No quarter asked in County SFC
COUNTY SFC QUARTER-FINALS
THE Garveys Supervalu Senior Football Championship Quarter Finals take centre stage this weekend with two double bills down for decision in Tralee and Killarney
Austin Stack Park in Tralee is first up hosting two interesting Club vs Divisional sides. Kerins O’Rahillys and East Kerry get proceedings under way at 4pm and O’Rahillys had their quarter final place booked in mid May following victories over South Kerry in Strand Road by four points and a one point defeat of Dingle in Páirc an Aghasaigh. East Kerry lost out to Rathmore in the opening round by a couple of points but recovered to defeat Mid Kerry by thirteen points and then St Brendans by three points in a high scoring Round 3 game that went to extra time.
The second game at the Tralee venue is the meeting of Austin Stacks and West Kerry at 5:45pm. Austin Stacks’ good run in the Championship has belied their poor League form. They were held to a draw in Connolly Pk by St Kierans in the opening round but managed to edge the replay by two points before inflicting a ten points defeat on Killarney Legion on home soil again.
West Kerry were surprisingly defeated by Feale Rangers in the opening round and in Gallarus at that but they recovered to defeat St Kierans by a point again in Gallarus and then defeated Killarney Legion albeit after extra time.
On Sunday the action moves to Killarney’s Fitzgerald Stadium where Dr Crokes and Kenmare Shamrocks renew rivalry following the epic Club Championship 2 weeks ago (1:30pm). Dr Crokes swept aside the challenges of both Mid Kerry and St Brendans with consummate ease to claim their quarter final place but Kenmare Shamrocks fell to Killarney Legion after a replay in Round 1. They regrouped after that setback to defeat local rivals Kenmare District and then Feale Rangers and though losing to the County champions in that Club Final they are bound to get a confidence boost having gone toe to toe for so long with their opponents.
The second game in the Stadium at 3:15 will see Rathmore take on South Kerry. Rathmore had that two point win over their District rivals, East Kerry in Fitzgerald Stadium and then booked their quarter final place with a nine points victory over Feale Rangers. Opponents South Kerry lost their opening game to O’Rahillys in Strand Road as we have seen but then had a big victory over Kilcummin before surprising many when defeating Dingle in Round 3.
Many observers believe the real county championship only begins at the quarter final stage and no doubt next weekend’s quarter final fixtures line-up certainly promises some exciting action before the semi finalists are known.
Senior Football Championship Quarter-finals Saturday in Austin Stack Park
Kerins O’Rahillys V East Kerry at 4pm Austin Stacks V West Kerry at 5:45pm
Sunday in Fitzgerald Stadium
Dr Crokes V Kenmare Shamrocks at 1:30pm Rathmore V South Kerry at 3:15pm