The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Dromid Pearses stay top but St Michaels/Foilmore rooted to bottom
DIVISION THREE
A GOOD weekend for Dromid Pearses and Na Gaeil as they consolidated the top two promotion spots but Ballymacelligott, Brosna and Finuge were the ones to lose ground over the weekend.
Dromid effectively ended any hopes Ballydonoghue might have of promotion with a 1-9 to 0-10 win at the North Kerry venue. Thomas Curran, Chris and Kealan Farley helped them to a 1-7 to 0-3 lead at the break, with Curran scoring a very scrappy goal at Jason Foley’s expense. The second half was a totally different game as Martin O’Mahony and Eamon Walsh started to dominate the midfield exchanges. Ballydonoghue had three goal chances, two coming off the post with Brian O’Leary saving well in stopping Padraig Lyons with the third effort as Dromid went top with this two point win.
Na Gaeil kept St Michaels/ Foilmore firmly rooted to the bottom of the table as an early 0-4 to 0-2 lead became a 0-10 to 0-5 lead at the break. Jamie Lowham scored a great goal early in the second period to make it an unassailable lead for the Tralee side as they ran out 1-16 to 0-7 winners. Goalkeeper Timmy Culloty, Jamie Lowham, Andrew Barry, Dan O’Connor and Darragh Carmody impressed in their win as Bernard Kelly did his best in defeat for the visitors.
Nothing less than wins in their last four games will keep them up at this stage you sense but Ballymacelligott is a tough place to start especially with them smarting from the concession of three
second-half goals in a defeat to Laune Rangers. Aiden Breen and Vinny Horan helped the hosts to a 0-7 to 0-5 lead at the break as Conor Clarke scored the Killorglin side’s first goal from a rebounded effort and their second followed two minutes later. Ballymac tried hard to salvage matters but a third goal for the visitors ensured a 3-9 to 0-12 victory.
The Brosna and Finuge results lessened the impact of the defeat for Ballymac however as their fellow St Kierans side lost out to Gneeveguilla while Finuge ended up drawing with Fossa. Brosna were level with Gneeveguilla at half-time but eventually lost out by 0-11 to 0-9, DJ O’Connor and Con Buckley amongst the East Kerry sides scorers in a win that pulled them out of the relegation zone for the time being. Finuge meanwhile were left to rue a poor first-half display away to Fossa as they took 18 minutes to score at the East Kerry venue.
Tadgh O’Shea scored some early points for the hosts before Shane Conway finally registered a score for the visitors in trailing by 0-8 to 0-2. There was drama in the second half as both sides missed penalties, Fossa goalkeeper Colin Myers saving Finuge’s effort with 10 minutes left as the hosts missed at the other end.
Ultimately Finuge were given a chance for an equaliser, that coming right at the end as Conor O’Keeffe ensured an 11 points apiece draw between the sides.
Fossa remain without a win in registering their second draw and really need a win from their manager John Evans’ trip home in the next round to take on his native Laune Rangers. Finuge travel to Ballydonoghue needing a win to get back on track for the promotion battle meanwhile. Ballydonoghue will play Annascaul beforehand however with their scheduled game against St Senans put back to the County Hurling Championship last weekend.
Brosna versus Dromid Pearses is a big game in the promotion battle in a fortnight while Na Gaeil will hope to continue their own push onto another promotion when they head to East Kerry to take on Gneeveguilla.