Relegated Stacks rocked by Kilcummin

NO shortage of eye-catching results in round one as there were no draws, with Kilcummin’s eight point win over Austin Stacks maybe the most surprising. Both sides suffered relegation of different forms last year, Stacks from the League, Kilcummin from the Championship but it was the latter who got an early bounce last Sunday. The East Kerry side were level with their Tralee opponents after 10 minutes at 0-3 apiece as they overcame a missed penalty from Kieran Murphy to covert a second one through a returning Gary O’Leary as they led by 1-9 to 0-4 at half-time, David Mannix getting Stacks only score up to the break following the first 10 minutes. The Rockies never made sufficient use of the breeze in the second period as Kilcummin went on to win by 1-16 to 0-11 in a game where both Sean and Gary O’Leary along with Sean Brosnan and Padraig Nagle impressed for the hosts as Greg Horan, Dara O’Brien and Michael O’Donnell’s efforts were not enough for the Stacks in their first League match since relegation.

The other two relegated sides from the top flight both won as Castleisland Desmonds got the better of Glenflesk while Milltown/Castlemaine were victorious over another East Kerry side in Currow. Both games finished 0-13 to 1-8 to the victors to boot as Desmonds led 0-6 to 0-1 early on at home to Glenflesk before a strong finish to the half saw the visitors level it 1-3 to 0-6 at the break. The game was similarly tight throughout the second period and also level again until

both Pat Fitzgerald and Thomas Hickey raced through for the winning points for the hosts.

In Milltown/Castlemaine’s case they had to overcome a 0-6 to 0-5 deficit at half-time along with the dismissal of Cathal Moriarty in the first period in getting the better of Currow. Four unanswered points after the restart turned the match in the Mid Kerry side’s favour with Gavin Horan impressing. A Mike McCarthy goal brought Currow back into contention and a disallowed goal came against the visitors as well, as they also finished the match with 14 men.

Goals were crucial also to the meeting of Ballymacelligott and Kenmare Shamrocks as the visitors to Ballymac shaded a tight contest by 2-7 to 0-12. James Duncan’s goal gave Kenmare a lead of 1-4 to 0-3 at half-time as despite three points each for Vinny Horan and Aiden Breen in the second period for the hosts 1-1 from Paul O’Connor and two Kevin O’Sullivan points were enough for the visitors to hold off a late charge from the hosts in trying to salvage matters.

Like his previous side Kilcummin, a returning Pat O’Driscoll saw his native Ardfert lead their opponents Listowel Emmets by 1-9 to 0-4 at half-time and it was also eight points of a winning margin in the end. A run of 1-4 without reply in that period was the key to their interval led with Paudie Carroll and Damien Wallace leading the way for the St Brendans side. The lead went up to nine points after the restart before a Jack Wall goal gave Emmets hope of a comeback. They brought the lead down to three through both David Keane and Noel Kennelly but a combination of Wallace, John Egan and Bobby O’Regan directed Ardfert back towards an eventual 1-17 to 1-9 win.

The other game played was a pretty tight one between two promoted sides in Na Gaeil and Dromid Pearses as the Tralee side just got the better of the Premier Junior Champions by 1-16 to 1-15. That will stand them in good stead ahead of a St Brendans derby with Ardfert in two weeks time as Dromid will want to bounce back against Desmonds on home turf.

Stacks host Kenmare Shamrocks in a battle of two Senior Championship sides while Glenflesk host Kilcummin in an East Kerry derby. Both Currow and Listowel Emmets will be looking for their first points when they meet each other in a clash of ‘Black & Amber’ colours while Ballymac are at home again, this time to Milltown/Castlemaine.