Poyntzpass 2-10 Killeavy 1-09
The effect of the wind was the main story in Poyntzpass where Killeavy IIs travelled to start their Junior B campaign.
A great start with a Kevin McArdle goal, led to a 1.06 to 0.02 at half-time lead. They will be unhappy not to have scored more with such a strong wind advantage. Killeavy were outplayed in the second half that saw them losing out by 2.10 to 1.09.
The team will be disappointed with the result, but there is time for improvement in this league.

Killeavy 1-10 Forkhill 3-11
Killeavy II met local neighbours Forkhill in the QF of the Junior CHampionship on Saturday evening in Dromintee. Conditions were perfect for the game, a warm sunny evening – something of a rarity this season.
Trying to build on a great upset victory over Ballyhegan, Killeavy made a less than ideal start to the game. The speed of the Forkhill forward line, and some great point scoring from their midfield had Killeavy on the backfoot from the start.
Indeed, Forkhill led 4 to zero after 15 minutes. An Adrian Doran free opened Killeavys account, but the respite was brief, Forkhill marched up the field for a goal to give them a handsome six point lead. Killeavy added a few frees from Doran, and substitute Cathal O’hara looked Killeavy’s best scoring threat from play, but another rather slack Forkhill goal really put the game to bed before half time, with Forkhill leading by 10 at the break.

HT: Killeavy 0-4 Forkhill 2-08
If the first half was very poor from a Killeavy point of view, then the second half was a different story. Killeavy won much more break ball in midfield, Darren Bennett looking particularly good at centre back as well. The dangerous Forkhill forward were starved of possession, and it was Killeavy who were adding the points. 5 scores in a row from play from Anthony O’Hare, Cathal O’Hara (0-2), Adrian Doran and Darren Bennett,saw the lead pulled back to 5.
Another Forkhill goal, McKinley made a great save but the rebound jabbed home, really ended Killeavy’s chances of a comeback. An opportunist goal from Barry Magee came too late to see Killeavy make another challenge, and it was Forkhill who deservedly qualified largely on the strength of their first half display. Killeavy will be disappointed they didnt show the display of the second half until the game was really gone out of reach.

FT: Killeavy 1-10 Forkhill 3-11

Team: s mckinley, c mcguinness, c mcknight, r hamill, r trainor., D. Bennett(0-1), B downey, C. Hickey, s mcveigh, k mcardle, a doran(0-5, 4f) , p falloon, A ohare(0-1), E Coogan, j grant. Subs B Magee(1-0) for R Trainor (30mins), C O’Hara(0-3) for K McArdle (20mins), J Reel for J Grant (45min).

Killeavy II 1-10 Ballyhegan 1-09
Killeavy were very unfancied going to Carrickcruppen on Sunday afternoon for the JFC opener against Ballyhegan. Having suffered heavy defeat to Ballyhegan in the league, Killeavy nevertheless went into the game with an improved squad from that first game, and with a fair amount of hope. Playing with a breeze that was strong throughout the first half, Killeavy made a very promising start, dangerman Anthony O’Hare showing well. It was Darren Bennett who popped up with two useful points from midfield, while O’Hare kicked another good score, and won a free which captain Adrian Doran converted.
Leading 4 points to one after 15minutes, Killeavy lost their way for a while, and Ballyhegan came back into the reckoning, kicking 5 scores without reply, but also kicking 8 wides in the opening half. Killeavy were using their bench often, and brought in Barry Magee and Cathal O’Hara by the break.
They were two behind at half time and facing the elements in the second half.

HT: Killeavy II 0-4 Ballyhegan 0-6

Killeavy made a sharp start to the second half, a free from Adrian Doran, after Cathal O’Hara won the chance, while O’Hare kicked another impresssive point from play to level the game. Killeavy conceded a bad goal, as they lost possession up front and Ballyhegan quickly transferred the ball upfield to crash the ball home. Two more scores followed from Ballyhegans effective corner forwards and a five point lead looked unasailable. The introduction of subs, Justin Reel and Chris Hickey were Killeavys last throw of the dice, but proved absolutely crucial. A magnificent save from keeper Stephen McKinley, who played despite injury, and kicked out for the hour with his weaker left foot, also turned the balance.
Killeavy finished with a really strong final 10minutes, with Adrian Doran kicking two frees before a long ball in was finished soccer style to the net by Chris Hickey. With two minutes remaining a great point from Justy Reel had the sides level, and a rejuvinated Killeavy side, now on top all over the pitch, kicked the winner through Darren Bennett.
There were scenes of great delight at the final whistle, with Killeavy players, fans and management jubilant after a fine win. Tremendous credit to the squad, and manager Gary McParland, who has worked very hard to get a credible and competitive squad together. This win will hopefully bring on the younger players in the squad, and freshen the legs of some of the old-timers for another big day out!!

