Rathmore squeeze into Round Three as Kenmare Shamrocks make their exit

COUNTY SFC ROUND 2B Rathmore 0-17 Kenmare Shamrocks 0-15

THIS game was as close to old style championship football that you will find. It was helped by two committed teams that threw off the shackles and played open attacking football on a day where wind and rain blew strongly on the excellent Rathmore pitch.

The experts tell us that modern day football is supposed to be all about possession stats and zonal defensive formations, but both Rathmore and Kenmare tore up this script to produce a very entertaining game. Both sides actually struggled from their own kickouts, but it mattered little as the action was predominantly end to end, in the fashion that you would usually see in a school yard five-a-side.

It is ironic that neither side scored a goal in the contest, as chances were made but not taken. Rathmore were particularly wasteful in this regard as they spurned three good goal chances that could possibly have made it a much more comfortable win for them. Kenmare weren’t without fault in this regard either though, and a spurned chance in the 44th minute had a major impact on the game. A goal at that stage would have pushed Kenmare one point ahead and who knows what might have happened after that.

The wind and rain blew firmly into the scoreboard end of the ground, and with the elements at their back, Kenmare took an early lead with a lovely Paul O’Connor effort from 40 metres, after a mere 15 seconds. Rathmore responded immediately, and from the resultant kickout corner forward John Moynihan rattled the Kenmare crossbar and the ball was cleared from danger.

Sean O’Shea, who had a great tussle with his county colleague Paul Murphy, pushed Kenmare two points ahead soon afterwards, as the visitors mixed both the long and short ball game to good effect. Rathmore’s Eoin Lawlor got his side on the scoreboard in the sixth minute after a good move involving Donal O’Sullivan and Chrissy Spiers, before O’Shea from a free, and the rangy Shane Ryan with beautiful turn to his left side, traded scores.

Both sides continued to struggle with their restarts, but Rathmore failed with their second goal chance soon afterwards, when George O’Keeffe kicked high and off the post with a three-pointer at his mercy. Kenmare took advantage of O’Keeffe’s generosity with scores from Seanie O’Leary and a Stephen O’Brien punched effort, to push the 0-5 to 0-2 ahead in the 13th minute.

Rathmore’s running game was causing consternation in the Kenmare defence, and O’Keeffe forced Kenmare netminder Ray O’Shea into an excellent save in the 14th minute. The home side were on the ascendency though, and two points on the bounce from Ryan brought them to within a single score of their opponents.

The tempo of the game was constantly changing, and Kenmare suddenly took a foothold on proceedings once more. Points from David O’Sullivan and Shane O’Sullivan pushed them three ahead, and Stephen O’Brien forced Rathmore keeper Paraic McCarthy into a point blank save. Ryan slotted over two further points, with one from play, before half time, but two Sean O Shea free kicks saw the visitors take a 0-9 to 0-6 lead in at the break.

Kenmare made a couple of changes to their side half time, but the substitutes must have wondered what they left themselves in for, as Rathmore rattled over six points without reply in the first eight minutes of the second half. The Rathmore execution was both beautiful and ruthless. Wing back Brian Friel started the onslaught, and Mark Reen, Derry native Chrissy Spiers, John Moynihan, Shane Ryan, and Reen again slotted over to push the winners 0-12 to 0-9 ahead.

Strangely enough Rathmore began to struggle with their restarts again, and after a couple of bad Kenmare wides, Paul O’Connor brought it back to a two-point game.

Then came the pivotal moment of the contest. A scything run from the stand side by Stephen O’Brien opened up the Rathmore defence, and his pass across goal was volleyed badly wide by substitute Ciaran O’Sullivan, with a goal at his mercy. If it had gone in it would have been spectacular and brilliant, but unfortunately the opposite was the case. To be fair to O’Sullivan the ball did come to him at pace, and he had only a split second to make up his mind.

Rathmore responded immediately and two points in a row from Spiers and the hard working Donal O’Sullivan pushed them 0-14 to 0-10 ahead. Kenmare refused to wilt, and Stephen O’Brien along with a long range free kick from the unerring Seanie O’Shea brought them to within two points with seven minutes left to play. Rathmore’s Reen and O’Shea traded scores once more, before an O’Shea free kick brought Kenmare to within a single point with just two minutes remaining.

Moynihan scored what looked like the insurance for Rathmore, but with Donal O’Sullivan seeing red for a second yellow card, they had to endure a very nervous closing period. They kept their composure however, and although O’Shea slotted over another free, full back Cathal Murphy sealed the deal for the home side when he sauntered up the field and kicked the insurance score in the 63rd minute.

RATHMORE: Paraic McCarthy, TJ Friel, Cathal Murphy (0-1), Michael Joe Kelliher, Brian Friel (0-1), Paul Murphy, Tadhg Mahony, Donal O’Sullivan (0-1), Mark Ryan, Chrissy Spiers (0-2), George O’Keeffe, Mark Reen (0-3, 2f), Shane Ryan (0-6, 2f), Eoin Lawlor (0-1), John Moynihan (0-2). Subs: Dean Fitzgerald for C Spiers (b/c, 52).

KENMARE SHAMROCKS: Ray O’Shea, Dara Crowley, Tommy O’Sullivan, Matthew Murnane, Shane O’Sullivan(0-1), Dara O’Shea, Michael McCarthy, David Hallissey (0-1), Seanie O’Shea (0-8, 7f), David Cronin, Kevin Price, Paul O’Connor (0-2), Stephen O’Brien (0-2). Subs: Ciaran O’Sullivan for S O’Leary h/t), Conor Lucey for K Price (h/t), Griffin Wharton for M Murnane (49).

REFEREE: Seamus Mulvihill (St Senans)