Scartaglin make it three wins from three in Five

GROUP A saw Premier Junior semi-finalists Churchill warm-up well for their meeting with Beaufort this weekend with a comprehensive 18-point win over Kilgarvan in a round of fixtures in general that saw plenty of double digit wins in both groups.

Cillian Fitzgerald scored the first of two first-half goals for the St Brendans side on home turf as the hero for last year’s dramatic win over Listry, Liam O’Donnell, found the net again to give Churchill a lead of 2-11 to 0-4 at half-time. Ger McCarthy also made a timely return from injury for the hosts in scoring three points.

Donal O’Sullivan scored Kilgarvan’s two second-half points to finish with a personal total of four as Eoghan O’Brien pulled off a fine save to stop Christopher Creedon scoring a late consolation goal for the Kenmare District side in a 2-18 to 0-6 defeat.

Scartaglin continued their strong start to the campaign, meanwhile, with a 4-12 to 0-4 win over fellow St Kierans side Knocknagoshel in a game played at the Castleisland Desmonds pitch. Shay Walsh, Brian Hanrahan and Sean O’Connor were amongst their goalscorers as both Churchill and themselves are the only teams left with 100% starts in Group A from the opening rounds.

Valentia also scored four goals in their defeat of Kerins O’Rahillys B, but they had to overcome a poor start to take the lead at half-time. A Johnny Keane goal gave the Tralee side an early 1-4 to 0-2 lead before Paul O’Sullivan and John Shanahan goals were the centrepiece of Valentia taking control of matters. Keane managed a second goal for the visitors before half-time, but they still went in trailing by 2-7 to 2-4.

O’Rahillys managed a third through Donagh O’Brien in the second period, but the rest of proceedings belonged to the Young Islanders as Andy Quigley and Brian Falvey added further goals in a 4-20 to 3-7 victory for the South Kerry side in Brendan O’Sullivan’s absence.

The closest game in this section was the meeting of Asdee and Austin Stacks B. After a rather sluggish start for Asdee in the opening half they trailed at the interval by 0-5 to 0-2.

In the second half they upped their performance considerably in a rather one sided second-half and goals from Cyril Dineen and Noel Long finished the game as a contest. Stacks did a get a late goal but it was too little too late as Asdee finished 2-8 to 1-7 victors.

Group B saw Duagh and Sneem/ Derrynane join Moyvane on 100% starts as Duagh had a double score win away to Tuosist.

They registered thirteen points in the opening half as Liam O’Sullivan’s goal kept the hosts in sight at the break trailing by 0-13 to 1-4. Ger McCarthy impressed for Duagh in the second period as goals from Michael Kirby and Michael Scanlon completed a 2-16 to 1-8 win.

Sneem / Derrynane got a much needed boost after a difficult Club Championship campaign meanwhile as they did enough to defeat Rathmore B by 2-11 to 1-11. Denis O’Sullivan’s goal gave them the iniative early in the first period but it three Shane McGuillicuddy points and a brace from Morgan O’Donoghue had them leading by 1-8 to 0-3 at half-time.

O’Donoghue scored a second after Rathmore had the first four points of the second period to make it 2-8 to 0-7 before points from Shane Reen, Donal Moynihan and Tommy Sheehan brought the East Kerry side back within four.

A brace from Ian Galvin and a point from the first goalscorer O’Sullivan were the insurance scores however as a late Reen point and a consolation goal finished the scoring for the visitors.