Champions Crokes face West Kerry as O’Rahillys meet South Kerry in semis

DEFENDING county champions, Dr Crokes, will take on West Kerry in the second of the semi-finals on Saturday week, with Kerins O’Rahillys playing South Kerry in the first semi-final in what should be two engaging club versus divisional team contests.

Kerry and All-Ireland champions Dr Crokes had a five-point win over Kenmare Shamrocks in a rematch of the Senior Club Final a fortnight ago, which Dr Crokes also won, and will now put their title on the line against a West Kerry team that had a comfortable win over Austin Stacks. Bulked up by An Ghaeltacht players, West Kerry have probably surprised a few people by reaching the last four of the championship. However, with An Ghaeltacht qualified for the county intermediate final, and Castlegregory set to contest the county junior final, there is a clear sign that football on the Corca Dhuibhne peninsula in on the rise again.

They haven’t gone away on the Iveragh peninsula either, with South Kerry drawing on all their recent county championship experience to see off a fancied Rathmore team by two points in their quarter-final in Killarney. With their manager William Harmon committed to being at the All-Ireland Ladies Football FInal in Croke Park, and Killian Young ruled out with a groin injury, South Kerry lost Bryan Sheehan to a leg injury after 25 minutes. Nevertheless, with Brendan O’Sullivan, Paul O’Donoghue and Daniel Daly - among others - showing great leadership, South Kerry got the job done against a Rathmore team that suffered for the loss of John Moynihan through injury after just 14 minutes.

South Kerry now face a Kerins O’Rahillys team that obliterated an East Kerry team that never got going at all in Austin Stack Park on Saturday afternoon. With former Kerry team mates David Moran and Tomnmy Walsh taking an iron-grip at midfield, the Tralee club powered ahead from the start, and despite Moran sending a penalty wide of the goal they still led by three points at half time. There was much interest in how David Clifford would fare in the East Kerry attack, but somewhat understandably - after a week of celebrations with the Kerry minors - Clifford couldn’t conjure any of the magic that bagged him four goals and the man of the match award in Croke Park the previous weekend.

In the end O’Rahillys had 12 points to spare over a beleaguered East Kerry.

Quite how the semi-finals play out is anyone’s guess right now but Dr Crokes remain favourites to retain their title.

West Kerry won’t fear the Killarney men but quite how An Ghaeltacht’s and Castlegregory’s club final preparations impact over the next 10 days could be crucial to the outcome of this SFC semi-final.

South Kerry are also slightly impacted by the fact that Dromid Pearses are preparing for the Premier Junior final. It also remains to be seen how Bryan Sheehan responds to treatment to that injury after he left Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday with an ice-pack strapped to his thigh and hamstring. They will also have to continue on without Killian Young whose season is over as the Renard club man needs to get a troublesome groin problem take care of before he plays again.

AWAY from the Senior Championship, Templenoe qualified for the Intermediate Championship final where they will play An Ghaeltacht. It’s interesting to note that should Templenoe win that final they will graduate to being a Senior club next year and will compete in the County SFC as a club. With Kenmare Shamrocks having secured their senior club status for 2018, it would mean just two clubs, Tuosist and Kilgarvan, would supply players to the Kenare District team for next year’s county SFC.