FT: Killeavy II 1-10 Ballyhegan 1-09

Team: s mckinley, c mcguinness, c mcknight, r hamill, r trainor. B downey, p darby, d bennett(0-3), s mcveigh, k mcardle, a doran(0-4, 4f) , p falloon, A ohare(0-2), p mcardle, j grant. Subs B Magee for K McArdle (20mins), C O’Hara for P Falloon (28mins), C Hickey(1-0) for P Darby(ht), J Reel(0-1) for J Grant (45min), C Devine for B Downey(50min)

Killeavy 1-10 Killean 0-10
A bumper crowd showed up in Killeavy on Saturday night for the meeting of neighbours Killeavy and Killean. Killeavy played with the breeze, and were soon on the front foot – Anthony O’Hare showing his undoubted class with two early points from play. St Michaels didnt look threatening at all with their attacks, and indeed only managed two frees in the first half from David Crilly and Chris McKevitt.
Killeavy were punching holes in the Killean defence, and James McGuinness kicked a fine point before a wonderful move and finish saw Anthony O’Hare slot coolly home. The move started with a Chris Devine interception in the fullback line, and involved Ryan Stokes and Paddy Falloon who played in O’Hare beautifully for the goal, which would have befitted a much higher standard of football.
Straight from the kickout Paul McArdle hammered home Killeavy’s advantage with another point. Adrian Doran scored from a free to give Killeavy a six point half time lead.

HT: Killeavy 1-5 Killean 0-2

Killean had a mountain to climb in the second half, and several early missed chances did not help their cause. A shot to the side netting, and a great stop from Cathal Fearon kept their scoring down, and when Adrian DOran and Paddy Falloon scored on the counter for Killeavy, this match looked over.
But Killeavy stumbled through the next twenty minutes, losing the midfield, and unable to effectively clear their lines from half back to half forward. Indeed four frees and a score from play had Killean within three points.
Killeavy seemed to play their way out of trouble with points from Ryan Stokes and Adrian DOran, but St Michaels stuck to their task, and again drew within three. Another great stop from minor keeper Cathal Fearon probably was the difference as Killeavy held out for a three point win, deserved largely due to their first half showing.
Well done to team and management, who with a muich larger squad turning out for these matches, are gaining momentum, and will look to challenge at the lower half of division 3 after the league split.

FT:Killeavy 1-10 Killean 0-10

Killeavy v killean team; cathal fearon, c. McGuinness, c mcknight, c devine, r stokes(0-1), b downey, s carroll, c hickey, s mcveigh, j mcguinness(0-1), A doran(0-4, 4f). K mcardle, a ohare(1-2), p falloon (0-1), paul mcardle(0-1). Subs: Joe Grant, J. Reel,

Derrynoose 1-14 Killeavy II 1-9
Killeavy travelled to Derrynoose on Sunday afternoon, and although they didn’t get a victory, they pushed a good Derrynoose team hard for the hour. Ryan Stokes scored a great goal, and other good scores came from Chris Hickey, Gareth McDonnell, and Paddy Falloon. Several injuries didnt help Killeavy’s cause either. The team will be pushing for its first win of the season on Wednesday at home to Corrinshego.

