Lispole make it perfect 10 for Kerry clubs in Knockaderry’s Munster Junior B championship

MUNSTER CLUB JBFC FINAL (KnocKaderry InvItatIonal tournament) Lios Póil 1-15 Ballyhooly 0-4

FROM the moment Ciarán Ó Súilleabháin booted a muddied O’Neill’s off on its first flight over the crossbar in Knockaderry on Sunday, this greyest of days seemed destined to be CLG Lios Póil’s happiest ever.

The jumpiness that almost proved fatal against Oola in the semi-finals never threatened to reappear on Sunday, and Lios Póil instead secured Kerry’s tenth successive win in this competition with a performance that was as cool as it was skilled.

A steady drizzle in the lead up to the match browned and slickened the Knockaderry pitch, and the prevailing scenes in the opening minutes were of slips, dropped passes and wayward kicks.

But while Ballyhooly never found their footing, Lios Póil switched to a playing style suited to the slimy playing conditions. Time and again their forwards knocked cracks into Ballyhooly’s defence with rapid hand passing, and tireless support play allowed the Kerry team to exploit gaps left by beleaguered Ballyhooly backs.

This style was at the forefront of countless Lios Póil moves, including their second point of the game, as wing-back Colm Ó Gealbháin dashed in behind Ballyhooly’s last line and onto a slick hand pass from Aaron Ó Muircheartaigh, punting over from close range. Further points from Deaglán Ó Súilleabháin and Cathal Ó Súilleabháin doubled the lead to four points, and, minutes later, Ballyhooly goalkeeper Adrian O’Sullivan did well to glove Brian Ó Raoil’s net-bound shot over the crossbar.

Ballyhooly put a rare dent in Lios Póil’s robust cover soon after as Jake Mehigan took the ball and zoomed in at goal. But while his strike from a tight angle beat the oncoming Conor Ó hAiniféin, the ball bobbled across the face of goal and beyond the far stick. Ó Raoil and Breandán Ó Deargáin both punished this letoff by pointing for Lios Póil, before the Cork side finally found some form, as two nicely judged frees by Cathal O’Keefe and a Darragh O’Reilly effort left them just five points behind at the break. But Lios Póil flattened Ballyhooley’s delicate hopes after the interval. Colm Ó Gealbháin kicked his second point of the game to steady his team, minutes before a long range Deaglán Ó Súilleabháin free kick slipped through the hands of the otherwise excellent Adrian O’Sullivan, finding the net and effectively dooming Ballyhooly. The Cork outfit – reduced to 14 men after Mickey Whelan picked up a second yellow for a high challenge on Aaron Ó Muircheartaigh – only registered one point thereafter, as Lios Póil peppered Ballyhooly and picked off regular scores. Ó Muircheartaigh, Deaglán Ó Súilleabháin, and cornerback Darren Ó Cearbhaill all contributed a point each to accompany three late Cathal Ó Súilleabháin scores, as the competition organisers dressed the Munster cup for its first stay beyond Blennerville Bridge. Lios Póil, after years of torment in the County Novice Championship, had secured a Munster title at the first time of asking. LIOS Póil: Conor Ó hAiniféin; Ronán Ó Grifín; Eamon Ó Beaglaíoch; Darren Ó Cearbhaill (0-1); Colm Ó Gealbháin (0-2); Gearóid Ó Núnáin; Damien Ó Súilleabháin; Donnacha Ó hUigín; Noel Ó hUigín; Brian Ó Raoil (0-2), Ciarán Ó Súilleabháin (0-1); Breandán Ó Deargáin (0-1); Aaron Ó Muircheartaigh (0-1); Cathal Ó Súilleabháin (0-5), Deaglán Ó Súilleabáin BALLYHOOLY: Adrian O’Driscoll; Phillip Leahy (Captain); Fergal O’Connell; Darragh O’Reilly (0-1); Eamonn O’Reill; Cathal O’Keefe (0-2); Peter Ahern; Seán Linehan (0-1); David O’Brien; Fintan Linehan; Kevin Kiely; Jake Mehigan; Shane Murphy; Denis Kiely; Mickey Whelan (sent off). Subs used: Ivan Hegarty; Rob Campbell; Brendan Kiernan; Mícheál Hanrahan REFEREE: Frank Minogue

MAINMAN Both attack and defence were crucial to Lios Póil’s victory, but wing back Colm Ó Gealbháin’s efforts – at both ends of the field – shone brightest in the Limerick drizzle. KEY MOMENT Just seven minutes into the second period, Deaglán Ó Súilleabháin’s long range free kick slipped through the hands of Ballyhooly goalkeeper Adrian O’Sullivan and into the top corner of the net. With that, any doubts about the outcome perished. TALKING POINT If Jake Mehigan’s shot from an admittedly difficult angle hadn’t skipped around the far upright, might this have been a more competitive game? While Lios Póil were always the better team, they took their time putting the cord on the bag, and a Ballyhooly goal might have changed the course of this match.