Gneeveguilla blow Group 4 wide open with shock victory

COUNTY IFC GROUP 4 ROUND 2

Gneeveguilla 0-11 Templenoe 0-10

HANDS up who saw this one coming? There can’t have been too many outside of Gneeveguilla and for that they deserve monumental credit.

Most neutrals had this one down as a straightforward win for Templenoe, the pre-championship favourites who had a big win over Currow in Fitzgerald Stadium the previous weekend. Gneevguilla for their part suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of fellow East Kerry outfit Spa. It was all set for an ambush and that’s precisely what Gneeveguilla delivered, thereby opening up this group.

What’s so strange is that Templenoe had started off this game well with an early point from Cian Hallissey. The prefect start you would have thought. A determined Gneeveguilla responded well with scores from Pádraig O’Sullivan and Mark Sheahan. Templenoe had two goal opportunities, but failed to take either of them and the home side pushed on with scores from an impressive Patrick Warren and Conlan O’Leary. Templenoe responded with a free from Killian Spillane but Gneeveguilla ended first half the better with scores from Con Buckley to lead at half time 0-7 to 0-2.

Gneeveguilla got first point of second half from Conlon O’Leary, but four unanswered points were to follow from Templenoe. Templenoe’s Stephen O’Sullivan hit the base of the post on 20th minute, Gneeveguilla responded with a point from Patrick Warren.

Templenoe got two late scores from Tadgh Morley and Killian Spillane, but Gneeveguilla held on to win by the smallest of margins.

Spa 1-14 Currow 1-12

ANOTHER surprise result was on the cards in Spa on Saturday evening, but for the skill and quick thinking of former Kerry underage star Dara Moynihan.

But for his goal – he intercepted the kick-out and cut straight through the Currow defence to claim his goal – Currow would likely have upset the home side’s best laid plans and put their chances of reaching the semi-finals in peril.

Even in defeat Currow can hold their heads up high, recovering well from their defeat at the hands of Templenoe in Fitzgerald Stadium in the opening weekend of action. Indeed they were first on the scoreboard with a free from Mike McCarthy.

Spa got their first point on nine minutes and on the quarter hour mark the sides were level at 0-3 each. By the half-time break Spa had outscored Currow 0-9 to 0-6.

Spa started the second half the brighter and scored 0-2 points in quick succession to make the score 0-11 to 0-6 after five minutes. By the three quarter hour mark Currow had brought themselves back into it with scores from Dan O’Shea 0-2 and Mike Mc Carthy 0-1. On the 21st minute a long ball was floated in by Dan O’Shea that John Buckley won and rattled the Spa net this made the score Spa 0-13 Currow 1-10 and game on. Moynihan’s late salvo saved the hosts’ bacon, however.