Spa 2-15 Kilcummin 0-23

A small crowd turned up more in hope than expectation for the final County League game of the season between Spa and near neighbours Kilcummin.  What was predicted to be a sedate enough affair with only one team having anything to play for, turned out to be quite the opposite.  It was evident from the start that there was going to be no quarter asked for or given, and with the game only just having commenced, Spa got off to the best possible start as an Evan Cronin shot for a point dropped short and, after a mix up in the defence, made its way to John Falvey who duly buried it into the back of the net.  Kilcummin opened their account moments later, when Brendan Kealy came up to point a ’45.  Evan Cronin, who was irrepressible throughout, scored the first of his 6 points a moment later to restore the home side’s advantage.  Matt Keane, who was in sparkling form for the visitors, then raised two white flags in quick succession before Dan O Donoghue burst through the Kilcummin defence to raise another green flag for the boys in blue and gold.  Scores were tit for tat for the remainder of the half, with frees from Evan Cronin for Spa and Noel Duggan for the visitors.  There were great efforts from play from Cormac Cronin, Shane Cronin after a lung bursting run up the field, and Kelvin Teahan, Matt Teahan and Daniel Leary for the visitors. Two notable features of the first half were the spectacular point taking by Evan Cronin and the pinpoint kickouts by Brendan Kealy, which were causing Spa endless trouble throughout the first half.  The score at the short whistle was Spa 2-07 0-12 Kilcummin.

Kilcummin returned for the second half with the determined look of a man trying to persuade the executioner to give him a pardon and set about in earnest winning the game. Despite this, Ciarán Spillane got the first score of the half with a well taken point, but the visitors got the next 4 points of the game, to edge their way into the lead.  Evan Cronin stemmed the flow with an exquisite point off his left boot from 35 yards, following great work again from Shane Cronin.  This point coupled with a great save from James Devane from Noel Duggan as he acrobatically tipped his effort over the bar for a point seemed to settle Spa down.  They got the next 4 points unanswered from Brendan Lynch, Cormac Cronin, Evan Cronin, and the impressive Conor Stack, who is a new and very welcome addition to the senior squad.  Donal Maher and Matt Keane then replied with points for Kilcummin before Conor Stack landed his second point with a monster effort from out near the sideline.  Points were then swapped between the sides for the last ten minutes and two points in quick succession from the ever dangerous Noel Duggan, which were the last scores of the game and proved the difference between the sides at the end.

It was a tense and exciting game which, in truth, neither team deserved to lose, but on reflection, the fact that Kilcummin’s division 2 survival depended on the win, was probably the deciding factor, particularly in the last ten minutes when some of their bigger players really stood up to be counted.  While Spa were disappointed to end their County League campaign with a home defeat, they can look back with considerable satisfaction at what has been a good league for them.  They were best served on the day by James Devane, who made several top class saves, Shane Cronin whose roaming forays into enemy territory wrecked havoc, the hard working Conor Stack who took his points extremely well, Cormac Cronin and, most especially, by Evan Cronin whose exquisite point taking illuminated an already sun drenched Spa.  Final Score Spa 2-15 0-23 Kilcummin.