Monasterevan start with comprehensive win over Rags
Noah Barry scored three points in Monasterevan's win over Kilcullen Photo: Sean Brilly
Paul Maloney scored both goals as Monasterevan started the National Electrical Wholesalers Intermediate Football Championship with a comprehensive win over Kilcullen.
After an extremely sluggish 2025 when they were relegated from Division 3 of the league and then only survived in the Intermediate Championship by beating St Kevins in the relegation final, Monasterevan look a different beast this year.
Clubman Gavin Holligan has stepped into the role of manager and is clearly getting a tune from a team that is not short on talent. They were promoted from Division 4 in the league and they couldn’t have asked for much more than this for an opening round game in the Championship.
With last year’s beaten finalists St Laurence’s and Round Towers the other two teams in this group, Monasterevan and Kilcullen arrived in Cedral St Conleths Park knowing that this was a game that could potentially shape their season.
Monasterevan were the sharper side from the outset.
A brace of points each for Noah Barry and Conor Lonergan saw Monasterevan race into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead and although Kilcullen answered back with four in a row themselves, three from Kerryman Donagh McKivergan, it wasn’t long before Monasterevan were totally dominant.
Conor Lonergan scored a pair of two-pointers, one from a free, and goalkeeper Charlie White also kicked a two point free after Kilcullen fell foul of a three-up breach.
An excellent first half for Monasterevan was rounded in the last minute of normal time before the break when Maloney burst through the Rags’ backline and beat Cormac Barker with a well placed shot into the bottom left corner.
That left the half-time score at 1-12 to 0-4 and Monasterevan didn’t let up early in the second half. Mark Kelly and Barry scored points before Kelly turned provider to set up Maloney for his second goal in the 35th minute.
A black card to Eoin Stapleton in the 39th minute slowed Monasterevan’s gallop slightly and Kilcullen put some respectability to the scoreboard with a goal by Dan Coughlan and another two-pointer by McKivergan.
Kilcullen could have got a second goal in the 53rd minute but Ciaran O’Brien’s low shot was superbly tipped around the post by White after a full length dive.
A close range free by Maloney in the 55th minute was Monasterevan’s last score of the game and Kilcullen’s frustration at their poor showing boiled over in the last minute when Cathal Brophy was shown a red card for kicking out at Lonergan. Adam Brennan was then shown a black card for his reaction to that incident.
Monasterevan's opening statement leaves them well placed ahead of meetings with St Laurence's and Round Towers, while Kilcullen face a significant challenge to keep their championship hopes alive.
Charlie White 0-2 (1tpf); Adam Barry, Cormac Stapleton, Daryl Dunne, DJ Earley 0-1, Eoin Stapleton, Wayne Freeman; Sean Kavanagh 0-1, Adam Brennan; Dan Molloy 0-1, Conor Lonergan 0-6 (1tp, 1tpf, 1f), Noah Barry 0-3, Mark Kelly 0-1, Paul Maloney 2-2 (1f), Kealan Meredith. Subs: Hayden Kemmy for Kelly, 47; Adam Kavanagh for Molloy, 52; Rhys O’Reilly for A Barry, 58.
Cormac Barker; Darragh Burke, Jack Dooley, Jack Redmond, Cathal Brophy, Scott Fleming, Sean Hurley; Sean Knight, Turlough Donnelly; Donagh McKivergan 0-7 (2tp, 1f), Dan Coughlan 1-0, Ciaran Melinn 0-1, Jamie Buckley, Ciaran O’Brien, Paudy Clarke. Subs: Conor Bolton for Donnelly, h/t; Paul Bell for Hickey, 39; Thomas Hickey for Buckley, 39; Eddie O’Loghlin for Bolton, 43; Tom Maloney for Hurley, 60+2.
Jamie Lyons.
