Dingle dig deep to see off South

DINGLE advanced to the semi-final of the county championship when they created a mild surprise by defeating reigning champions South Kerry by one point.

Played in almost perfect conditions with only a slight cross field breeze and some welcome autumn sunshine, South Kerry appeared to be strolling to a routine victory as they were full value for a half-time of 0-7 to 0-5, having played the better football in the first period.

The champions had suffered a set-back with the late withdrawal of listed full-back Killian Young through injury, which necessitated a reshuffle in the South Kerry defence.

When South Kerry raced four points ahead within two minutes of the second half it appeared to be game over, and people could be seen exiting the stadium to catch the All-Ireland football final on television.

What they hadn’t banked on was this young Dingle side bringing a level of intensity and work rate to the game had been lacking in the first period. They completely dominated a good chunk of the second half of the game and had the desire and hunger to eventually outscore the South Kerry men.

South Kerry took an early lead when Bryan Sheehan kicked over a monster free from about 48 metres out after a Dingle player was adjudged to have handled the ball on the ground.

Dingle’s half-forward line was playing very deep with Paul Devane employed as a full-time sweeper, and this was really playing into South Kerry’s hands as Sheehan and Brendan O’Sullivan controlled the tempo of the game in the middle of the field.

Sheehan pointed another free in the eighth minute and soon afterwards his midfield partner O’Sullivan kicked a beauty with the outside of his right boot after a good exchange of passes with the lively corner forward Ian Galvin.

Dingle were struggling to get any cohesion going in attack as South Kerry’s high intensity defence was frustrating their efforts. They did burst into life between the 17th and 20th minute and they scored three points in quick succession, two pointed frees from Conor Geaney and a superb effort from play by Paul Geaney to draw them level at three points each.

South Kerry soon got a grip on proceedings again, and after a couple of poor wides responded with points from full forward Daniel Daly, Brendan O’Sullivan, the excellent Paul O’Donoghue and Sheehan to push them 0-7 to 0-3 ahead with 27 minutes gone.

Dingle were struggling to cope with the pace and movement of South Kerry’s attack, but Paul Geaney kept them in the game with a wonder point after he somehow fielded a ball that looked destined to go wide and turned sharply to kick a beautiful score over his left shoulder.

Straight afterwards indiscipline cost South Kerry as Conor Geaney was fouled and the Dingle sharpshooter stepped up to point his own free on the stroke of half-time to leave the score South Kerry 0-7 Dingle 0-5.

South Kerry pushed four points ahead after two minutes of the second half through Greg Gibson and a punched Daniel Daly effort. Dingle looked it trouble, but refused to die away.

Midfielder Barry O’Sullivan burst into the game and along with Mikey Geaney drove his team forward. Points from Aiden O’Connor, a Conor Geaney free and a superb effort from centre half-back Breandán Kelliher, brought Dingle to within one point, 0-9 to 0-8, within 10 minutes of the second period.

Sheehan kicked another brilliant free from 50 metres to push South Kerry two ahead, but a costly turnover in the South Kerry defence a minute later gifted Cathal Bambury with an easy point.

South Kerry then shot three wides in a row and this was duly punished when Paul Geaney pointed from a free to draw Dingle level, 0-10 each. A minute later Conor Geaney pointed his own free to push Dingle ahead for the first time, 0-11 to 0-10, with just eight minutes left on the clock.

Indisciplined tackling in the South Kerry defence gifted Conor Geaney with another pointed free, and two ahead, with three minutes to go. There was drama to follow soon after as South Kerry substitute Matthew O’Sullivan fielded a high ball and was fouled just outside the large parallelogram.

Another substitute Sean Cournane took the free quickly and rattled the back of the net. South Kerry’s joy was short lived however as referee Eddie Walsh disallowed the goal as he deemed that it was taken too quickly. Sheehan pointed the re-taken free to leave just one point between the sides.

From the kick out Breandán Kelliher was sent off for a second yellow card after a high challenge on Sheehan. The resulting free from a difficult angle, 45 metres out, was taken by Sheehan but his kick fell short and the referee blew the final whistle to put Dingle through to the semi-final next Sunday when they will play Dr Crokes. DINGLE: Gavin H Curran, Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Padraig O’Connor, Gavin Curran, Matthew Flaherty, Breandán Kelliher (0-1), Tom O’Sullivan, Barry O’Sullivan, Darragh O’Sullivan, Paul Devane, Mikey Geaney, Conor Geaney (0-6f), Aiden O’Connor (01), Paul Geaney (0-3, 1f), Cathal Bambury (0-1) Subs: Tom B Brosnan for Gavin Curran, 44 SOUTH KERRY: Brian O’Connor, Oran Clifford, Brian Sugrue, Fionán Clifford, Greg Gibson (0-1), Mark Griffin, Robert Wharton, Bryan Sheehan (0-5, 4f) Brendan O’Sullivan (0-2), Padraig King, Damien Kelly, Paul O’Donoghue (0-1), Ian Galvin, Daniel Daly (0-2), Niall O’Shea Subs: Aidan Walsh for D Kelly, 41, Matthew O’Sullivan for P King, 52, Sean Cournane for I Galvin, 54 REFEREE: Eddie Walsh (Rathmore)