Churchill and Duagh to top Division 5 groups

DIVISION 5 GROUP B

WE should know who the eight sides that will contest the promotion phase after next weekend but last weekend’s results did throw up some interesting permutations ahead of this weekend with Group B a bit more unknown than Group A as to how it will end up. In Group A we can say that Churchill, Scartaglin and Valentia will definitely be going forward to contest promotion with Asdee only needing a point from their game with Churchill this weekend to secure the fourth spot.

Churchill will definitely top the group but no one probably would have expected the margin they beat Scartaglin by, the team that was also unbeaten before this weekend. The East Kerry side had only 13 players however in a 3-10 to 1-0 defeat with a Niall Casey penalty goal in the eight minute their only score of the match. Ger McCarthy scored a hat-trick of goals for the St Brendans side in a personal total of 3-1 as Mike and Eoin O’Brien along with Ivan Parker combined for a total of 0-7 of Churchill’s scores.

Despite their defeat Valentia’s 0-14 to 0-11 win over Austin Stacks B ensured Scartaglin would be going through to the promotion phase. The South Kerry side’s trip up to Tralee was a successful one although they were thankful for the woodwork preventing Stacks from scoring a goal in the second period. That said Valentia had plenty of chances for goals themselves but a good range of scorers had them 0-7 to 0-6 in front at halftime. Gearóid Sheehan levelled the game up for Stacks after the break and TJ Hogan scored both the first and last points of the game but Andy Quigley (0-4) and Paul O’Connor (0-3) combined for half of the Young Islanders’ scores in a three point win.

Asdee put themselves on the brink with a 3-12 to 1-11 win away to Kilgarvan that saw all four goals come in the second period after the hosts had led by 0- to 0-6 at the break. Paul O’Carroll and Sean Godfrey had traded goals early in the second period but Cyril Dineen scored a further two for Asdee in the space of four minutes as another run of five unanswered points helped them to a seven point win.

Kerins O’Rahillys B scored seven goals in getting the better of Knocknagoshel by 12 points as Donagh O’Brien, Paudie Griffin and Rory O’Connor were amongst the scorers in a 7-6 to 2-9 win. Shane O’Connell scored both Knock’s goals but O’Rahillys have to win a Tralee derby with Stacks and hope Asdee lose to Churchill and a back game with Scartaglin as well in order to have any hope of taking fourth.

GROUP B

DUAGH will definitely finish top of the group although they didn’t kick a ball in anger to do so as Dingle B conceded a walkover to the North Kerry side in doing so.

Although they lost themselves, results elsewhere put Ballyduff through to the promotion phase as Rathmore B kept their own hopes alive with a 2-12 to 1-13 win. Goals from Anthony Darmody and Donal Moynihan gave the East Kerry side a five point lead at the break before a Johnny Regan goal brought Ballyduff level during the second period. Spears and Darmody came up with points however to give Rathmore a twopoint win.

The other result in this section was the one that really opened up the battle for the remaining two promotion spots as Tuosist got the better of Sneem/Derrynane by 1-10 to 1-9. Dan Hawker set up Tadhg Ó Siocrú for the Kenmare District side’s goal that gave them a lead of 1-6 to 0-5 at the break as although Shane McGuillicuddy goaled for Sneem/Derrynane late in proceedings they could not get the equaliser they sought in losing out by a point.

That makes for a crunch meeting between the South Kerry side and Moyvane this weekend. A point will do Moyvane on their trip down South to go through but Rathmore and Tuosist could get into the mix regardless of the result provided they both beat Dingle B and Duagh respectively in their games this weekend.