The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Both Beaufort and Keel will relish replay opportunity after a disappointing draw
MID KERRY SFC ROUND 1
Beaufort 0-11 Keel 0-11 BEAUFORT and Keel will have to meet again to decide who will progress to the semi-final stages of the Mid Kerry Senior Football Championship after extra time failed to separate the two sides at the end of this first round tie played in Beaufort on last Saturday.
Indeed, both sides will be happy with a replay as neither team did themselves justice in a game bedevilled by over passing of the ball and poor finishing. Despite having to line-out without a never ending list of injured players, Beaufort will at least be happy that no less than ten players contributed to their score sheet.
Keel, on the other hand, were almost totally dependent on their Captain and centre-half forward, Gary Sayers, for scores. In fact Sayers was the only one of the six Keel forwards that started to register a score.
Aided by the breeze in the first half Beaufort slotted over some early points from Shane O’Sullivan, Padraig Hallissey and Ronan Ferris and Keel’s first score did not arrive until the 15th minute through Gary Sayers.
The home side continued to dominate the half and just on the call of half-time centre-half forward Liam Carey might have put Beaufort in an even more dominant position but his powerfully struck shot sailed over for a point to leave the half time score Beaufort 0-6 Keel 0-2.
Three early second half points from the boot of Sayers got Keel right back into the game and entering the final quarter they had cut the deficit to a single point. Substitute Darragh Coffey grabbed Beaufort’s first score of the second half in the 48th minute, but Sayers and substitute James Foley had the visitors on level terms, for the first time, with eight minutes remaining.
Fergal Hallissey’s 54th minute free put Beaufort back in front but two minutes later wing-back Colm O’Neill pointed to force the tie into extra time, 0-8 each.
At the end of the first period of extra time Keel led by a point after Darragh Coffey got the opening point for Beaufort but Keel responded with points by Sayers and O’Neill. In fact that point by Colm O’Neill six minutes into extra time was the first time that Keel led in the game.
In the second period of extra time points from Francis Courtney and Mike Breen put the home side back in front, but it fell to veteran Keel wing back, James Nagle, to grab the all important point just two minutes from the end of extra time and send the game to a replay. BEAUFORT: Mike Moriarty, Michael J O’Connor, Nathan Breen (Capt), Cormac O’Connor, Jeremiah O’Sullivan, GerHartnett (0-1), Mike Breen (0-1), Shane O’Sullivan (0-1), Padraig Hallissey (0-1), Francis Courtney (0-1), Liam Carey (0-1), Ronan Ferris (0-1), Niall O’Connor, Padraig Doona (0-1), Fergal Hallissey (0-1f) Subs: Darragh Coffey (0-2) for Padraig Hallissey (40m), Danny Healy for Ronan Ferris (40m), Padraig O’Sullivan for Jeremiah O’Sullivan (56m), Kevin Ferris for Niall O’Connor (et), Jason Foley for Danny Healy (et) and Conor Breen for Shane O’Sullivan (et) KEEL: Stephen Cahillane, Gary Nagle, Emmet Ashe, Gavin Evans, Colm O’Neill (0-2), Donal O’Neill, James Nagle (0-1), Thomas Ladden, Aaron Cahillane, Barth Murphy, Garry Sayers (Capt)(0-7)(2f), Martin Burke, Terry O’Sullivan, Aaron Murphy, David McAssey Subs: James Foley (0-1) for David McAssey (36m), Eoin O’Neill for Emmet Ashe (50m) and David McAssey for Martin Burke (inj)(et)