Mid Kerry and Kenmare District to battle for U-21 title

MID Kerry and Kenmare District contest the Acorn Life Under-21 Football Final on this Wednesday at Tralee’s Austin Stack Park, a game that will throw in at 7:30pm. Both of these sides have tasted victory in this grade in the past few years; In 2013 Mid Kerry defeated St Kierans and the following year it was Kenmare District’s turn when they also defeated St Kierans in a game that will be remembered for a last minute winning penalty by Brian Crowley.

Mid Kerry have been the more impressive side over the last few weeks simply because they played a game more than their rivals defeating An Ghaeltacht and scoring six goals in the process before accounting for Dingle by six points in the quarter final and then having a very impressive victory over East Kerry in the semis with eleven points to spare. Former Kerry Minors Mike Breen and Liam Carey, along with David Costello are players to watch out for.

The fact that a divisional side such as Kenmare District got a walk over in the opening round did not help their cause and they were fortunate to get the better of a plucky Spa side in the Quarter-finals by the minimum margin. They did improve to defeat Dr Crokes in Kenmare in the semi final where their big players such as John Mark Foley, Sean O’Shea and Killian Spillane were very much to the fore.

This is a game that has all the ingredients of being a thriller and no doubt both sides will want to become the first winners of the James Coffey Perpetual Cup, a trophy presented to the County Board aby the Coffey family in conjunction with the Laune Rangers club at a function on Friday evening last.

James, or Jimmy Coffey as he was probably better known, served in many capacities for his beloved Laune Rangers over many years and was also secretary of the Mid Kerry Board for all of seventeen years before becoming chairman for another seven year period.

Jimmy served as joint treasurer of the Kerry County Board from 1973 to 2003 and it is indeed very fitting that the new cup should perpetuate his memory.