Dignam delivers for mighty Milltown
Milltown's Ben Curran attacks Leixlip corner back Brian Gibbons Photo: Sean Brilly
A point from a 13 metre free by Alan Dignam after Leixlip were adjudged to have infringed the three up rule three minutes into additional time sent Milltown through to the National Electrical Wholesalers IFC semi final at a rain sodden Manguard Park on Friday night. That opening sentence doesn’t do justice to a mighty second half comeback by the men in green and red. Seven points down at half time the 2023 Kildare Junior Champions were nine points down within ten minutes of the restart but they fought back to outscore Leixlip by 2-6 to 0-2 for the final 20 minutes of the game. Goals from Paddy Donoghue and Ronan O’Shea and a two pointer from midfielder Conor Sheerin helped Milltown into a one point lead right on the stroke of full time.
Rory Flynn stepped forward to fire over the equaliser for Leixlip a minute later only for Dignam to become the hero with the pointed free at the death. What are Leixlip to do to escape the clutches of the Intermediate grade you might ask? Many people’s favourites for promotion each year will now face into an eighth year in the grade in 2026. To pose that question would be unfair on Milltown’s performance, though, as they overturned last year’s semi final result against the same opposition to be the first team into the penultimate stage in 2025.
The winners led 1-2 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter with all the scores coming from the boot of Alan Dignam. The goal came on 13 minutes in a sweeping move led by wing back Liam Kelly with Dignam blasting past Niall McConnell in the Leixlip goal. The Leixlip netminder had superbly denied Dignam an opening goal in the second minute.
Early points from Tommy Moolick and a Jack Barrett ’45 kept Leixlip in touch but they took control of the game in the second quarter and scored their opening goal in the 20th minute when Barrett set up sharpshooter, Conor Lawlor to fire past Omar Dunne and when Barrett raided along the endline as half time approached his cross ricocheted off a Milltown defender and was adjudged to have crossed the line before being cleared. Thirty seconds later Leixlip got their third goal when Darren McDermott knocked down a centre for Barrett to set up Paddy Meagher to fire low to the net and when the busy Luke Mahon pointed at the end of three minutes of additional time in the half, Leixlip went in deservedly seven points up at 3-4 to 1-3.
The heavens opened as the teams returned for the second half making playing conditions even more difficult for players but to their credit both teams coped well, helped by the refereeing of Billy O’Connell who allowed for the conditions.
That seven point lead turned to nine by the 40th minute as Leixlip outscored the winners 0-3 to 0-1 with two of their points coming from Tommy Moolick. Indeed, the former county player could have put the men in maroon out of sight but his blistering shot came back of the crossbar and was cleared. Whether that was the inspiration for the Milltown is a moot point but driven on by Liam Kelly, Cian Buckley and Colin O’Shea from the back and Conor Sheerin at midfield, Milltown wrestled control of the game. Even still it looked like Leixlip might hold out or at worst extra time might accrue until the Ronan O’Shea goal and Dignam’s pointed free finished a dramatic game in favour of John Donnelly’s men.
Omar Dunne; Jamie Cross, Cian Buckley, Dsean Murphy; Aaron Jacob, Colin O’Shea, Liam Kelly; Conor Sheerin, Joe Dunne 0-1; Shane Daly, Alan Dignam 1-3 (1 X ‘45, 1f), Paddy Donoghue 1-1 (1f); Ben Curran, Callum Murphy 0-3, Ronan O’Shea 1-0. SUBS: Hugh Hamilton 0-2 (1tp) for Aaron Jacob T/S 8, Aaron Jacob for Hugh Hamilton T/S Reversal 11, Hugh Hamilton for Aaron Jacob, 37, Kevin Byrne for Jamie Cross 42.
Niall McConnell; Brian Gibbons, Ryan Doyle, Kevin Conneely; Rory Flynn 0-1, Jack Travers, Ciaran Silke; Ronan Fitzsimons, Darren McDermott; Ben Travers, Tommy Moolick 0-3, Paddy Meagher 1-2; Conor Lawlor 1-1, Jack Barrett 0-2 (1 X ’45), Luke Mahon 0-1 SUBS: Darragh Melville for Ben Travers 45, Eamonn Murphy for Darren McDermott 47, Sean O’Connor for Jack Travers 61.
Billy O’Connell
