Killoe secured their passage to the Longford SFC quarter-finals with a 14-point drubbing of Rathcline.
The top two sides in group one went head-to-head, but it was a one sided affair as Killoe ran in 2-15 to seven point winners.
Barely 30 seconds were on the clock when Ronan McGoldrick opened the scoring for the defending champions. A Mark Hughes free and Paddy Moran form play had Killoe three points to no score ahead after four minutes.
Oran Kenny opened the Rathcline scoring two minutes later with a free. Another Kenny free on 12 minutes after Paddy Kiernan’s point from play had Killoe ahead four points to two.
Then came the champions onslaught. Slick and effective, the returning Paddy Moran grabbed his second point of the game. Brother Larry got in on the act a minute later, collecting Ronan McGoldrick’s big ball in and calmly finding the net.
A Daniel Mimnagh free, Kiernan and Moran from play had Killoe 1-8 to two points ahead on 24 minutes. It could have been better for Killoe, if it not for David Mulvihill’s brilliant stop of Paddy Moran’s goal bound effort after a weavy run.
Oran Kenny landed a third free of the night, four minutes before the break, Rathcline’s first score in 14 minutes.
A Mark Hughes free and Kenny’s first score from play saw the defending champions lead 1-9 to 0-4 at half-time. Killoe having spurned another goal chance when Larry Moran and Denis McGoldrick wouldn’t take responsibility in front of goal.
Short lived Rathcline comeback
Rathcline lifted it after the break. Iarla O’Sullivan and Oran Kenny landing a point each in the opening three minutes. However, the comeback was short lived. Mimnagh took his 36th minute chance went it came as the net bulged, 2-10 to 0-6.
Rathcline would kick a further four wides, five in total for the second-half. Mimnagh (f), Shane McManus, Gavin Farrelly and Paddy Moran had Killoe 14 points clear with four minutes to play.
Oran Kenny send over Rathcline’s seventh point three minutes from, their first for 24 minutes. However it was man-of-the-match Paddy Moran who wrapped out the scoring with a point two minutes into injury time.
Killoe sending a real message with a 2-15 to seven point win. Killoe top group one with eight points from four games. As they have the head-to-head on Colmcille and Rathcline, Killoe win the group with one game to play.
