Tarbert facing relegation following defeat to Currow

WHILE it’s still tight at the top, it looks to be all but over for Tarbert in terms of their hopes of staying in the division as they went down to leaders Currow by two points at home last Sunday afternoon.

They will have regrets about opportunities missed in the second period but losing Ambrose Lanigan to a second yellow card was a big blow to them in the finish. A James McMahon goal gave the visitors a 1-2 to 0-3 lead at the break but Tarbert overcame some missed frees to find the back of the net themselves through Finbarr Carrig in the 40th minute.

John Buckley came up with a crucial 1-1 for Currow however to put them back in front by 2-3 to 1-3 with 15 minutes left. Andrew Doherty, Sean Carrig and Killian Lanigan did rally for Tarbert after they went down to 14 men but Currow goalkeeper Sean O’Leary saved brilliantly from Lanigan to prevent them getting an equalising goal. Shane O’Connor put over the resulting 45 to make it a 2-6 to 1-7 defeat for the North Kerry side in a game where Seamus Scanlon excelled for the visitors.

Should they lose away to Ballydonoghue this weekend it would all but confirm their relegation with Ballydonoghue anxious to get back on track themselves in the promotion battle after Ardfert got the better of them by 1-10 to 0-11 at the weekend.

Annascaul, meanwhile, are right in the thick of it again after a nine point victory away to Beale in Ballybunion at the weekend. Indeed bar conceding a 17th minute goal to Rory Mulvihill it was a perfect firsthalf performance from them as they led by 1-6 to 1-0 at the break as Shane Foley scored their second goal after half-time to pretty much end the game as a contest. Jason Hickson scored five points for the visitors not even the dismissal of Ger Farrelly affected them as David Clifford and Joe Hoare impressed in defence. Phillip Blake, Colm Kissane and James McMahon tried hard for Beale but they lost out by 2-10 to 1-4 as they face a big relegation encounter with St Senans this weekend.

St Senans once again lost out to Dromid Pearses following their loss to the same opposition in the Premier Junior Championship earlier in the campaign. The Mountcoal side did get a first-half goal away from home but they went in level at the break, 1-6 to 0-9, after closing firsthalf points from Dromid’s Niall O’Shea, Gearóid J O’Sullivan and Chris Farley. A foul on Thomas Curran led to a goal for the South Kerry side from the penalty spot (Farley the converter) as the hosts managed to withstand some big pressure from the vissitors in recording a 1-13 to 1-11 victory.

The other game played saw Brosna earn a share of the spoils away to St Pats Blennerville after a 1-14 to 0-17 draw. The St Brendans side led by three points at half-time, 1-9 to 0-9, with the goal coming from a set-up involving Luke Mulligan and Kieran Hurley that saw Willie Hurley beat Steve McAuliffe for a 1-2 to 0-2 lead. Brosna nearly replied with a goal themselves through Shane Curtin soon after but Liam O’Sullivan was able to divert it away from danger.

The loss of Adrian Greaney through injury in the second half was a setback to St Pats as David Curtin and Patrick O’Keeffe pushed Brosna ahead by two in the second period.

They brought the numbers back into defence in an effort to thwart the home side but Kieran and Willie Hurley kept their composure in putting over the equalising scores on a night Tom McGoldrick kicked 10 points (six frees) for the visitors.

The result leaves both sides on the fringes of the promotion battle with Brosna playing host to Keel this weekend while St Pats head out west to take on Annascaul.

Bar the bottom three in the table at present you feel that everyone else still mathematically has a chance of making the top three although the outlook should become a little clearer over the coming weeks.