Na Gaeil make statement of intent from as Finuge beat a fancied Ballymacelligott

Na Gaeil 2-19 Listowel Emmets 1-7

IF there was a sense that greater familiarity with Mountcoat might give Listowel Emmets a little bit of an advantage here, such sentiments were soon blown out of the water.

Sure the Emmets started well enough – Cormac Mulvihill opening the scoring from wing-forward – but Na Gaeil’s response was pretty emphatic, 1-1 over the next couple of minutes.

The goal from last year’s Kerry minor star Diarmuid O’Connor and a point from Darragh Carmody. Conor Cox fired over for Listowel on eight minutes, but then Na Gaeil took a stranglehold on the game. Jack Barry fetched superbly at midfield, raced through the opposition’s defence and crashed the ball to the back of the net. Jamie Lowham pointed for Na Gaeil.

Emmets did get a goal back through Conor Cox – a speculative lob from 40 metres which deceived the Na Gaeil keeper – to bring them back into contention by half-time – 2-7 to 1-5 – but Na Gaeil were in ruthless form.

They restricted the Listowel men to just two points in the second half and pushed on with an impressive twelve of their own in the second half.

The pre-championship favourites certainly lived up to their billing with this dominant display.

Finuge 1-7 Ballymac 0-8

UNDERESTIMATE Finuge’s championship pedigree at your peril. They always put in a shift and on Sunday against Ballymac in John Mitchels Ground in Ballyseedy, the North Kerry men dug deep to see off favourites Ballymacelligott.

Finuge started like a runaway train, hitting three points inside the opening six minutes. Ballymac were working hard, but scores didn’t arrive with the regularity they would have wished.

A free kick awarded to Ballymac did see Aiden Breen get his side on the score board and another outstanding point from Vinnie Horan got them back into the reckoning by the midway point of the opening half.

Finuge, however, never gave up and following three more points and a well-taken Jason Wallace goal they went into half-time in firm control, despite Ballymac’s Aiden Breen giving his side two more points just before the break. Half-time score 0-4 to Finuge’s 1-6.

After the break Finuge were awarded a free and scored what was to be their last point of the game as Ballymac kept them firmly away from the danger zone and pulled four more points out of the hat. However, the hard work just wasn’t enough when the ref blew the whistle at the final minute and Finuge took home the win.