Spa take outright lead while Dingle remain pointless

THE only division with a full complement of fixtures played as despite the absence of inter-county players there were some interesting results to mull over.

Spa are the early leaders on their own after they maintained their winning start with a 2-13 to 1-12 victory away to Glenbeigh/ Glencar who had Pa Kilkenny withdrawn early through injury. An Evan Cronin goal gave Spa a lead of 1-2 to 0-1 before three Tommy Cahill points along with Gavan O’Grady as well as Daniel and Fergal Griffin efforts put the hosts in front. Two Mike O’Donoghue points and a point from Cronin had Spa back in front but the game was level at 1-5 to 0-8 at the break thanks to Glenbeigh/Glencar’s Caoilm Teahan. Teahan scored a goal soon after the restart to give them the lead as they looked to be in control but Mike Foley scored a second goal for Spa and the visitors also put over some fine long range efforts in going on to record a four point win. O’Grady tried hard to find a second goal for the Mid Kerry side but it was not to be as they remain with only one point from three games thus far.

Dingle have no points from their three games and however much this weekend’s Senior Club Final with Dr Crokes was on their minds in advance certainly the first half on home turf against the Killarney side last Saturday is one they will want to forget. Cathal Bambury scored their lone first-half point as Crokes registered 2-7 at the other end, Mark O’Shea and David Shaw the goalscorers for the visitors as the hosts redeemed themselves, if only very slightly in the second period. They outscored Crokes by 0-6 to 0-5 as Bambury finished with 0-3 and Ruadhán McCarthy 0-2 as two points from Michael Potts was one of seven different scoring contributions for the victors in an 11 point 2-12 to 0-7 win.

Dr Crokes are joined on five points in the table by Kerins O’Rahillys who renewed battle with An Ghaeltacht for the second week in succession after the Club Championship meeting the week beforehand. This time O’Rahillys were the hosts in Caherina as there was nothing to separate the two sides in the end as Strand Road came from two points down at half-time to get a draw. Seamus Ó Muircheartaigh very nearly put a parried ‘45’ into the net for the visitors in giving them a 0-4 to 0-2 lead in the eighth minute but a trio of points from Tommy Walsh and a Diarmuid O’Sullivan effort put O’Rahillys back in the lead. Sean M Ó Conchúir (two frees) along with Padraig Ó Sé and Sean Ó Gairbhí gave An Gaeltacht a lead of 0-8 to 0-6 at the break.

John Ferguson, Con Barrett and Cian Sayers put the hosts ahead by 0-12 to 0-9 after 40 minutes but Colm Ó Muircheartaigh goaled for the visitors in levelling the scores up. A further two points from Walsh along with Karl Mullins and Ferguson efforts had O’Rahillys 0-16 to 1-11 ahead near the end but Sean Ó Bambaire and Tomas Ó Sé would ensure a draw for the West Kerry side.

Down in Templenoe, the Intermediate semi-finalists hosted John Mitchels in another contest that ended in stalemate and a share of the points. Despite a Shane O’Connor goal, Pat Spillane and Stephen O’Sullivan pointed well in ensuring the Kenmare District side led by 0-8 to 1-1 at the break. Patrick Clifford put them further ahead but Mitchels were much the better team in the second period as Niall Sheehy, George Bastible and O’Connor brought them within a point as Anthony Sheehan the Templenoe goalkeeper had to make a big save from Mitchels Sean Moloney. Cian Hallissey’s point appeared to be enough for a Templenoe win but James Duggan ensured that it ended at 0-12 to 1-9 with a late free.

The other Intermediate semi-finalists St Marys came through a tight encounter with Killarney Legion on home turf after a Sean Cournane goal in the second-half was the difference at the final whistle. The game was level at 0-4 apiece at the break, Bryan Sheehan for St Marys and Jamie O’Sullivan for Legion trading three points each as Anthony Cournane and Conor Keane were the other point scorers. The decisive goal came with seven minutes left as Jack Daly, Pat Cournane and Conor O’Shea all impressed for St Marys in a 1-8 to 0-8 win.

Beaufort got a very timely run-out ahead of their own Premier Junior semi-final as well as they left a four-point lead slip at home to Rathmore for a 2-9 to 1-12 draw.

A late John Moynihan goal and a Mark Reen point earned the East Kerry side a point, which they didn’t look like getting heading into the final five minutes.

Both goals in the first period came in the final 10 minutes, George O’Keeffe striking first for Rathmore before Ciaran Kennedy set up Ronan Ferris for Beaufort’s response. A Fergal Hallissey free gave Beaufort a half-time advantage of 1-5 to 1-4 and points from Ronan Murphy and Liam Carey in the final 10 minutes appeared to be enough until the visitors late salvage mission with Reen’s equaliser a long range free in injury-time.