Kilcavan secure semi-final spot following victory over The Rock

Kilcavan have booked their place in the Division 4 semi-finals, having come through a tough encounter with The Rock on Tuesday evening. Both sides were on 6 points before the game thanks to three wins from their first five fixtures, making their Round 6 game a playoff decider in all but name. The win means Kilcavan will join Portlaoise, Annanough and Barrowhouse in the semis.

It has been a tough week for Kilcavan lads, who paid tribute to their friend, Tiernan Grennan with a minute's silence before throw-in.

Kilcavan 2-19

The Rock 0-15 

ACFL Division 4 Round 6

The hosts got off to a positive start and could have had three goals in the first six minutes but for two excellent saves from The Rock goalkeeper, Mick Spain, and a goal-line block from Jack Pedro.

Spain would be called into action twice more before the clock reached 15 minutes. But with the teams tied at 0-3 apiece, Kilcavan bagan to settle down and kick points. They kicked three unanswered points in as many minutes through Cian Ryle, Evan Hunt and Adam Hunt.

Adam then got the first of his two goals in the 22nd minute, taking advantage of some untidy play from The Rock who failed to clear their lines.

The sides traded scores for the remainder of the half for a scoreline of 1-8 to 0-7 at the break. The Rock were far better than four points behind suggests, but left a lot of wides on the field in the opening twenty minutes.

The visitors opened the scoring after just 20 seconds of the second half thanks to Sen O’Neill, but Kilcavan kicked the next three to stretch out to a six-point lead.

Stephen McDonald kicked three points over the next five minutes to keep The Rock in the game, but Kilcavan always had an answer, responding with a score of their own each time, including a well-struck point from Aaron Tarpey. 

David Murphy then kicked three points for The Rock as they continued to fight back in the last five minutes. But Hunt's second goal, made by Ronan Gorry, sealed the game for the home side, who were somewhat flattered by the ten-point margin.

Kilcavan host O'Dempsey's in the final leg of the round robin, still hoping to climb the table for a more favourable path to a potential final. O’Dempsey’s, on the other hand, will be fighting for their lives to stave off relegation. The Rock's last round robin game is at home to Portlaoise, who will be gunning for 1st place.