Desmonds and Gaels set for final

RANDLES BROS COUNTY SFC SEMI-FINALS Inbhear Sceine Gaels 4-4 Castleisland Desmonds 5-13

WHILE Castleisland Desmonds recorded a handsome victory over Inbhear Sceine Gaels in sunny Templenoe last Wednesday, the scoreline is probably a bit unfair considering the mammoth effort the Kenmare side put into the contest.

There is no doubt that the Desmonds girls were full value for the win on the night. Quite simply they had too many aces up their sleeve for ISG, and with their five Kerry senior team panellists performing at full throttle they were able to rack up the scores when needed at vital stages of the game.

The pivotal moment came in the 10th minute of the second half when the excellent Andrea Murphy struck a peach of a goal for the Castleisland side.

A minute prior to the goal ISG had brought the deficit back to a two-point margin when Emma O’Sullivan hit the back of the net, but Murphy’s goal gave Desmonds the impetus to kick on and dominate the encounter thereafter.

Playing with the wind in the first half, Desmonds took a comfortable 1-7 to 0-3 lead into the break with Leanne Mangan contributing a goal and two points to their total. Further points were added by Jane Lynch (3) and Andrea Murphy (2), with ISG replying with points from Caroline McCarthy, Michelle O’Sullivan and Emma O’Sullivan.

A feature of the first half was some excellent goalkeeping from ISG’s netminder Nora Mae O’Brien who produced two excellent point blank saves from Leanne Mangan.

ISG started the second half in determined fashion and after just two minutes struck for a goal through Michelle O’Sullivan.

Desmonds replied with a point from Emma O’Regan, but straight afterwards Emma O’Sullivan scored her goal for ISG. With the score at 1-8 to 2-3 the game was now in the melting pot but in fairness to Desmonds they kicked on and dominated for the rest of the encounter.

Desmonds struck for three goals in a five-minute period and this effectively killed off the contest with two coming from Murphy and one from Mangan. Credit to ISG who kept trying and Caroline McCarthy hit the back of the net to bring the game back to eight points.

Desmonds then hit 1-5 on the bounce, with the goal coming from Jane Lynch, with the ISG response coming from a point from a Caroline McCarthy free kick and a second goal from Michelle O’Sullivan.

Desmonds then wrapped up proceedings with a point from Aine Sheehan as the final whistle sounded, and the Castleisland girls were safely into the Randles Brothers Senior County Championship final where they will await the winners of Southern Gaels and Beaufort.

Best for ISG were Nora Mae O’Brien, Denise Hallissey, Katie Palmer, Laura O’Sullivan, Julie O’Sullivan, Caroline McCarthy, Emma O’Sullivan and Michelle O’Sullivan.

Best for Desmonds were Eilis Lynch, Aisling Leonard, Lorraine Scanlon, Andrea Murphy, Labhaoise Walmsley, Gemma Kearney, Abbie Brosnan, Kayla O’Connor and Leanne Mangan.

ISG: Nora Mae O’Brien, Sandra O’Sullivan, Geraldine Cahillane, Katie Palmer, Emma O’Regan, Denise Hallissey, Majella O’Sullivan, Laura O’Sullivan, Caroline McCarthy (1-2,1f), Julie O’Sullivan, Aisling Kellighan, Ciara O’Shea, Ellen O’Sullivan, Michelle O’Sullivan (2-1), Jane O’Sullivan, Emma O’Sullivan (1-1).

CASTLEISLAND Desmonds: Tara Murphy, Mariah Curtin, Aisling Leonard, Tina Mangan, Gemma Kearney, Eilis Lynch, Kayla O’Connor, Lorraine Scanlon (0-3, 1f), Labhaoise Walmsley, Emma O’Regan (0-1), Andrea Murphy (2-3), Jane Lynch (1-3, 0-1f), Rachael Cronin, Leanne Mangan (2-2, 0-2f), Orla White, Abbie Brosnan, Lilly Cox, Aine Sheehan (0-1), Ruth Cahill.

REFEREE: Paul O’Sullivan (Southern Gaels)

Southern Gaels 5-16 Beaufort 0-11

REIGNING Randles Bros Senior County champions Southern Gaels had little difficulty in defeating last year’s finalists Beaufort in Renard last Saturday evening.

In fairness to the mid Kerry side they were down a number of players from last year’s campaign and the loss of the transferred Bernie Breen and injured duo Patrice Dennehy and Fiadhna Tangney were just too much for their largely young and inexperienced side.

Southern Gaels were clinically efficient and scored a goal straight from the throw in through Deirdre Corridan. The ex-Kerry star was a thorn in the Beaufort side all day and her 1-9 points tally was a testament to the danger she posed all through the game.

Anna Galvin followed up with a goal a minute later and even at that early stage of the game it was obvious that Beaufort were going to struggle against a determined Southern side.

Megan O‘Connell put over four points on the bounce for Southern Gaels before Hannah O’Donoghue scored Beaufort’s first point in the 10th minute of the game to make it 2-4 to 0-1.

Corridan added four more points from frees with O’Donoghue and Amy Foley replying with points for Beaufort. Ava Murphy then scored Southern Gaels third goal in the 19th minute but credit to Beaufort who kept battling and the impressive Sarah Houlihan put over three points with Corridan replying with two of her own once more to leave the half time score Southern Gaels 3-10 Beaufort 0-6.

Whatever hope Beaufort had of making a comeback in the second half evaporated straight from the throw in when Anna Galvin scored a good goal. By the time Megan O’Connell added Southern Gaels fifth goal in the 40th minute they were already sixteen points ahead and in cruise mode.

Houlihan, O’Donoghue and Foley kept the scoreboard ticking over for Beaufort, but in reality Southern Gaels had way too much for the young mid Kerry side who, in fairness to them, have shown rapid progress since they reformed their senior club in 2016.

Southern Gaels comprehensive win sets up a final against old foes Castleisland Desmonds. On the evidence of this performance the South Kerry girls will go into the encounter as favourites.

They have the strength and experience to beat any team and Desmonds will have to be at their very best to mount a challenge and wrestle the Caroline Broderick Cup off their southern counterparts.

Scorers

SOUTHERN Gaels: Deirdre Corridan 1-9 (0-8f), Ava Murphy 2-1, Megan O’Connell 1-4, Anna Galvin 1-0, Amy Fitzgerald 0-1, Linda Cronin 0-1.

BEAUFORT: Sarah Houlihan 0-6, Hannah O’Donoghue 0-2, Amy Foley 0-3.