Mullinavat 3-12 | Railyard GFC 2-5

by John Knox , Kilkenny People 26th Aug.2017

A goal in the 50th minute from Kilkenny under-21 hurling panelist, John Walsh, more or less ended Railyard's bid for the four in-a-row and put Mullinavat on their way to their second win in the Kilkenny senior football championship final at Nowlan Park this evening.
The defending champions were way off the pace in the first half and they fell into arrears of 11 points (2-6 to 0-1) by the break.
However, for a while after the turn they were on fire and goals from Colin Philips (32nd minute) and a converted penalty by Caleb Roche in the 40th minute brought them right back into the game, 2-7 to 2-4.
The winners steadied the ship with two hard earned points from Ian Duggan and John walsh before Jamie Fennelly and Brian Phelan created the opening for Walsh to tap home the deciding goal from the edge of the square in the 50th minute (3-9 to 2-4).
It was all fair sailing for the winners after that.
Mullinavat were in control from the off, but they took a while to reflect their out-field dominance on the scoreboard. Their only score during the opening 13 minutes was a point from a free by Ian Duggan following a foul on Adam Mansfield.
Railyard were pinned in their own half, and their goalie John Mansfield did well in the fifth minute when he prevented Ian Duggan scoring a goal for the winners at the end of a free flowing move.
Then in the 17th and 18th minutes Mullinavat snapped up two goals through full-forward, Jamie Fennell.
The first came after John Walsh and Michael Malone combined to rip open the losers defence, with Fennelly finishing on the turn from close range. The second came after a daring raid up the left by John Walsh, who put the ball across goal for Fennelly to dive and punch home from close range (2-2 to 0-0).
Railyard hardly threatened, and it was two minutes into 'lost time' before they opened their account from a free by Caleb Roche. They trailed by a daunting 2-6 to 0-1 at half-time.
The best of the contest was seen in the second half, but Railyard just couldn't save the day.
SCORERS: Mullinavat - Jamie Fennelly (2-2); John Walsh (1-2); Michael Malone, Ian Duggan (0-2 each); Ger Malone, Mark Mansfield, Joe Fennelly, Brian Phelan (0-1 each). Railyard - Caleb Roche (1-4); Colin Philips (1-0); Ronan Walsh (0-1).
Mullinavat - Killian Dunphy; Ryan Bland, Mikey Jones, Darren Kenneally; Simon Aylward, Ger Malone, Mark Mansfield; Tom Aylward (capt), Joe Fennelly; Michael Malone, Ian Duggan, Conor Duggan; Adam Mansfield, Jamie Fennelly, Brian Phelan. Subs - John Walsh for A. Mansfield; James Culleton for M. Jones; Liam Fennelly for C. Duggan.
Railyard - John Mansfield; Noel Roche, Patrick McConigley, David 'Ozzie' Roche; David O'Neill, Paul Roche, Paul Kelly; Kevin Phillips, Conor McDonald; Noel Rafferty, Sean Dowd, Philip Roche (capt); Ciaran Whelan, Celeb Roche, Ronan Walsh. Subs - Colin Philips for S Dowd; Brian McDonald for D. O'Neill; Eoin Regan for R. Walsh; Paul O'Neill for Noel Rafferty.
Referee - Conor Everard (Graigue-Ballycallan).