The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Late Maunsell equaliser allows Castlegregory stay on top
IT took a late equaliser from Liam Maunsell to keep them there but Castlegregory remain top of Division Five after a 1-11 to 3-5 draw away to Tuosist on Saturday. Tuosist made the better side going 1-1 ahead early on after Mike Tim and Flor O’Sullivan combined for the later to score their opening goal in the sixth minute. Four minutes later Castlegregory responded with their first score, a goal from Maunsell, but in the 12th minute the hosts got their second goal through a brilliant strike from Liam O’Shea. The teams were level at 2-1 to 1-4 at half-time with Castle reduced to 14 men following the dismissal of Brendan Hoare.
A free from Maunsell and an Enda Whelan effort gave the West Kerry side the early advantage in the second period but Tuosist found the net for a third time after Johnny Breen had a soccer style finish to the net. The hosts also went down to 14 men when Morgan O’Sullivan received a second yellow card but it looked like Mike Tim O’Sullivan had given them the win until Maunsell’s late salvaging act.
Cordal are second on their own outright after a convincing win away to Ballyduff by 15 points. Although Padraig Slattery pointed early on for the hosts, they conceded 1-5 without reply with Phillip O’Connor getting 1-2 of that total. A black card for Ballyduff’s John O’Regan saw a previously injured Patrick Moran having to return to the fray as the hosts trailed by 1-10 to 0-4 at the break.
Phillip O’Connor scored his second goal after the restart as Sean Óg Ó Ciardubháin, Brian Reidy and Jack McAuliffe added second half scores for the victors. Eddie Joy and John Paul Leahy scored Ballyduff’s only second half scores in a 2-15 to 0-6 defeat.
Duagh and Rathmore B are joint third in the table on 10 points after wins over Sneem/ Derrynane and Asdee respectively.
Duagh hit 1-5 without reply in the closing stages of their victory over the South Kerry combination to turn a four point deficit into an eventual four point win. An Ian Galvin goal separated the two sides early on at 1-3 to 0-3 with Duagh reliant on Nigel O’Connor for inspiration as they trailed by 1-6 to 0-7 at half-time mainly due to five frees from Ronan Hussey.
Aaron O’Connor’s introduction at half-time changed the game however for the hosts as he was able to curb Galvin’s influence on proceedings. Brothers Tim and Kieran Quirke along with Maurice O’Connor and Tim Scanlon became much more prominent in proceedings as Sneem/Derrynane only scored three points in the second period. Ger McCarthy scored a penalty to lead Duagh’s revival and send them on course for a 1-13 to 1-9 win. Rathmore B meanwhile needed two second half goals to get the better of Asdee with a clumsy challenge in the build-up to their first goal from the penalty spot, a key factor in their success.
The visitors led by 0-5 to 0-2 after the opening quarter but would only lead by a point at half-time after Eoin Tydings got a goal for Asdee and they trailed by 0-9 to 1-5 at the break.
Darragh Keane and John Doran put the hosts ahead after the break but then came the penalty which Kenneth O’Keeffe managed to convert.
The second goal was a soft one too for Padraig McCarthy but it mattered little to Rathmore as they went on to record a 2-13 to 1-10 victory with O’Keeffe finishing with a personal total of 1-5.
The other game played saw Austin Stacks B record a four point victory away to Knocknagoshel for whom the absence of both James Walsh and Padraig Reidy proved to be detrimental. A black card for the visiting Tralee side didn’t unduly affect them as they took in a three point lead at half-time with Dale Counihan in impressive form on the night in kicking seven points for the victors. Kieran Downey, Niall Barrett and Micheal Walsh tried hard to keep the hosts in it on the scoreboard but they eventually lost out by 0-13 to 0-9.
Stacks B play host to Duagh this weekend while table toppers Castlegregory entertain Asdee with Cordal also at home to Tuosist.