O’Shea seals it late for Kenmare

COUNTY SFC SEMI-FINAL Kenmare District 0-20 Rathmore 0-19

SOMETIMES beauty comes when you least expect it, and the beautiful game was very much in evidence at sun drenched Fitzgerald Stadium last Sunday when Kenmare District defeated Rathmore by a single point, in what was definitely the stand-out match of this year’s senior football championship.

This really was a contest between two supreme heavyweights who stood toe to toe and went for the win. There was no elaborate defensive systems or 13 men behind the ball shenanigans, instead we had two very fit, skilful teams that went out with the sole intention of out-scoring their opponent.

Unfortunately in such circumstances there has to be a loser, and on the day it was Rathmore that came up short.

Truthfully, they had played second fiddle to the young Kenmare side for much of the contest, but this Rathmore side is made of some courageous stuff and they will certainly feel that they could have won the game if they had taken their chances.

Kenmare started the game very brightly with three early points from Paul O’Connor (2) and the excellent Adrian Spillane, before the accurate Brendan O’Keefe slotted over his first free of the day for Rathmore to make it three points to one.

The Kenmare pace and movement was causing problems, but so was Rathmore corner-forward Shane Ryan and he soon replied to make it three points to two after just four minutes.

Brendan O’Keeffe levelled matters for Rathmore with a pointed free, before points from Killian Spillane and Paul O’Connor soon pushed the Kenmare district side 5-3 ahead after seven minutes.

Shane Ryan pointed from play once more to leave a point between the sides, before a Brendan O’Keeffe free leveled matters, five a piece, with just 14 minutes gone in the contest.

Kenmare took control of the contest once more, and with Teddy Doyle bursting into the game, they put over four without reply through Patrick Clifford, Paul O’Connor, Peter O’Shea and Adrian Spillane to lead by a healthy nine points to five with 20 minutes played in the contest.

The pace and movement by the Kenmare forwards was excellent, and Adrian Spillane was unlucky to kick wide of Rathmore goalkeeper Padraic McCarthy’s goal after a powerful run.

Brendan O’Keeffe pointed a free for Rathmore to bring them to within three, but again Adrian Spillane and Paul O’Connor pushed the Kenmare advantage to five once more.

Paul Murphy and John Spillane swapped points before Shane Ryan and Aidan O’Mahony scored two in-a-row for Rathmore to leave the half-time score Kenmare 0-13 Rathmore 0-10.

Rathmore switched Aidan O’Mahony from midfield to centre half back for the second half and started brightly with a pointed free from Mark Reen. George O’Keeffe was unlucky when his punched effort rebounded off the Kenmare crossbar and Kenmare took advantage of the let off when Paul O’Connor pointed from 30 metres to put them 0-14 to 0-11 ahead.

Brendan O’Keeffe and Tadhg Morley swapped points, before John Moynihan of Rathmore was unfortunate to lose control of the ball having been put through on goal by George O’Keeffe.

Kenmare put over three points in-a-row from Paul O’Connor, Killian Spillane, and Stephen O’Brien to push the district side 6 points ahead, 0-18 to 0-12, with 42 minutes on the clock, and seemingly in firm control of the game.

Rathmore had different ideas however and struck for six points on the trot through Brendan O’Keeffe, Reen with two frees, Moynihan, O’Keeffe again, and a superb run and point by substitute Mark Ryan, to level the game at 18 points each. Kenmare were totally rattled and the momentum had very firmly switched to the Rathmore side with Aidan O’Mahony an inspirational and defiant figure.

Kenmare needed a break and it came in the form of Kerry minor captain Sean O’Shea who drilled over two superb points in-a-row with time running out. There was drama to follow however and Rathmore’s Shane Ryan broke the ball to Paul Murphy whose shot for goal was deflected over the bar.

As Rathmore protested that it was a foot block and that they should have been awarded a penalty, Kenmare broke up the field and substitute Pat Spillane’s goalbound shot hit both uprights before being cleared to safety.

The final whistle sounded seconds later, and Kenmare were victorious and through to the County Senior Football Championship final on a scoreline of 0-20 to 0-19.