Roche goals help East Kerry retain county minor title
WHILE pre-match expectations of an East Kerry win might have come through, it was not for the want of a mighty effort by St Brendans to upset the odds as the defending champions just about managed to hang on to the Frank King Cup last Saturday.
St Brendans made most of the early running as Ryan O’Neill, Eoghan McElligott, Sean Donnellan and Eoin Greaney were prominent in proceedings with East Kerry goalkeeper Marc Kelliher having to save twice from Jason Mortimer and Fergal Barry in separate opportunities inside the first eight minutes.
East Kerry looked to have settled however when they put up a total of 1-5 in a nine-minute spell between the 13th and 22nd minute. The goal came in the 14th minute as a brilliant high ball to David Clifford saw the Minor Player of the Year lay-off to team captain Ian Roche who palmed the ball into the net for a 1-3 to 0-2 advantage.
Their second goal three minutes before the break put them 10 points ahead as Cian Gammell was the provider to Roche for his second goal and a commanding lead of 2-9 to 0-5. St Brendans didn’t let the heads drop however as straight from the restart Fergal Barry tore through and passed off to Eoghan McElligott for St Brendans’ goal as they managed to reduce the deficit to 2-10 to 1-6 at the break.
The victors only scored four points in the second period as they found themselves on the back foot for the most part as a combination of Eoin Greaney and Dara Devine edged St Brendans closer and closer through frees in the main. East Kerry never settled in the second period as they needed some strong defending to stay ahead on the scoreboard.
Substitute Owen Fitzgerald made an important interception in the 46th minute with St Brendans possibly in for a goal on the counter but when another substitute in Brian Murphy for St Brendans blocked down East Kerry’s Sean Doherty three minutes later the game was there for the taking for either.
Doherty himself made an interception in the 52nd minute as Darragh Lyne was denied by Brian O’Regan with a goal on two minutes later as Niall O’Mahony forced Clifford into driving another promising chance wide. At 2-13 to 1-15 in the last minute of normal time, the tension and excitement was mounting in equal measure, Sean O’Leary did enough to prevent St Brendans substitute Jack Sheehan from getting a decent shot at an equaliser as Clifford drove a goal chance in injury time wide. His sixth point of the game was to be the last however as East Kerry had just about ensured a hard fought win.
While Brian Friel had a strong performance for East Kerry in their win, more of the most impressive performances came from St Brendans as converting a few more of their chances could well have seen them pull off a massive victory. One could definitely come away with the view that the better team lost but what was probably telling for East Kerry in the end was the big game experience some of the panel picked up during the year in the Kerry Minors and Hogan Cup successes during the year. If it is to be the last U-18 Minor Final then it certainly was a fitting way to end it as the two sides gave a very entertaining spectacle to those present in Austin Stack Park.
A third Minor title in five years for East Kerry indicates how much the strength of the underage set-up in the county rests in the area at the present time.
EAST KERRY: Marc Kelliher (Glenflesk), Damian Cronin (Rathmore), Chris O’Donoghue (Glenflesk), Oran O’Donoghue (do), Sean O’Leary (Kilcummin, 0-1), Cian Gammell (Killarney Legion), Patrick Warren (Gneeveguilla), Brian Friel (Rathmore, 0-2), Darragh Lyne (Legion, 0-1), Paul O’Shea (Kilcummin), Michéal Devlin (Legion), Sean Doherty (Glenflesk, 0-2), Niall McCarthy (Spa, 0-1), David Clifford (Fossa, 0-6, 2f), Ian Roche (Glenflesk, 2-0). Subs: Owen Fitzgerald (Gneeveguilla) for Oran O’Donoghue, Darren Looney (Legion) for Cronin, Cian O’Shea (Fossa, 0-1) for Devlin, Aaron McCarthy (Listry) for Lyne, David Dineen (Rathmore) for Roche and Patrick Darcy (Glenflesk) for Doherty.
ST BRENDANS: Brian O’Regan (Ardfert), Fiachra Ennis (do), Niall O’Mahony (Na Gaeil), Damien Bourke (do), Sean Hamilton (Churchill), Ryan O’Neill (Na Gaeil), Jack Myers (John Mitchels) Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil), Eoghan McElligott (Ardfert, 1-2), Fergal Barry (Na Gaeil), Mikey Kelliher (John Mitchels, 0-2), Sean Donnellan (Churchill, 0-1), Jason Mortimer (do), Eoin Greaney (St Pats Blennerville, 0-5, 3f), Dara Devine (Na Gaeil, 0-5, 4f). Subs: Patrick Roche (Na Gaeil) for Ennis, Brian Murphy (St Pats) for Myers, Rory Murphy (Na Gaeil) for Hamilton, Jack Sheehan (do) for Greaney, Paul Lenihan (Churchill) for Mortimer and Jack Dolan (do) for Donnellan.
REFEREE: Sean Joy (Laune Rangers)