Killeavy II 0-5 Crossmaglen II 2-11
Killeavy faced Cross II in Cullyhanna on Wednesday evening in the Junior Championship. Conditions were cool and dry, and Kileavy played with the breeze. The team started quite well, James Duffy, the most impressive performer – winning some good balls around the middle. Killeavy played a lot of balls way out to the corners, rather than dropping some balls on top of the square. They struggled to get the scores to make wind advantage count. Mark McDonnell opened the scoring with a point, but Cross got an extremely soft goal from their first meaningful attack after 5minutes. James Hughes and Cormac Clarke were very effective for Cross, and several of their younger forwards also looked lively. Darren Bennett did kick two fine points from play, but Cross followed up with a second goal. Joe Grant pointed for Killeavy, who then lost Robbie Hamill to injury. This left Crossmaglen two goals up at half-time, and the advantage of the breeze and the slope to come.
HT: Killeavy II 0-4 Crossmaglen II 2-4

Killeavy started the second half with a Mark McDonnell free, but failed to make an impression on the scoreboard after that. The team struggled for breaking balls, and laboured moving forward, compared to Cross , who were able to pick off points efficiently. Well done to the Cross boys on their victory. Killeavy had quite a few young players, still adjusting to senior football, and many of the veteran players were either not fully fit or watching injured from the sideline to help lift the team sufficiently.

Killeavy II 0-5 Crossmaglen II 2-11

Team: S. McKinley, B. Downey, K. Martin, R. Hamill, S. McShane, L. Larkin, C. Mone, J. Duffy, C McKnight, J. Magennis, D. Bennett(0-2), J Grant(0-1), M. mcDonnell(0-2,2f), K. McArdle, C. OHara. Subs: Paddy McArdle, J. McKevitt, Paul McArdle, Paddy Malone.

Killeavy 1-6 Derrynoose 3-10
Killeavy hosted Derrynoose on Sunday afternoon, after a run of three undefeated away games. The team is really using a lot of young Killeavy players, and this trend continued on Sunday afternoon. The entire half backline was barely out of minors, but the defence played well enough in the opening period. Both teams kicked four points in the first half in pleasant conditions. Killeavy’s scorers were in their mid-thirties, Tommy Carroll (0-3, 1F) and Mark McDonnell with a fifty. A well worked Derrynoose goal separated the teams at the interval.

HT:Killeavy 0-4 Derrynoose 1-4

Killeavy used all their subs over the hour, tellingly four up front, where they struggled to push anywhere near a dozen scores. Derrynoose were the better side, although Killeavy were well in touch with ten minutes left. Two goals from Derrynoose in a minute dispelled any notion of a Killeavy victory, and while Tommy Carroll replied with a fine goal after a good setup from Ryan Stokes, this was a match where Killeavy went down with a bit of a whimper, rather than showing the fight of the last few games.

FT:Killeavy 1-6 Derrynoose 3-10
Team:S. McKinley, C. Devine, S McShane, B. Downey, D. Bennett, C Mone, S McVeigh, J. Duffy, C McEneany, T. Carroll(1-3), L O’Hare(0-2), C. O’Hara, M. McDonnell(0-1), B. OHara, J Maguire.
Subs: P. McArdle, R. Stokes(0-1), E. Coogan, P. Smith, N. Hannaway

Division 4: St Michaels 0-10 Killeavy II 1-10
Killeavy faced local rivals St Michaels in Killean on Sunday afternoon, with the conditions cool and a constant mizzled rain throughout the match. A large crowd turned out for the game, as Killeavy firsts had no game on the day. The game started slowly with few scores, Killeavy dropping several balls short into the keepers hands or wide of the target. James Duffy was good around the midfield, while the defence was steady, only conceding three points in the half. Killeavy’s scoring threat improved when Cathal O’Hara struck several fine scores from play and from frees. Two good points from play from Chris Hickey and another from O’Hara had Killeavy’s noses in front. Another shot before half time dropped in short and Sean Og Duffy was on hand to fist home to give Killeavy a handy five point lead at the interval.

HT St Michaels 0-3 Killeavy 1-5

Lonny Larkin was introduced as a sub at half time, and he struck a mighty point from 50 yards early on. Cathal O’Hara was Killeavys top player on the day and managed two more scores. Killeavy led by six or seven at one stage, but some good frees from Barry McKevitt from St Michaels meant they were able to stay within striking distance. Killeavy were really making life difficult for themselves, constantly overplaying the handpass in their half back line, when a long direct ball upfield would always have been a better option. Such overplay led to three or four Killean scores. Before the final whistle, St Michaels had brought the lead back down to three points, but they never got in position to land a goal, and Stephen McKinleys net looked secure throughout the hour.
Killeavy’s performance improved on what we saw at home to Dromintee last week, but their attacking play could definitely improve.
The downside to the result was what looked to be a bad shoulder injury to half back Darren Bennett, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

St Michaels 0-10 Killeavy II 1-10

Team:S. McKinley, R. Hamill, K. Martin, C. McKnight, D. Bennett, F Mallon, S McShane, C. Hickey(0-2), J. Duffy, B Downey, L O’Hare, C. O’Hara(0-7, 3F), A Doran, Sean Og Duffy(1-0), R. Stokes.
Subs: M McDonnell , L Larkin(0-1) ,K. McArdle, J Grant.

