The large crowd in attendance were treated to a full blooded contest at More O Ferrall Park this evening, in what was the first meeting between the two clubs at senior level in living memory. With no quarter asked or given, both sides served up an intense hours football in a game that could have gone either way but in the end was decided by a bit of luck and a couple of questionable refereeing decisions.
The first half opened at a frantic pace with Monasterevin quickest to settle and they had a point on the board in the opening minutes. Disaster struck for Kildangan minutes later when another Monasterevin move up the middle ended with a shot to the Kildangan net to leave Kildangan four points in arrears. Kildangan found their way into the game when Luke McKenna knocked over a nice point to get Kildangan off the mark. Kildangan drew level minutes later when Devan Abbey slipped his marker and put a ball across the goal mouth for Mark O'Donavan to palm the ball to the net. Monasterevin looked sharp and went ahead again with a two pointer, followed by another point to open up a three point lead midway through the first half. Kildangan were digging in all over the field with Paddy Neary leading by example from centre half forward. It was Paddy who got a nice point for Kildangan from play before Monasterevin answered with a point of their own. Neary was proving a handful and was fouled again for a free, converted by Mark O'Donavan to keep his team in touch. Monasterevin were dangerous off frees and added a one and two pointer to leave them four ahead with half-time approaching. Sheer heart was keeping Kildangan in the contest and Eanna Sherlock broke forward from centre back to kick a point off the right boot to signal that Kildangan were still up for the fight. Monasterevin added a point of their own just before half-time to leave the half-time score Kildangan 1-5 Monasterevin 1-9.
The second half began with a let off for Kildangan with Adam Balmer making a good save to keep the game alive. Nobody could doubt the intensity of the exchanges with incidents all over the field as Kildangan raised the tempo of the game in the middle third. Eoghan O'Fearghail and Rob McGrath were now in for Kildangan adding steel around the middle. McGrath on an advantage for a free kicked an inspirational two pointer to cut the gap to two points. The deficit was down to one when Mark O'Donavan rounded his man to kick a point off the left. Cian Reilly was having a big influence on general play around the middle and stepped up to kick a free to equalise after being fouled himself. He stepped forward again with another free curled over from the right after Rob McGrath had been dragged down. Cian Reilly then kicked a two pointer from outside the arc to put Kildangan three points ahead with 15 minutes remaining. Kildangan had hit seven points on the trot at this stage and had the Intermediate side, and league leaders in real trouble. Monasterevin answered with a point from play and several frees of the charitable variety to draw the teams level. Kildangan were playing the better football and taking the game to their opponents and when a long ball broke to Paddy Neary on the edge of the square, he tapped over a point to regain the lead for Kildangan. With five minutes remaining an Aaron Schofield run was hauled down and for dissent the ball was brought forward for a free that was tapped over to stretch the Kildangan lead to two. Monasterevin were in deep trouble but had their prayers answered with a two pointer to level the game. They hit a second two pointer to go two ahead and followed with a point to make it a three point game and very rough justice on Kildangan. Despite the setback Kildangan never gave up and deep in stoppage time were awarded a free 40m from goal. With a goal needed, the ball was sent towards the Monasterevin goalmouth but sailed just over for a two pointer. The final whistle sounded on the kick out to leave the full time score Kildangan 1-16 Monasterevin 1-17.
This will be a defeat that hurts, as all defeats in local derby's do. Kildangan will know they came so close to taking out the league leaders in a display that was full of heart. The game proved beyond any doubt Kildangan can mix it at this level on a consistent basis. It would be unfair to single anyone out as there were leaders all over the field, in a game where there were no hiding places. The team can now look forward to building in the 2nd Phase of the league, playing against the top four teams again, which will include Monasterevin, Ballymore and Suncroft.
