left on the clock.
Substitute Niall Daly, who had earlier scored Eire Og's solitary point from play over the hour, then struck the post when a goal would have put the game firmly back in the melting pot.
It was the shock that Kilmaley needed and they stepped it up in the final minutes with points from Conor Neylon and Brian McMahon.
They should have plenty left in the tank for the stiffer challenges ahead, while the Townies can only look forward to the prospect of yet more misery.
For them the rest of 2008 looks to be about survival in senior ranks and not challenging for the Canon Hamilton Cup.

Won & Lost
KILMALEY'S second goal in the 20th minute set them away. Appropriately, it involved two of the winner's busiest forwards Seamus Hurley and Kenneth Kennedy. When Markham's sideline was dropped on the Eire Og goal line Hurley and Kennedy threw themselves at the sliotar and between them, forced it over the line. The goal gave Kilmaley a five point lead and put a real dent in Eire Og's confidence.

Match Details
Kilmaley Kieran Dillon (7), Noel Casey (7), Conor McMahon (7), Sean Talty (7), Vincent Killeen (7), Diarmuid McMahon (7) (0-3)(2f), Stephen McNamara (7), Colin Lynch (7),  Dermoy Neylon (7), Alan Markham (7) (0-5)(5f), Anthony Cahill (7) (0-2), Brian McMahon (7) (0-2), Conor Neylon (0-2) (7) Seamus Hurley (1-1), Kenneth Kennedy (8) (1-0) Subs Sean Hehir (6) for Kennedy, Michael McGuane for Cahill 

Eire Og Kevin Brennan (6), John Mulcahy (6), Noel Whelan (6), Ciaran Hanna (6), Mark Fitzgerald (6), Ronan Cooney (6), Damien McMahon (6), Ronan Keane (6), David Ryan (6), Adrian Flaherty (6), Tadgh McNamara (6), Fergus Flynn (6) (1-0), Danny Russell (7) (1-6)(7f), Barry Nugent (6), John Rynne (6) Subs  Niall Daly (7) (0-1) for Flaherty, Mark O'Donnell (7) for Hanna, Kevin Moynihan (6) for McMahon

Man of the Match
Seamus Hulrey (Kilmaley)
HURLEY is the final link in the spine of strength in this Kilmaley team that takes in The McMahon brother in defence, Colin Lynch, Anthonly Cahill and others. Bagged 1-1 and tormented the Townies throughout.

Match Official Tom Stackpool (Ennistymon)