SFL Div 4: Killeavy II 2-06 Dromintee II 3-04
Dromintee II arrived in Killeavy on Sunday afternoon for the first ever league meeting of the two second string sides. There was a gale blowing up the pitch, and it favoured Dromintee in the opening half. Killeavy played well, dominating the play in the first twenty, but scores were difficult to kick into the breeze. Two super goals from the electrifying pace of Ryan Stokes had Killeavy well placed. Dromintee replied with two goals of their own, one a magnificent strike to the top corner, the other a very slack one from a Killeavy point of view. Dromintee kicked a few points as well on the break to lead by three.

HT: Killeavy II 2-01 Dromintee II 2-04
Killeavy wouldnt have been too disappointed to turn round only three behind, but the second half was a tale of regret, as the attacking play looked very disjointed. Balls were blarged wide from sixty yards, and passes to the forward line overran wide on the breeze. Many players carried the ball under no pressure into the tackle and promptly lost the ball. Killeavy had about 80% possession, and Dromintee managed a goal with one of their only attacks. Three frees from sub Adrian Doran brought Killeavy up a point short at the final whistle. Killeavy will want to get back training on their attacking style, as they did not kick a single point from play in the entire game, despite owning the ball for long periods.

FT: Killeavy II 2-06 Dromintee II 3-04

Team:M. Teggart, R. Hamill, K. Martin, L. Larkin,D. Bennet, S McShane, C. McKnight, C. Hickey, J. Duffy, J. McGuinness, B. O’Hara(0-2, 2F), C. McAneany, C. O’Hara(0-1, 1F), J. McKevitt, R. Stokes(2-0).
Subs: Barry Magee, T. Carroll, P. Falloon, A. Doran(0-3, 2F).

Eire Og 2-10 Killeavy II 1-6
After last Sundays defeat in Corrinshego, Killeavy faced a difficult trip to league leaders Eire Og in Craigavon on Friday night. Management opted to bring in several players from the senior team who have seen little football so far this term to freshen up the squad. Such a move will hopefully benefit all concerned.
Killeavy played well enough in the opening period, but time and again they were unable to feed the ball effectively up to the forward line, many attacks breaking down sixty yards from the Eire Og goals.
Fifteen minutes in, Eire Og won a very slack penalty, when Killeavy defence should have had the ball cleared. The shot was slammed home, and to add insult to injury, Eire Og scored a second goal straight away.
Killeavy’s scores came from Darren Bennett(great shot on the turn from 40yards), Cathal O’Hara(fine quick move and good finish) and Barry O’Hara(free from 50 yards).

HT: Eire Og 2-6 Killeavy 0-3

The second half saw Killeavy off to a fantastic start. A long ball to the square by Chris Hickey yielded a penalty when Sean Og was fouled. Barry O’Hara slammed it home, and two frees within the next five minutes from the brothers O’Hara had Killeavy right back in the game.
The momentum died after that, however, and a strong Eire Og side saw out the last twenty minutes fairly comfortably.
It was encouraging to see Barry Magee enter the fray and Liam O’Hare back with the squad also. Several players saw their first sixty minutes of the year and should improve over the next few games.
Lets hope the team can kick on from here!

FT: Eire Og 2-10 Killeavy II 1-6

Team:M. Teggart, R. Hamill, K. Martin, L. Larkin, S McShane, F. Mallon, C. McKnight, C. Hickey, J. Duffy, J. McGuinness, D. Bennet(0-1), J. Grant, T. Carroll, B. O’Hara(1-2, 1P, 2F), C. O’Hara(0-2, 1F).
Subs: Barry Magee(0-1, 1F), John McKevitt, Patrick Falloon, James Maguire.