Power-packed South Kerry triumph

South Kerry 3-12 Dingle 0-12

IT wasn’t until the closing stages of the first-half that they really managed to show their worth.

However, when South Kerry did manage to get a hold on proceedings then they never looked like allowing pre-match favourites Dingle back into the contest as the district side found the back of the net three times in their victory last Tuesday week in Austin Stack Park.

The club side had looked comfortable leading by 0-8 to 0-3 after 23 minutes with their half-back line of Tom O’Sullivan at centre-back and Matthew Flaherty and Aidan O’Connor on the wing in the ascendancy.

South Kerry had lost Adam O’Dwyer to a black card in the 14th minute, but his replacement Brendan Murphy gave them some sparkle as Robert Wharton really began to stamp his authority on the game.

He started the move that led to the game’s first goal with a minute of the first-half left as he played the ball into the path of Sam O’Dwyer. O’Dwyer shot at goal was saved by David O’Connor but Diarmuid Keating was on hand to fist in the rebound and put South Kerry in front by 1-6 to 0-8 at half-time. In total the victors had a run of 2-8 without reply as Dingle went a total of 22 minutes without a score.

South Kerry’s second goal in the 41st minute owed much to the initiative of Mark Sugrue as the midfielder refused to give up on a ball that appeared to be going wide. He kept the ball in play and found Dylan O’Donoghue who despite being blocked down by Dylan O’Donoghue with the initial shot forced home the rebound for a 2-11 to 0-8 lead.

A free from Cathal Bambury and Tom O’Sullivan’s third point ended Dingle’s barren scoring run yet the game was pretty much ended as a contest with six minutes left. Matthew O’Sullivan won the ball that led to Anthony Cournane finding the back of the net for a 3-11 to 0-10 advantage as South Kerry could start to contemplate celebrating their first Under 21 success in six years.

Dingle’s misery was compounded by the dismissal of Patrick Sheehy for a second yellow card before the finish. In reflection the absence of Marc O’Connor on the night proved to have a very detrimental effect on the club side’s performance particularly in terms of trying to win primary possession.

The fact six of Dingle’s scores came from their half-back line indicates a poor night in their forward line as their forwards only scored once from play through Bambury. Shane O’Connor, Darragh Scanlon and Fionán Clifford had a great outing in the South Kerry full-back line but the night really belonged to Wharton for the way he grew into proceedings when his side needed some inspiration.

Indeed South Kerry were definitely a side that got better as their games went along in the competition as can also be evidenced by a poor start to their win against St Kierans in the semi-finals.

You sense Dingle still have time to make amends with their two Minor sides a year older and wiser next year but the victors gave another indication that South Kerry just might be on the rise again in Kerry football. SOUTH Kerry: Padraig O’Sullivan (Skellig Rangers), Shane O’Connor (Dromid Pearses), Darragh Scanlon (St Michaels/ Foilmore), Fionán Clifford (Waterville), Adam O’Dwyer (do), Ronan O’Shea (Skellig Rangers), Robert Wharton (Renard, 0-1), Matthew O’Sullivan (St Michaels/ Foilmore), Mark Sugrue (Renard), Anthony Cournane (St Marys, 1-2), Conor O’Shea (do, 0-3, 2f) Sam O’Dwyer (Waterville), Diarmuid Keating (Skellig Rangers, 1-0), Sean O’Sullivan, Dylan O’Donoghue (1-2) Subs: Brendan Murphy (Skellig Rangers) for Adam O’Dwyer (Black Card), Darragh O’Sullivan (do, 0-3) for Sean O’Sullivan, Andy Quigley (Valentia) for Sam O’Dwyer, Jack Daly (St Marys) for Keating, Conor O’Leary (Renard, 0-1) for O’Donoghue and Alan Curran (do) for Murphy DINGLE: David O’Connor, Conor O’Sullivan, Patrick O’Connor, Tom L O’Sullivan, Matthew Flaherty (0-2), Tom O’Sullivan (0-3), Aidan O’Connor (0-1), Patrick Sheehy, Barry O’Sullivan, Garreth Hickey Brosnan, Conor Geaney (0-1, 1f), Patrick Devane, Tomás Sheehy, Liam Brosnan, Cathal Bambury (0-5, 4f) Subs: Ruadhan McCarthy for Liam Brosnan, Mark Ashe for Hickey Brosnan and Alan Kennedy for Tomás Sheehy REFEREE: Billy O’Shea (Keel)