The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Keel dig deep to take the spoils
Keel 1-7 Gneeveguilla 0-9
A SCRAPPY affair in Keel last Sunday was settled by a goal in the 48th minute for the hosts as they not only secured their Division 3 status, but also gave themselves an outside chance of making an impact on the promotion picture.
Visiting Gneeveguilla were playing their first County League game since the June Bank Holiday Weekend and bar a run of five unanswered points for them in the first period it was a frustrating afternoon for the East Kerry side.
The hosts scored the opening three points of proceedings inside the first nine minutes, centre-back Martin Burke with a brace as they had to deal with first-half injuries to both Shane Prenderville and Donal O’Neill.
The latter would return to proceedings in the second-half after a clash with his goalkeeper Stephen Cahillane in preventing Gneeveguilla getting through for a goal chance but the visitors finally got on the board in the 10th minute through a free from Con Buckley.
They followed up with a nice move that saw Fergus McAuliffe slot over and after two further points from Buckley along with a Padraig O’Sullivan effort from close range they led by 0-5 to 0-3 after 21 minutes.
Keel got back in a scoring vein through Aaron Murphy and James Nagle, but there would be no score in the final seven minutes of the first-half as both sides went in level at five points apiece at the break.
The second-half was a dogged affair as well, there was no quarter asked or given by both sides and it threatened to boil over on a number of occasions.
Con Buckley put over the first score of the second-half from a free but it would be the last time Gneeveguilla would lead as a free from Aaron Murphy and an Aaron Cahillane point had the hosts in front six minutes after the restart.
A fisted point from Gneeveguilla substitute Conor Herlihy had the scores level again but it would be another nine minutes before the game’s next score and it was the crucial one come the final whistle.
After being taken off earlier in proceedings, McAssey was reintroduced by Keel and he played a vital ball into Martin Burke, who at this stage was operating at full-forward, and he managed to get one-on-one with goalkeeper Patrick O’Riordan and buried the ball past the Gneeveguilla net minder for a 1-7 to 0-7 advantage for his side with 12 minutes left.
The visitors tried frantically to make amends, Mike ‘Stones’ Murphy dropped a dangerous high ball into the Keel goalmouth, however the effort was fisted wide of the post as a subsequent ‘45 came to nothing for the visitors.
Buckley’s fifth point of proceedings and an effort from the aforementioned Murphy left the bare minimum between the sides but there was to be no time for the victors to gain a share of the spoils.
While far from being a classic Keel will be delighted to have earned another two points that will give them thoughts of maybe getting more out of this year’s campaign. The victory was all the more impressive considering talisman’s Gary Sayers’ absence but Martin Burke was a colossus on the day for the hosts. Annascaul will make the short trip to the Mid Kerry venue this weekend.
Gneeveguilla might have expected some rust with this being their first game in six weeks but they will know they will have to be a lot better at home to Ardfert on Sunday.
KEEL: Stephen Cahillane, Gary Nagle, Donal O’Neill, David McAssey, Colm O’Neill, Martin Burke (1-2), Gavin Evans, Francis Ahern, James Nagle (0-1), Shane Prenderville, Eoin O’Neill, Aaron Cahillane (0-1), Luke Flynn, Aaron Murphy (0-3, 1f), Barth Murphy Subs: Emmet Ashe for Prenderville, Terry O’Sullivan for Donal O’Neill, Donal O’Neill for McAssey and David McAssey for Luke Flynn
GNEEVEGUILLA: Patrick O’Riordan, Timmy O’Leary, DJ Murphy, Darren Brosnan, Mike Murphy, John Sheehan, Connie O’Connor, Mike S Murphy (0-1), Fergus McAuliffe (0-1), Donal Murphy, Danny O’Connor, Shane Crowley, Padraig O’Sullivan (0-1), Sean O’Connor, Con Buckley (0-5, 3f) Subs: Conor Herlihy (0-1) for Sean O’Connor, Shane O’Sullivan for Donal Murphy, Padraig Doyle for O’Sullivan and Dean Crowley for Sheehan
REFEREE: Gerard O’Carroll (Asdee)