Brosnan rescues a draw to keep Crokes unbeaten

DIVISION ONE

DR CROKES’ 100% start might be gone but they remain unbeaten after two late Tony Brosnan points secured a share of the spoils for the Killarney side at home to Dingle on Saturday. A Conor Geaney goal appeared to have given the West Kerry side victory near the end only for Brosnan’s late intervention. Crokes led by 1-7 to 0-7 at half-time thanks to a Brian Looney goal but Dingle stayed in touch on the scoreboard and Geaney pounced for their goal, yet it would finish level at 1-13 apiece between the two sides. The major result was up the road, however, as Kilcummin ended a 26-game unbeaten run by Templenoe to not only give the Kenmare District side their first loss in Division One but also a massive boost to their own hopes of survival.

Pat Spillane Jnr scored three early points for Templenoe after Daniel O’Leary had opened the game’s scoring for the hosts but a run of eight consecutive scores (five of which came from Kevin McCarthy) had Kilcummin 0-9 to 0-4 in front by half-time. The visitors regrouped to trail by only one after 42 minutes but the hosts regained the iniative through the efforts of Shane McSweeney, Sean Brosnan, Noel Duggan and O’Leary’s in particular.

Templenoe were left to rue the width of the post in their search for a goal but amid a frantic finish Kilcummin held on for a 0-14 to 0-11 victory. Adrian and Killian Spillane along with Sean Sheehan and Danny Cahalane impressed for the visitors but they find themselves level on points now with Dingle in the table on 11 as Crokes have sole possession of top spot with 13 points.

The result also brings Kerins O’Rahillys and Austin Stacks back into the League Final picture somewhat as both were victorious in their respective matches on Saturday. O’Rahillys had a successful trip to Castleisland in getting the better of Desmonds and putting a spanner in the works of the hosts’ own League Final ambitions. However the game could have been different had Desmonds converted a first-half penalty that would have left them trailing the visitors by only one point at the break. Cian Dom O’Connor’s spot-kick was saved as his side went in 2-5 to 0-7 down at the interval. An excellent John Ferguson scored 2-1 of O’Rahillys first half total as Giles O’Grady scored their third goal with not even a black card for Tommy Walsh knocking the eventual winners off their stride. Jack Savage also had a good outing for the visitors as Cian O’Connor, Stan Devane, Maurice and Patrick Hickey along with Kieran Brennan tried hard to reverse a 3-15 to 0-12 defeat on the scoreboard for their side.

Austin Stacks pulled clear of Milltown/Castlemaine in the final 10 minutes of their encounter in Connolly Park to win by seven points. Stacks had led 0-10 to 0-5 at the break but it was only when Darragh O’Brien got on the end of a Jack Morgan pass for the game’s only goal and a six-point lead in the 51st minute could the Rockies feel secure. Jonathon O’Sullivan was scorer-in-chief for the Mid Kerry side with nine of their 12-point total, seven from frees. Jeremiah Hayes, Donal Kelliher and Cathal Moriarty were their other scorers. Six David Mannix points (five frees) helped Stacks to a 1-16 to 0-12 win alongside braces from Shane O’Callaghan and David O’Sullivan.

The respective wins place extra importance on the back game between both Stacks and O’Rahillys in early August but both will have to win their games in Round Eight and Round Nine to make sure of its significance in relation to the League table.

At the other end of the table there were some big results, primarily for both Legion and Kenmare as they registered their first wins and first points of their campaigns. Legion overcame both the concession of three goals away to John Mitchels as well as an eight point deficit with 16 minutes to go in getting their first win at the seventh attempt. The Tralee side struck for two of their goals in the first-half to lead by 2-5 to 0-5 and when Wayne Duggan converted a penalty to put them eight clear, they looked well on course to move out of the relegation zone. They would not score again in the match though as Legion kicked 11 consecutive points to secure a dramatic victory. Three in quick succession from Shaun Keane, Derek Twomey and Billy Maguire put them ahead before David O’Sullivan scored the insurance point in a remarkable 0-17 to 3-5 turnaround win.

Kenmare’s maiden win came essentially in the final five minutes of the first half at home to Glenbeigh/Glencar as they found the back of the net three times themselves in that period. A penalty for a foot block saw Paul O’Connor score their first goal, he was provider for the second goal by Kevin O’Sullivan and he scored the third from a tight angle. The hosts led by 3-6 to 0-7 at half-time as O’Connor’s personal tally stood at 2-10 (eight frees) in a 3-14 to 1-10 win for Kenmare. Gavan O’Grady scored 1-7 for the Mid Kerry side with Bernard Murphy, Tommy Cahill and Daniel Griffin their other scorers in a disappointing outing off the back of a 14 point win over Milltown/Castlemaine the previous weekend.

Getting a result from the visit of Dr Crokes in their next outing will be a tall order as Kenmare prepare for the district derby with Templenoe buoyed on by this result. The latter’s conquerors Kilcummin have home advantage again for the visit of John Mitchels in their next match while Legion look to build on their first win with a visit to the side they scored five goals against in the County Championship in Milltown/Castlemaine.

Kerins O’Rahillys travel to Dingle in a match with implications for the top of the table as Desmonds will hope for better when they travel away to Austin Stacks.