Castlegregory on the brink of promotion to Division 4

CASTLEGREGORY are on the brink of promotion following last weekend’s results as a five goal salvo away to Cromane was the main feature of an eighteen point win that leaves them with the chance to make sure of going back to Division 4 this weekend.

Two Liam Maunsell goals gave them the early advantage at the Mid Kerry venue and although Martin Sweeney goaled for the hosts in the first period, a penalty save from Castle goalkeeper David Dowd at the expense of conceding a point meant that the West Kerry side led by 2-5 to 1-3 at half-time.

They dominated the second half at midfield and constantly ran at Cromane from their defence with a penalty converted by Maurice Slattery after a foul on Maunsell ending the game as a contest in the 48th minute.

Brandon Hoare scored another two goals for the victors before the final whistle, the second a classy chip as with their 5-13 to 1-7 success. A win over Asdee at home on Saturday evening will ensure them of promotion regardless of other results.

Rathmore B also had five goals themselves in a high scoring weekend for the promotion chasers as they registered the exact same total as Castlegregory to boot in seeing off Knocknagoshel on Saturday.

The home side were hampered by the unavailability of the Walsh brothers as Kenneth O’Keeffe and Tommy Sheehan scored first-half goals to put Rathmore 2-7 to 0-6 in front at the break.

Jack Reen and Michael O’Riordan got their next two goals after the restart to end the game as a contest with Reen finishing the match with a second goal. Two good late points from substitute Daniel Leahy were one of the few positives for Knock along with seven different scorers in a 15 point defeat. It sets up an interesting promotion showdown with Duagh on the last day for the East Kerry side.

However, the big losers this weekend were Cordal who lost out by seven points to a Sneem/Derrynane side who are very much back in the promotion picture themselves.

The start of proceedings was a very open affair, seven scores in the opening seven minutes as the South Kerry combination led by 0-4 to 0-3 with Ian Galvin getting three of their points.

Ronan Hussey then hit three points himself to put them 0-7 to 0-4 up at the end of opening quarter. The visitors needed two late points to go in trailing by 0-10 to 0-8 at the break and though Phillip O’Connor opened the second half scoring, 1-2 without reply from Ian Galvin put the hosts very much in charge of proceedings.

It got worse for Cordal when they were reduced to fourteen men as points from Brendan Teehan, Hussey and Galvin (who finished the game with 1-7) completed an eventual 1-16 to 0-12 win for Sneem / Derrynane.

Should Cordal manage to win their upcoming back games with Knocknagoshel and Ballyduff they will join Duagh and Rathmore in a share of second place on fourteen points.

What could make things even worse for Cordal is if Tuosist manage to beat Ballyduff in their own back game this weekend as that would be another side above them in the table with fourteen points and only a win against Asdee and a whole plethora of results on the last day being needed to give them a chance of going back up.

Tuosist managed to keep their own destiny in their own hands with a win away at Asdee as a Tom O’Sullivan goal midway through the second half was the crucial score for the Kenmare District club in a 2-14 to 1-14 victory.

The two sides were level on seven different occasions during the match as they went in level at seven points apiece at the interval.

A combination of Mike Tim and Flor O’Sullivan points along with a Liam O’Shea effort put the visitors in front after Darragh Keane scored the opening point of the second-half for Asdee.

Tom O’Sullivan’s goal came from a rebound after James Kelly had made a great save in the build-up and the game looked to be over after a Colm Brosnan goal put Tuosist 2-14 to 0-13 ahead but a rebounded penalty from Darragh Keane kept the game in the balance until the final whistle.