Quarter final place achieved for Under 16 team with victory over a very physical Michael Breaneach's team

Kilnadeema/Leitrim 5.12 Michael Breaneach's 1.09

Kilnadeema/Leitrim under 16 team achieved the first  big target of the year for them when the comfortably qualified for the quarter finals of the championship after a twelve point victory Michael Breaneach's in Oranmore on Sunday July 27th. While the scoreline was fairly comprehensive in the end, the story of the game was quiet different in the first half in particular and also at stages in the second half too with the Connemara side only three ahead at the break. Dara Herlihy opened the scoring after 4 mins with a good point from play and repeated it a minute later. One of Michael Breaneach's best players Fiach O Bearra opened his sides account soon after with a pointed free. Dara Herlihy did likewise a minute later to leave two between the sides after ten minutes. Fiach O Bearra closed the gap with another pointed free soon after before we had to wait eight minutes for the next score, a Dara Herlihy point from play and he added to a minute later. We then witnessed the best score of the half when Alvin Mitchell shot over a wonderful point from near midfield. Michael Breaneach's, who were competing very well and would have been much close but for poor shooting closed the gap on 22 minutes when wing forward Ruadhan O'Bearra shot over a wonderful point. Dara Herlihy, who was causing all kinds of problems to their defence scored his sixth point of the half a minute later and Shane Lawless, who was having a quiet day up to this added another point from play to open up a five point lead. Michael Breaneach's finished the stronger and and shot over two great points through Fiach O Bearra and Fiontan O Curraoin to leave the score line reading 0.08 to 0.05. Kilnadeema/Leitrim knew they had to up their performance in the second half as their first half showing was not near good enough and straight from the restart they set about doing this with renewed venom. Alvin Mitchell with his second point after one minute opened the second half scoring before the first big break of the game arrived when Dara Herlihy goaled after taking a great pass from Stephen Bruton. Any hopes of a Michael Breaneach's comeback were set back even more on six minutes when midfielder Conor O'Brien got on the end of a wonderful pass from John Callagy to score goal number two. Michael Breaneach's were stung by this and soon hit back with a goal of their own through Peadar O Griofa which caught out the defence badly. Einne O Conghaile soon added a point to leave just six between the team again and this was down to five soon after when Peadar O Griofa added another point from play after twelve minutes. Fiach O Bearra scored a pointed free a minute later and we were back to a four point game. Dara Herlihy soon settled down his team again with a pointed free on 18 mins before Kilnadeema/Leitrim finally cut loose to put their opponents away with three good  goals, first from the hard working Stephen Bruton when he got on the end of a few passes to goal. The game was really settled a minute later when Cillian Dowling goaled from out near the sideline and he added a point a minute later. Shane Lawless got his second point soon after before Fiach O Bearra scored a point for Breaneach's. Substitute Brian Molloy had the final say as he so often does when he goaled on 29 minutes to leave the final score reading 5.12 to 1.09. While this was a good victory much work still needs to be done before the quarter finals in five weeks.

 Scorers: Dara Herlihy 1.07, Cillian Dowling 1.01, Stephen Bruton 1.00, Conor O'Brien 1.00, Brian Molloy 1.00, Alvin Mitchell 0.02, Shane Lawless 0.02.

Team Lineout: Conor Cunningham, Colin Moran, Conal Whelan, Stephen Farrell, James Conway, Martin Costello, Conor Fahy, Alvin Mitchell, Conor O'Brien, John Callagy, Niall Haverty, Dara Herlihy, Stephen Bruton, Shane Lawless, Cillian Dowling.
Sub used: Brian Molloy. Ian Kennedy, Fergal Broderick, Niall McGinley.