The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
All to play for on the final day of Division 4
DIVISION FOUR
STILL no team promoted ahead of the last day, but play-offs look likely for both the title and the third promotion spot as the only thing that became apparent was the end of Castlegregory’s promotion hopes.
They suffered a bad blow with defeat to Keel in a back game at the end of July, but they were officially ended with a two point defeat to Lispole in a West Kerry derby at the weekend.
Lispole opened with the first four points of the game on home turf but an Adam O’Donnell goal had Castle right in contention as the half-time score was 0-9 to 1-5 in Lispole’s favour.
Declan O’Sullivan got Lispole’s first point of the second-half as they added a further two to go four ahead once more. Jimmy O’Grady scored a second goal for Castle in keeping the game in the balance, but Tom Kavanagh pointed Lispole to a 0-15 to 2-7 success as they will go up with a victory away to Scartaglin on the final day but they look like needing a play-off with Keel to decide who will do so as division winners.
Keel moved into prime position themselves ahead of their closing game with Firies by winning another crunch promotion encounter at home to Skellig Rangers. The former Munster Junior Club Championship winning sides had a dour affair on the scoreboard, Keel just edging it by 0-7 to 0-6.
The hosts led by 0-5 to 0-4 at halftime, Dylan Prendergast and Aaron Murphy giving them the advantage after Diarmuid Keating had opened the game’s scoring for the Portmagee side.
Both Murphy and David McAssey scored Keel’s only second-half points as Keating scored again for Skellig, but they lost out by a point meaning a playoff with Dr Crokes B looks likely for the third spot as both are tied on 16 points. That depends of course on both sides not slipping up on the last day either away to Castlegregory for the Killarney or at home to Tarbert for the South Kerry side.
Crokes were convincing 19 point winners over Duagh on home turf by 4-12 to 1-2 with the North Kerry side needing to beat Renard on the final day and hope that Sneem / Derrynane take something off Beale to have any chance of avoiding the drop on the last day.
That looks harder though after Beale getting the better of Firies by 10 points, 2-18 to 2-8, as Renard made sure of their status with a win over Sneem / Derrynane in a South Kerry derby that sent the latter straight back down to Division 5.
The visitors had led Renard by 1-4 to 0-5 at half-time, Mike O’Connor getting his foot to a Ronan Hussey free that ended up in the Renard net. The second-half swung back and forth both ways but an Eoin O’Neill goal secured a 1-10 to 1-7 win for Renard after Darragh Fitzgerald and Mark Sugrue scored late points for the victors.
Renard stay in Division 4 for a third year as a result of this win as Tarbert’s status was secured with a walkover from already relegated Scartaglin.
Beale play Sneem / Derrynane on the last day with the odds of staying up arguably stacked in their favour.