After the nail-biting 'great escape' of last year, which saw us defy the odds to retain our division 1 status, the team embarked on their division 1 journey with a challenging visit to Kilcummin. 

It was a fresh start, a clean slate, and a chance to lay down a marker for the campaign ahead. And lay down a marker they did, securing a hard-fought victory built on experience, solid performances across the pitch, and a clinical edge that Kilcummin sorely lacked. 

The opening exchanges were even with Jack from a free and Conor Hayes from play finding their range to get us off to a perfect start when playing into the slight breeze. 

Kilcummin settled and the sides were level on 0-03 apiece with Conor Hayes again from play raising a white flag; this followed some great work out the field from the high fielding Tom Hoare and the footballing nous of Barry John who found Conor with a lovely pass off the foot. 

Darragh O’Connor, a constant thorn in the home defence then danced around his marker to edge us ahead again, 0-04 to 0-03 by the end of the first quarter. 

Kilcummin however, mined the next 3 points with a Kevin O’Gorman two pointer and a James Nagle point from play. 

The next score was the pivotal moment in the first half when Darragh, under strong pressure, twisted and turned and passed inside to Barry John who once again played a defence splitting ball inside to Gazza and he billowed the net to edge us in front. 

Darragh, now growing in confidence and being plied with some lovely dinked passes into space, fired over again and though Kilcummin hit back, it was Jack from two placed efforts close to goal who ensured we retired at the short whistle ahead on a score line of 1-06 to 0-07. 

It was no more than we deserved with Ryan Carroll and Donagh Buckley defending resolutely, Tom Hoare and Barry John dictating the tempo of the game and Jack, Gazza, Darragh and Conor Hayes all showcasing their attacking prowess. 

The second half saw Kilcummin enjoy a period of dominance but it was Ben Hanafin, following a great intercept and run, who had the first score of the second half when pointing from close range. 

While Kilcummin displayed plenty of attacking intent, their profligacy in front of goal proved to be their undoing as they spurned scoring opportunities shooting just one point from 4 opportunities. 

In stark contrast, we displayed a much more ruthless conviction when chances arose and had raced into a 1-12 to 0-09 lead by the 20th minute - these included points from Jack, Conor, Darragh and Jack again - the highlight was a superb 2 pointer from Jack following a brilliant catch by Tom and when a Kilcummin player prevented the play from resuming Jack exacted full revenge in splitting the posts. 

From here to the finish, we tacked on another 5 points to the opposition's two scores - a testament to the team’s composure and clinical nature. 

Throughout the pitch, individual performances shone - Tom Hoare was a colossus at midfield, Jack probed and executed his chances with aplomb whilst the inside duo of Darragh & Conor Hayes worked tirelessly. 

The collective effort, however, was the true hallmark of the team's success. The willingness to work for each other, to cover ground, and to execute the game plan was evident in every passage of play. 

For now, it's a job well done. A hard-earned two points on the road, a testament to the team's resilience and clinical finishing. But the season is long, and this is just the beginning. Now comes the opportunity to analyse the performance, identify areas for improvement, and focus intently on the next challenge. 

Finally, credit must be given to the referee, John Michael Fitzgerald who is to be commended for his clear and consistent implementation of the new rules, a challenging task given the increasing amendments in recent weeks. 

Team: Rob O’Connor, Ben Hanafin ( 0-01), Donagh Buckley, Darragh McElligott, Gearóid Dillane, Ryan Carroll, Daniel Bowler, Tom Hoare, Barry John Keane, Gearóid Savage ( 1-01), Jack Savage ( 0- 07), Padraig Griffin ( 0-01), Conor Hayes ( 0-04), Conor O’Sullivan, Darragh O’Connor ( 0-03). 

Subs used: Sam Pituch, Ben O’Brien & Seán Walsh.