Intermediate championship Group C round one in Athenry on Saturday May 12th

Kilnadeema/Leitrim 2.17  Abbeyknockmoy 0.06

Kilnadeema/Leitrim and Abbeyknockmoy had the honour of opening group C of the Intermediate hurling championship for 2007 when they clashed in Kenny Park, Athenry on a wet Saturday evening 12th May. Both teams meet in the championship at the group stage last year with Kilnadeema/Leitrim proving much too strong for the former senior champions of 19 years previous. The sides also meet in this year's league a few weeks ago in Leitrim with the game much closer this time and Kilnadeema/Leitrim only scrapped home by three points. With Mattie Murphy now in charge of coaching the side and after the disappointment of losing to Killimordaly in the 2006 semi-final, he really had the team fined tuned for the start of the 2007 championship and this was very evident from the off with Kilnadeema/Leitrim on top all over the pitch. Full Forward and captain Eamon Hyland opened the scoring after three minutes with a lovely point. Two minutes later he lead  by example again as he caught a good lineball, turned and struck a second point. Three minutes later we had the first pointed free of the game when Tom Tierney scored after a foul on corner forward Alan Flaherty. With the defence totally on top and three points on the board Kilnadeema/Leitrim had made the perfect start and the lead was increased on 10 minutes with an Eamon Hyland goal after a good move out of defence started by corner back Liam Geargthy and continued on by midfielder Frankie Burke. Eamon with 1-02 had certainly started brilliantly for the side. A Minute later Tom Tierney added another free from all of 80 yards out to open up a 1-04 to no score lead. Even after only eleven minutes Abbeyknockmoy who are coached by former Galway great Tony Keady looked shell-shocked. Tom Tierney added to their troubles only a minute later with another pointed free, his third of the game. Abbey' suffered another blow after 16 minutes when they had to replace their county star John Culkin who was really not fit enough to have started the game in the first place. Tom Tierney was scoring from all distances now and he added a 65 on 17 minutes to put his side 9 points ahead at this stage, and he added another from a free on 19 minutes to really put pressure on the North Galway side. A Minute later we had the first point from play for 13 minutes when Niall Tierney scored a lovely point after a good catch and turn. Abbeyknockmoy's turn to score finally came on 21 minutes when Dermot Molloy scored from play. We wondered would they finally wake up but Tom Tierney soon ended that notion with his first point from play after been set up by a good pass from Sean Burke and brother Niall to leave the score 1-09 to 0-01 after 22 minutes. A glimmer of hope finally arrived for Abbeyknockmoy on 23 and 25 minutes when Dermot Molloy scored two free's to reduce the gap to nine points. The final two scored of the half were swopted by Tom Tierney and Donnie Collins, Tierney's another free after  afoul on Michael Flanagan. The half time whistle soon sounded much to Abbeyknockmoy's relief as they retired to the dressing room 9 points adrift.
        Any hopes of an Abbey' comeback early in the second half were soon dashed as Kilnadeema/Leitrim wing forward Sean Burke scored two points on 3 and 6 minutes to put eleven points between the sides. 5 minutes later Tom Tierney took a great pass from Michael Flanagan to score a lovely point and he followed it up a minute later with another point, this time from 65 yards out. Brother Niall scored his second point of the game on 14 minutes to show the score board reading 1.15 to 0.04. A Minute later Midfielder Fergal Nevin, who was having a great game scored a long range point. Abbeyknockmoy had to wait until 23 minutes of the second half for their first score of the half from wing back Tommy Kelly who scored a point to leave his side trailing by 14 points. Kilnadeema/Leitrim then introduced  substitutes in Kevin Boyle and Ruairi Conneely before the second goal of the game arrived on 25 minutes when Eamon Hyland delivered a wonderful hand pass to the inrushing Tom Tierney who duly dispatched it to the net  with a low shot. Donnie Collins soon added another point for Abbeyknockmoy before the final point of the game arrived and it fell to corner forward Michael Flanagan. to leave the final score 2.17 to 0.06. Kilnadeema/Leitrim had many stars with Donal Nevin, Liam Geargthy, Pat Deely and Shane Flaherty very good in defence. Fergal Nevin had a stormier in midfield with Tom Tierney, Eamon Hyland and Sean Burke the pick of the forwards. While the result was a great start to the  2007 championship, it must be remembered how bad the opposition were and that titles are not won in May but with the progress made so far their is great hope for the year.
Scorers: Tom Tierney 1.09, Eamon Hyland 1.02, Niall Tierney 0.02, Sean Burke 0.02, Michael Flanagan 0.01, Fergal Nevin 0.01.
Team Lineout: Mark Herlihy, Davis Spellman, Donal Nevin, Liam Geargthy, Patrick Deely, David Tierney, Shane Flaherty, Fergal Nevin, Frankie Burke, Niall Tierney, Tom Tierney, Sean Burke, Michael Flanagan, Eamon Hyland, Alan Flaherty.
Subs used: Kevin Boyle, Ruairi Conneely.