Keaveney and Grainger guide Athy to minor glory
Athy's Calum Keavney is presented with the trophy by Christine Murray.
Athy are the Manguard Plus Division 2 Minor League champions after they had three points to spare over Oliver Plunketts in a entertaining final played in Two Mile House last Wednesday evening.
Two Harry Grainger goals either side of half time proved to be the game-defining scores, but it was the 11-point haul from county U20 player, Calum Keaveney that was the main difference between the sides.
Athy got the perfect start when Grainger got on the end of Scott McDonnell's pass to fire home a second-minute goal.
Fionn Stewart Byrne replied inside a minute with a fine 35-metre point and from the restart Callum Fisher was on hand to palm to an empty net from a James Foran ball to give Plunketts the lead.
Foran and Bobby Horan pointed for the Two Mile House and Ballymore Eustace amalgamation either side of a Calum Keaveney brace for Athy; the centre half forward converting from a free and a '45.
Despite some poor shooting from Athy in front of goal, it was Keaveney who sent the visitors to the break with a one-point lead after he added two further points in the 28th and 29th minutes.
1-4 to 1-3 at half time.
The second half would prove to be hugely entertaining as the side were level on no fewer than five occasions.
Cillian Gilroy hit the first of three brillaint two-point frees that edged Plunketts back in front.
But Keaveney was to be the thorn in Plunketts' side during that closing 30 minutes, starting with points in the 33rd and 35th minutes that had Athy back in front again.
The Ballymore duo of Aidan Grace, with two points, and half-time substitute Charlie Murphy with a single had Plunketts two ahead for the first time in half an hour.
The game was end to end and Athy had to depend on goalkeeper Adam Zdybik to be safe under some threatening Plunkett attacks.
Ronan Mulhall and Harry Grainger added much needed Athy scores to restore parity at the end of the third quarter. But it was only a temporary reprieve as Gilroy landed a second two-pointer.
A superb piece of defending by Cameron Prior saw Athy move quickly from defence to attack where Keaveney would eventually set up Grainger for his and Athy's second goal - a swing in the lead again as we entered the closing ten minutes.
Grace levelled again before the outstanding Keaveney landed a pair of two-pointers to leave four between the sides.
Plunketts weren't lying down and Gilroy did raise a third orange flag to leave just two points between the sides.
Zdybik then made a superb save from Meade before corner back Ben Dalton cleared off the line.
Fitting, the final score fell to Keaveney for the last of his 11-point haul as Athy claimed.
Cillian Gilroy 0-6 (3tpf); Martin Horan, Cameron Cullen, Noah Fahy; Aidan Gilroy, Conor Quinn, James Dowling; Matthew Kelly, Fionn Stewart-Byrne 0-1; Michael Ryan, Bobby Horan 0-1, Cien Meade; Charlie Fisher 1-0, Aidan Grace 0-3, James Foran 0-1.
Charlie Murphy 0-1 for Ryan (H/T), Maddox Meade foe Foran (41).
Adam Zdybik; Ben Dalton, Stephen Byrne, Cameron Prior; Jay Leigh, Cameron Pedreschi, Hugh Kennedy; Patrick Reeves, Zach Sullivan; Joseph Davis, Calum Keaveney 0-11 (2tpf, 3f), Ronan Mulhall 0-1; Ryan Clancy, Harry Grainger 2-1, Scott McDonnell.
Conor Brophy for McDonnell and Peter Dunne for Clancy (both 45), Bobby Wallace for Sullivan (58).
