Goal blitz helps Mid Kerry U-16s win Plate final

COUNTY U-16 FOOTBALL PLATE FINAL Mid Kerry 5-13 Kenmare District 0-14

CIAN O’Connor opened proceedings with a free after the influential Dan McCarthy was fouled, but Mid Kerry quickly began to dominate.

Outstanding midfielder Sean Hogan banged over a great point before Killian Murphy struck for the game’s first goal. Two minutes later, he repeated the trick after being picked out by Roan Moriarty. Dylan O’Neill and Shane Doona added points to make it 2-3 to 0-1.

Cian O’Connor doubled Kenmare’s tally with a free and both Tom Murnane and Colin Crowley (supplied by a great steal by Cian Hanley) drew great saves out of Mid Kerry keeper Cian Knight.

Roan Moriarty pointed but an incredible run by James McCarthy saw Cian O’Connor score his third point. Disaster struck on the twenty minute mark for Kenmare when Shane Doona neatly finished a third Mid Kerry goal.

Jack O’Connor added a brace and Roan Moriarty hit the net again before Colin Crowley became the second Kenmare player on the scoresheet. The half-time score was Mid Kerry 4-7 Kenmare District 0-4.

Colin Crowley neatly drilled over a free to start the second half but points from Shane Doona (2, 1f) and Sean Hogan made it 4-10 to 0-5. It looked as if the cake was already iced, but Kenmare had other ideas and went to work with a will. Dan McCarthy was superb in the engine room and a foul on him saw the accurate O’Connor pull one back.

Colin Crowley converted a couple of frees and Cian O’Connor made it 4-10 to 0-11 with Kenmare’s sixth point on the trot before Shane Doona (f) and Killian Murphy interrupted the flow.

Cian O’Connor (2) and Colin Crowley tried hard to cut the gap but Mid Kerry closed out the game with a Killian Murphy point and a cracking goal from the Jack O’Connor. MID KERRY: Cian Knight, Liam Roche, David Leane, Gabriel Griffin, Gary Murphy, Keith Suiter, James Hurley, Kieran O’Sullivan, Sean Hogan (0-2), Jack O’Connor (12), Killian Murphy (2-3) Dylan O’Neill (0-1), Rian Donovan, Roan Moriarty (1-2) Shane Doona 1-4 (2f), Sean Langford, John Dennehy, Sean O’Brien, Eoin Clifford, Liam Clifford, David Mangan, Dara Dennehy, Darragh O’Dowd, Ronan O’Shea, Cian Lenihan, Martin Foley, Jack Sullivan, Ethan Coffey, Conor Burke, Tommy Quirke.

KENMARE DISTRICT: Dylan Cusack, Sean Lucey, James McCarthy (Capt), Kieran Harrington, Cian O’Sullivan, Gary Randles, Tommy Cronin, Dan McCarthy, Jack Foley, Kane Reidy, Cian Hanley (0-1) Tom Murnane, Cian O’Connor (0-7, 3f), Colin Crowley (0-6, 5f), Ronan Foley, Daniel Crowley, Jason O’Shea, David Ciuciu, Dion Murphy, Paraig Cronin, Darragh O’Brien, Michael O’Sullivan, Gearóid Doyle, Mark Looney, Evan O’Callaghan, Mark Torpey, Mark Casey, Corey Murphy.

REFEREE: James O’Sullivan (Firies)

Kenmare District team that lost the County U-16 Football Championship Plate Final to Mid Kerry