Ballylongford are promoted with Cordal still unbeaten

DIVISION FIVE

IT has looked obvious for a while but it became official on Sunday as Ballylongford’s win over Ballyduff and Moyvane’s loss to Cordal has sent Ballylongford back to Division Four. They return there for the first time since 2014 as on 20 points they cannot now finish outside the Top Three.

Despite hitting 10 first half wides and going in level at 0-3 apiece, Ballylongford were much better in the second period after Ciaran O’Connor converted an early penalty to give them control. Padraig Hussey hit the crossbar for Ballyduff in search of a goal for the visitors but Sean Carmody and Jeremiah Tydings combined to set up O’Connor for his second goal in the 47th minute as Matt O’Connor impressed in Ballylongford’s 2-8 to 0-7 win.

The Divison title looks to be in Cordal’s favour however as they overcame a tough encounter away to Moyvane by 0-18 to 0-13. The visitors shaded a tight first-half by 0-9 to 0-8 as Moyvane goalkeeper Brendan Gavin needed to make a big save to keep his side in it during the first period. Phillip O’Connor scored five points for the visitors fresh from his exploits with the Kerry Juniors in Limerick the day before, and although Martin Stack matched him with five of his own, six points from Brian Reidy were a crucial factor in Cordal’s five point win. A draw will be enough to promote them in their next game with Kilgarvan but you sense with their 100% record still intact they will want to aim for a tenth straight win.

The real race appears to be for the third promotion spot and Cromane look like being the ones that are in control of that particular situation after getting the better of Austin Stacks B by 1-22 to 2-10 in Connolly Park.

The hosts did get the first goal of the game through Danny Carroll but a run of eight unanswered points from Cromane which Paul Patrick O’Sullivan and Darren Houlihan were both prominent in saw the Mid Kerry side lead by 0-13 to 1-4 at halftime. Carroll set up Darren Bastible for Stacks’ second goal after the break but that was as good as it got for them as Lee Casey netted Cromane’s goal on an evening that saw all but one of their 23 scores come from play, that being a Houlihan ‘45’. The next two games are crucial for them, they face Rathmore B at home before a back game with Cordal, which if they emerged intact from should give them a great chance of the last spot.

Rathmore didn’t play having received a walkover from Valentia but Churchill kept their own chances of finishing third going after a tough encounter in Asdee.

They made a terrible start taking 20 minutes to score but JJ Prior hit a big point to get them going as they went in level at four points apiece. Sean Dillon set up Michael O’Brien for a goal that had the St Brendans side four ahead after the restart and looked like getting more when Asdee goalkeeper James Kelly had to make a big save to stop Thomas Linnane getting another for the visitors.

The game turned on its head when Keith McNamara and Eoin Kennedy scored goals that had Asdee level at 2-7 to 1-10. Two ‘45’s from Eoghan O’Brien and points from Ivan Parker and Cathal Rodgers pushed the visitors over the line however in a 1-14 to 2-7 win. Churchill have one more game at home to Knocknagoshel which even if they win will still mean they need results elsewhere to go their way to go up.

The other game saw a win for Kilgarvan in a derby with Tuosist as after leading by 0-10 to 0-7 at half-time Kilgarvan took control when a Flor O’Donoghue save at one end resulted in a goal for Michael Godfrey at the other. Godfrey added a second goal for the winners as Mike Tim O’Sullivan scored a consolation goal for Tuosist in a 2-14 to 1-11 defeat.