Setanta pipped at the post in All-Ireland JHC quarter-final by Kilburn Gaels

Heartbreak for Setanta. There is no other way to describe it as gritty Kilburn Gaels pulled off a sensational injury time smash and grab act to send Setanta crashing out of this pulsating All-Ireland JHC Quarter-Final clash in Carrickmore. 

Setanta 0-17        
Kilburn Gaels 3-12 

Two superb late points from Niall Cleary and Gerry Gilmore looked to have booked Setanta a place in the All-Ireland semi-final with Connacht champions, Easkey, as they led by 0-17 to 1-11 going into three minutes of injury time as both sides finished with 14 as Kilburn’s Luke Hands and Setanta captain Mark Callaghan both saw red in separate incidents.

But Kilburn’s star full-forward Colin Nelson found a rare sliver of space in the Setanta defence and picked out wing-forward Darragh O’Sullivan, who confidently slammed the sliotar to the net. Stunned Setanta had scarcely drawn breath as Kilburn won the puckout and Fergal Collins put them in the lead for the first time. 

And corner-forward Donal Reale completed the heartache when he raced through for another goal just before referee James Judge called time on an epic that was decided in a mere 90 seconds. 

But, this was a game that Setanta could and should have won as they were clearly the better side for 80 per cent of the game.

And it must be said that the unavoidable absence of ace forward Davin Flynn due to a pre-booked family holiday was a factor as well as was the somewhat controversial sending off of team captain Mark Callaghan early in the second half for an off the ball incident with Kilburn sub Ryan O’Donnell. 

Kilburn lost their burly corner forward Hands during a brief ugly free-for-all between some players and some spectators underneath the press box on the sideline.  Quite a few swings and shapes were thrown but Hands could clearly be seen striking a spectator in the face in a nasty incident that could yet attract the attention of GAA disciplinary authorities.     

Setanta settled swiftly with Josh Cronnolly McGee opening the scoring from a Gerry Gilmore pass after just 30 seconds. That set the pattern for an early period of dominance from the men from the Cross with Danny Cullen and Declan Coulter combining cleverly for the latter to slot over a confident strike. 

Coulter made it 0-3 to 0-0 from a pointed free as the London side struggled to get into their rhythm. Their marksman Colin Nelson missed two scorable frees before midfielder Patrick Earley opened their account in the ninth minute a score that was quickly cancelled by the imperious Coulter from play with Ruairi Campbell making it 0-5 to 0-1. 

But the visitors were slowly settling and Nelson pointed a free in the 18th minute as the inevitable Coulter responded with a coolly struck 65. 

Nelson replied with a free to leave it a three-point game and then we had the bizarre incident in the 17th minute when Hands was rightly lined for striking a spectator across the barrier at the side of the pitch. But the sending off seemed to spur on Kilburn who hit the next three points after the excellent Bernard Lafferty made it 0-7 to 0-3 for Setanta. 

Two Nelson frees and a fine effort from Jack Kirwan made it a one-point game as the Setanta lead was cut to 0-7 to 0-6. The half finished on a frenetic note with Coulter, Gilmore and Nelson all swapping points as Setanta led by 0-9 to 0-7 at the break. But there was no doubt who was the better team in the first 20 minutes of the second half as Setanta out-hurled their physically imposing opponent in all departments. 

Gilmore extended the lead and team captain Callaghan was then lined for an off-the ball-incident which was later questioned by disappointed Setanta boss Gary McGettigan. Four points in a row from the rampant Coulter put the Finn Valley men into a 0-14 to 0-8 lead as Kilburn, who lost the influential Kirwan to injury, struggled to make any real impact. This was the time to press home their advantage, but Setanta hit four wides while put under pressure by Kilburn. 

Nelson got the visitors first score in the 50th minute which was cancelled by a swiftly struck Danny Cullen point to leave them leading by 0-15 to 0-9. But the signs began to get ominous when a long free from Kilburn keeper Conor McNally was bundled to the net by corner forward Donal Reale to leave it a 0-15 to 1-10 just after Nelson converted yet another free. 

Cleary and Nelson swapped point before Gilmore seemed to have clinched it with a great long- range effort as Setanta led by 0-17 to 2-11. 

But then we had a superb 2-1 blitz in extra time for a wonderful comeback for Kilburn Gaels and utter devastation for Setanta. 

Setanta scorers: Declan Coulter 0-9 5f, 2 65s; Gerry Gilmore and Benard Lafferty 0-2; Josh Cronnolly McGee, Ruairi Campbell, Danny Cullen and  Niall Cleary 0-1 each.
Kilburn Gaels scorers: Conor Nelson 0-8, 7f; Donal Reale 2-0; Darragh O’Sullivan 1-0;  Patrick Earley 0-2; Evan Kelly and Fergal Collins 0-1.

Setanta: Mark Kane; Mark Callaghan, Steven McBride, Denim Rowan; Sean Ward, Michael Donaghue, Niall Cleary; Declan Coulter, Danny Cullen; Gerard Gilmore, Oisin Marley,, Ruairi Campbell; Bernard Lafferty, Josh Cronnolly McGee, Sean Ward. Subs: Dean Harvey for Conor McGettigan (47). 
Kilburn Gaels: Conor McNally; Ian Byrne, Christopher McAlinden, Brian McCarthy; Evan Kelly, Conor Byrne, Matthew Lambert; Patrick Earley, Fergal Collins; Jack Kirwan, Mark O’Dwyer, Darragh O’Sullivan; Luke Hands, Colin Nelson, Donal Reale. Subs; Ryan O’Donnell for Jack Kirwan (28). 
Referee: James Judge (Mayo)