Junior Football Championship
Round 1
9-8-26
Kildangan 4-4 Ballykelly 1-9
Our seniors made a winning start to the 2026 Tom Cross Junior Football Championship, but not before digging themselves out of a sticky situation against neighbours Ballykelly in Hawkfield on Sunday last.
Kildangan began the game, with several changes from the programmed starting line up, playing against the breeze in the opening half. Early exchanges were evenly contested in the opening minutes, but it was Ballykelly who got off the mark first with a pointed free. Kildangan answered almost immediately when Joey Walsh found himself clean through behind the Ballykelly defence. With the keeper advancing, Joey kept his cool to roll the ball along the ground for the opening goal. Kildangan had plenty of the play in the opening minutes and Mark O'Donavan extended the Kildangan lead with a point from play. Ballykelly were playing with a massed defence but were giving away frees and Cian Reilly punished the opposition with a pointed free after a foul on Mark O'Donavan after 10 minutes. Ballykelly answered with a pointed free of their own as they stayed in touch. Mark O'Donavan punished Ballykelly once again moments later when a foul on Aaron Schofield was moved forward for dissent. Kildangan were playing well at this point midway through the half, but several missed opportunities allowed Ballykelly back into the game. Ballykelly hit three points on the trot in the next ten minutes to pull the game back to a one point game. Kildangan would have been satisfied enough to take a one point lead into half-time after playing against the breeze. This wasn't to be however when a Ballykelly "45" sailed all the way to the back of the Kildangan net to leave the half-time score Kildangan 1-3 Ballykelly 1-5 and it was now "game on".
Ballykelly with their tails up began the second half with the opening score to stretch their lead out to three points. A Ballykelly goal attempt was clawed out of the top corner by Adam Balmer to keep the game alive minutes later. A response was needed and Paddy Neary showed that leadership, carrying a ball through the heart of the Ballykelly defence before being brought down for a penalty. Dan Gilbert, in off the bench, dispatched the penalty to draw the game level. Dan Gilbert was having a big influence around the middle and after catching a Ballykelly kick out, sent Daragh Murphy through to put Kildangan back ahead with a neat point. With Ryan Moran, Luke McKenna and Killian Scully in off the bench, Kildangan drove on, and Devan Abbey extended Kildangan's lead to four points when he hit the net with ten minutes remaining. Ballykelly got a lifeline when a 2 pointer went over to narrow the gap to two. Two points is always a dangerous lead and it showed as Kildangan became nervous in the closing minutes. A Ballykelly kick from out the field bounced over the bar to bring the game back to a one point game. The game was put to bed in injury time however when Devan Abbey put Dan Gilbert clean through before he dispatched a shot to the Ballykelly net to leave the full-time score Kildangan 4-4 Ballykelly 1-9.
Kildangan will be happy to have dug out the win which didn't look likely with fifteen minutes remaining. Castlemitchell are next in the group and they will provide a stiff test of their own. The win however takes Kildangan to the top of Group B and keeps hope of a playoff spot alive.
Round 1
9-8-26
Kildangan 4-4 Ballykelly 1-9
Our seniors made a winning start to the 2026 Tom Cross Junior Football Championship, but not before digging themselves out of a sticky situation against neighbours Ballykelly in Hawkfield on Sunday last.
Kildangan began the game, with several changes from the programmed starting line up, playing against the breeze in the opening half. Early exchanges were evenly contested in the opening minutes, but it was Ballykelly who got off the mark first with a pointed free. Kildangan answered almost immediately when Joey Walsh found himself clean through behind the Ballykelly defence. With the keeper advancing, Joey kept his cool to roll the ball along the ground for the opening goal. Kildangan had plenty of the play in the opening minutes and Mark O'Donavan extended the Kildangan lead with a point from play. Ballykelly were playing with a massed defence but were giving away frees and Cian Reilly punished the opposition with a pointed free after a foul on Mark O'Donavan after 10 minutes. Ballykelly answered with a pointed free of their own as they stayed in touch. Mark O'Donavan punished Ballykelly once again moments later when a foul on Aaron Schofield was moved forward for dissent. Kildangan were playing well at this point midway through the half, but several missed opportunities allowed Ballykelly back into the game. Ballykelly hit three points on the trot in the next ten minutes to pull the game back to a one point game. Kildangan would have been satisfied enough to take a one point lead into half-time after playing against the breeze. This wasn't to be however when a Ballykelly "45" sailed all the way to the back of the Kildangan net to leave the half-time score Kildangan 1-3 Ballykelly 1-5 and it was now "game on".
Ballykelly with their tails up began the second half with the opening score to stretch their lead out to three points. A Ballykelly goal attempt was clawed out of the top corner by Adam Balmer to keep the game alive minutes later. A response was needed and Paddy Neary showed that leadership, carrying a ball through the heart of the Ballykelly defence before being brought down for a penalty. Dan Gilbert, in off the bench, dispatched the penalty to draw the game level. Dan Gilbert was having a big influence around the middle and after catching a Ballykelly kick out, sent Daragh Murphy through to put Kildangan back ahead with a neat point. With Ryan Moran, Luke McKenna and Killian Scully in off the bench, Kildangan drove on, and Devan Abbey extended Kildangan's lead to four points when he hit the net with ten minutes remaining. Ballykelly got a lifeline when a 2 pointer went over to narrow the gap to two. Two points is always a dangerous lead and it showed as Kildangan became nervous in the closing minutes. A Ballykelly kick from out the field bounced over the bar to bring the game back to a one point game. The game was put to bed in injury time however when Devan Abbey put Dan Gilbert clean through before he dispatched a shot to the Ballykelly net to leave the full-time score Kildangan 4-4 Ballykelly 1-9.
Kildangan will be happy to have dug out the win which didn't look likely with fifteen minutes remaining. Castlemitchell are next in the group and they will provide a stiff test of their own. The win however takes Kildangan to the top of Group B and keeps hope of a playoff spot alive.
