But Saints march on

FEALE Rangers selector Johnny Mulvihill, while obviously disappointed, sees the positives for his despite their defeat on Sunday. “Very disappointed,” he said. “The spirit was very good in the camp. Kierans they brought in four or five subs and I think they turned the game in their favour and the sending off didn’t help us. It was fourteen against fifteen there against the wind, but Kierans are a very good outfit as they showed against Crokes. I hope they go on and do their best and you know they could win the County Championship.

“Brian Scanlan is coaching us but for a block by the brilliant Pat Corridan – Rangers remained competitive.

It was only when Kierans drew level at 0-9 apiece following a point by Thomas Hickey (assist Seamus Brosnan) that the game appeared to be going according to script and even then that didn’t last too long.

Two minutes after Hickey’s point, on forty one minutes, Rangers pounced for a brilliant goal. Taking advantage of hesitancy in the Kierans defence Ger McCarthy combined with Foran to set the Senans man up for a memorable goal and with that goal came even greater belief for the hosts.

By forty seven minutes Rangers had extended their lead to five – 1-11 to 0-9 – after points by Quille and Cox (a free). A couple of swapped points from the two full-backs – Pat Corridan and Shane Fitzmaurice – did little to alter the status quo. With less than ten minutes to go it looked like Rangers’ game to lose.

Lose it they did, however. A point for Seán Horan on fifty one minutes gave little indication of what was the come.

St Kierans goal when it and Kieran Quirke is helping and the boys brought into their type of football and I must say that there’s good talent in the Feale Rangers team and I think if they stay with it they’ll be a very good team next year.

“Jimmy Deenihan spoke very well after the game and asked the boys to commit for next year already and we’ve a great buy in and it’s great to see Feale Rangers back making an impact and not just playing the game, wanting to play in the County Championship.

“The new format will help Feale Rangers in the long term,” he concluded. came seemed to come a little out of nowhere given how well Corridan and Seán T Dillon were doing in the Rangers full-back line. A long ball in was claimed then despatched brilliantly by Horan.

All of a sudden Kierans looked the more energetic side. Seamus Scanlon, who’d thundered into the game in the second half, set up Philip O’Connor for a point two minutes after the goal to level it up at 1-12 each.

Rangers were now reeling and Kierans surging. O’Connor got a second point two minutes later to fire Kierans in front and, while Rangers managed to level it back up again, Kierans were always the more likely to get a winner. On hand to deliver it was second half sub Pa McCarthy.

In the end, despite all the Rangers good play, Kierans had a bit more about them when it counted and where it counted. The extra man obviously took its toll on Rangers, but more so than that the Kierans bench was the big difference.

Kierans scored 1-4 off the bench. Rangers didn’t get anything off the bench. Rangers had four different scorers and Kierans had nine. Pat O’Shea’s men have plenty to improve upon, but unlike Rangers they now have the chance to do so. They must grab it with both hands.

FEALE RANGERS: Jeremiah Kelly (Duagh), Seán T Dillon (St Senans), Pat Corridan (0-1) (Finuge), Niall Collins (Listowel Emmets), Thomas Scanlon (Duagh), Shane Stack (Moyvane), Ger McCarthy (Listowel Emmets), Damien Somers, Éamonn Flaherty (Moyvane), Bryan Sweeney (Listowel Emmets), David Foran (1-1) (St Senans), Cormac Mulvhill (Listowel Emmets), Martin Stack (Moyvane), Conor Cox (0-8, 5f) (Listowel Emmets), Pádraig Quille (0-3) (St Senans) Subs: Aaron O’Connor (Duagh) for B Sweeney, half-time, Nigel O’Connor (Duagh) for M Stack, 55

ST KIERANS: Seán Óg Ó Ciardubháin (0-3f) (Cordal), John O’Connor (Currow), Shane Fitzmaurice (0-1) (Brosna), Micheál Reidy (Ballymacelligott), Luka Brosnan (Castleisland Desmonds), Eamon Kiely (Brosna), Cian Counihan (Ballymacelligott), Seamus Brosnan (Currow), Seamus Scanlon (Currow), Thomas Lynch (Castleisland Desmonds), Philip O’Connor (0-4, 1f) (Cordal), Aidan Breen (0-1) (Ballymacelligott), Vincent Horan (0-1) (Ballymacelligott), Dan O’Shea (Currow), Adam Barry (0-1f) (Brosna) Subs: Daniel Murphy (Scartaglin) for T Lynch, 32, Thomas Hickey (0-1) (Castleisland Desmonds) for D O’Shea, 39, Pa McCarthy (0-1) for V Horan, 45, Seán Horan (1-1) for C Counihan, 45

REFEREE: Tom Moriarty (Legion) IT was a miserable 2018 Senior Championship for Kenmare District; between the two matches they played, against Austin Stacks and An Ghaeltacht, they lost by an average of over 20 points.

Since Kenmare Shamrocks made the step-up to senior level after winning the Intermediate Championship in 2016, it’s been difficult for the district, county finalists just two years ago.

Speaking on behalf of the losing management, James Rochford of the Kenmare District Board admitted the 2018 campaign was too great an ask. “It’s just hard this year to get it together,” he said. “We’re a small district, and we’re just three teams now without Kenmare Shamrocks; we’ve two Division 5 teams and a Division 1 team. We’re struggling for numbers. It’s a big ask to play Senior Championship. It’s a high standard and we’re a little bit out of our depth this year.”

With just seventeen panellists in Gallaras on Saturday, matters were made worse with the loss of Tadhg Morley and Killian Spillane, both out of the country. Aside from that, there were plenty other issues affecting the district.

“It’s a bit harder this year with the structure of the Championships this year; they’re all out of their own club championships since April. Other years, they’d have been training with their clubs more and they’d be more willing to commit to the district. We only got it together two weeks before Championship.

“Tadhg Morley is gone to South America for a couple of months, Killian Spillane is in America and they’re two big players. I mean, today we had four minors and that’s a big ask of them.

“The lads that are here are committed. Unfortunately, there a few more that could have made an effort, or else they just weren’t around.”