O’Connor fires Kenmare past Rockies

LESS than a week after the Kenmare Shamrocks and Templenoe players had successful outings in their club colours at the same venue, they returned to Fitzgerald Stadium last Sunday and triumphed for their district in a manner few would have predicted in advance.

Indeed, anyone who wondered would the players from either club be distracted by what’s to come in the Intermediate Final firmly got their answer as they qualified for the semi-finals of the County Championship for the second successive year by seeing off a very out of sorts Austin Stacks side.

Overall, the district side made better use of the chances that were presented to them last Sunday with Paul O’Connor almost single-handedly putting them into the last four on the scoreboard by registering all of their second-half total.

Kenmare District had made the better start in the first period leading by 0-7 to 0-2 after 18 minutes, but they needed to stay strong in the second-half when their Tralee opponents managed to go ahead on the scoreboard at one point.

An indication of how this might not be Stacks’ day came in the 11th minute when Kieran Donaghy left a very promising ball slip through his grasp when a chance at goal appeared to be on for the Senior Club Champions.

Teddy Doyle gave Kenmare District their five point advantage, but Jack O’Shea was having some good success running at their defence slotting over two good points for Stacks as they managed to draw within two points at halftime in trailing by 0-9 to 0-7.

The Tralee side were quicker out of the blocks in the second period going in front for the first time with the first three points of the second-half with Daniel Bohan putting them in front four minutes after the restart.

The second-half in general was a much more physical affair, but the district side proved they were well able to cope with what Stacks were throwing at them. Most of the drama in the second-half was created by the ‘Rockies’ as well, but they squandered a lot of promising opportunities when they came about.

Pa McCarthy had a goalscoring chance for Stacks saved from close range by Kieran Fitzgibbon in the 42nd minute but Stacks managed to go ahead again by 0-12 to 0-11 with 13 minutes left after a second point from Fiachna Mangan but ultimately it proved to be Stacks’ last score of the game.

All bar one of Paul O’Connor’s second-half total might have been from frees but they were crucial ones in terms of the tightness of the game as Stacks missed out on another great chance with five minutes of normal time left.

Shane O’Callaghan appeared to have a score and indeed a goal at his mercy with his side two points down, but he tried to find Donaghy to make sure of the score only for the ball to nearly be turned into his own net by Tadhg Morley before the danger was eventually averted.

An injury to Conor Jordan held up the conclusion of proceedings but when it resumed Morley was a lot more decisive in clearing another Stacks opportunity away. A great flick on put O’Connor through with a chance to seal the game for Kenmare District but Darragh O’Brien denied him at the vital moment.

An insurance free from O’Connor meant it mattered little as his side emerged victorious by three points.

Overall they deserved their win for showing the better composure with Adrian Spillane, Peter O’Shea and Kevin O’Sullivan impressing alongside O’Connor and Morley in the hard earned win.

The irony of last Sunday’s result is that Stacks will have to hope that Kenmare District go on and win the County Championship from here if they want to represent Kerry in Munster.

However, after taking a step forward in the club final win over Dr Crokes in the same venue last month you have to feel Stacks have taken two steps back with this loss. KENMARE District: Kieran Fitzgibbon (Kenmare), Dara Crowley (do), Tadhg Morley (Templenoe), Kieran O’Neill (do), Patrick Clifford (do), Dara O’Shea (Kenmare), Gavin Crowley (Templenoe), Adrian Spillane (do), Peter O’Shea (Tuosist, 0-1), Sean O’Shea (Kenmare, 0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (do, 0-2), Stephen O’Brien (do, 0-1), Teddy Doyle (Templenoe, 0-1), Paul O’Connor (Kenmare, 0-8, 6f), Killian Spillane (Templenoe, 0-1). Subs: John Spillane (Templenoe) for Clifford, Brian Crowley (do) for O’Sullivan AUSTIN Stacks: Darragh O’Brien, Ronan Shanahan, Conor Jordan, Fearghal MacNamara, Pa McCarthy, Jack O’Shea (0-2), Jack Morgan, Wayne Guthrie (0-1, 1 ‘45’) Shane Guthrie, Fiachna Mangan (0-2), Shane O’Callaghan (0-1), Daniel Bohan (0-1), David Mannix (0-4, 3f), Kieran Donaghy (0-1), Michael O’Donnell. Subs: Alan Nestor for O’Shea, Darragh O’Brien for O’Donnell, John Dennis for Jordan REFEREE: Cathal Ó Dúbhda (An Ghaeltacht)