Round 1 round-up by John O’Dowd

Austin Stacks 2-5 Kenmare 0-7

DEFENDING Division One champions, Austin Stacks, got the defence of their title off to a winning start with a four-point victory over newly-promoted Kenmare Shamrocks in difficult conditions at Connolly Park on Sunday. The visitors, despite four points from the impressive Sean O’Leary, failed to make the most of the wind advantage they enjoyed in the opening half, and with Barry Shanahan scoring a hugely important goal for Stacks, the Rockies only trailed by two points at the interval, 0-6 to 1-1. Wayne Guthrie’s save from Tom Murnane was also a crucial moment in the first 30 minutes. Shamrocks only registered a single point in the second half and Michael O’Donnell’s goal in the 46th minute (he finished with 1-4) gave Stacks the cushion they needed to secure the two points, especially as they ended the game with fourteen men after the sending-off of Shane O’Callaghan.

Kerins O’Rahilly’s 0-8 Kilcummin 1-7

KERINS O’Rahillys were beaten at home in Strand Road by Kilcummin, goping down by two points to the East Kerry club. William Harmon’s O’Rahillys led by 0-5 to 0-2 at the interval, but with former Kerry player Kevin McCarthy impressing for the visitors, Kilcummin drew level halfway through the second half after goalkeeper Brendan Kealy’s pointed free (0-6 each). Both sides exchanged points, before the key score of the contest arrived in the 55th minute when Kilcummin’s Danny Cronin notched the only goal, and that was enough for the East Kerry men to record a very encouraging win.

John Mitchels 2-10 Spa 2-12

AT the Mitchels complex, the home side had the benefit of the elements in the first half but, thanks to a goal in the 18th minute when Mike Foley set up Mike O’Donoghue for a composed finish, Spa led by two points (1-5 to 0-6) at the break. Three quick points on the resumption from Niall Sheehy ignited the Mitchels charge but, when they then lost a player to a black card, the visitors made hay during that ten-minute period with a scoring burst of 1-5, Evan Cronin finding the net. The electric Cronin kicked another two points to put Spa eight points clear (2-12 to 0-10) and they were home and dry, despite conceding two-injury time goals to a brave Mitchels outfit.

Rathmore 0-10 Beaufort 0-11

THE result of the weekend probably came in Rathbeg when Beaufort, on their first appearance in the top tier after last year’s promotion, came from behind to record a superb one-point victory (0-11 to 0-10) against the team that topped Division One in 2019. Rathmore enjoyed a wind-assisted four-point lead at the break (0-7 to 0-3) with Eoin Lawlor prominent, but four quick points in the second half from Beaufort gave the visitors the confidence boost that they needed. Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan, between the sticks for Rathmore, made a fine save to deny Beaufort a goal, but the momentum had shifted and, with Mike Breen and Fergal Hallissey shining, Rathmore trailed by two points (0-10 to 0-8) entering the last ten minutes. They bravely levelled with white flags from George O’Keeffe and Mark Reen, but Beaufort were not to be denied a famous win, as Hallissey kicked an excellent ’45’ for a dramatic winner.

Dingle 1-10 Dr Crokes 0-9

AT Pairc an Aghasaigh, Tony Brosnan, fresh from making his first Kerry senior start in Castlebar, was among the Dr Crokes scorers as they started brightly, leading

Division 1 standings

PWD Pts Austin Stacks 110 02 Dingle 110 0 2 Kilcummin

Beaufort 1100 2 Spa 11002 Killarney Legion 110 0 2 Kenmare S’rocks100 1 0 Dr. Crokes 1 0 0 1 0 Kerins O’Rahillys 1 0 0 1 0 Rathmore 100 1 0 An Ghaeltacht

John Mitchels 100 1 0

by 00-4 to

0-1, but a Dingle goal from Colin Moriarty proved absolutely vital to the eventual outcome. Goalkeeper David O’Connor was among those on target, as the home team retired at the break with a 1-5 to 0-5 lead. The Killarney side fought back at the start of the second half, with Michael Potts, Billy Courtney and Brosnan all hitting the target to level proceedings, but that was as good as it got for Crokes. Dingle saw out the game in style, with Conor Geaney solid from the placed ball and Barry O’Sullivan also on the mark.

An Ghaeltacht 1-5 Legion 2-7

LOUT in Gallarus, O’Donoghue Cup champions, Legion, raced from the blocks early with three quick points, before Eanna O’Conchuir got An Ghaeltacht off the mark with a fine goal in the 18th minute. However, that was cancelled out by a Conor Keane green flag nine minutes later and, with Jonathan Lyne much to the fore, the visitors led by four at half-time, 1-6 to 1-2. Only five scores were notched in the entire second period and, despite Oigi O Se kicking a few nice points for An Ghaeltacht, once Legion defender Cian Gammell raided upfield to fire home the Killarney men’s second goal, the home team’s goose was well and truly cooked.