Warren winner keeps Gneeveguilla top of Division Four after win over Fossa

DIVISION FOUR

THE meeting of East Kerry sides Fossa and Gneeveguilla promised much in advance and it certainly didn’t disappoint in terms of excitement as Pa Warren not only kept Gneeveguilla’s unbeaten start going but also kept them top of the table with the winning point in a 3-10 to 2-12 affair. Warren had set up Conlan O’Leary for Gneeveguilla’s first goal in a positive start but Fossa were right back in it when Fintan Coffey was the provider to Chris Myers for their opening goal. A sweeping team move would give Gneeveguilla their second goal through Sean O’Keeffe however as they led by 2-4 to 1-5 at the break.

The game was end-to-end in the second period, Ciaran O’Connor scored a third Gneeveguilla goal to keep them in front but a seventh point for Tadgh O’Shea and a Paudie Clifford effort had Fossa within two points at 3-8 to 1-12. Clifford scored a second goal that appeared to give Fossa a major home success until Gneeveguilla equalised and Warren came up with the winning in a crazy finish to proceedings. Nine points puts Gneeveguilla one ahead of both Firies and Tarbert after the weekend’s matches. The East Kerry side were 19 point victors in another district derby against Cordal by 4-18 to 1-8 as three of their goals came in the first period in going ahead by 3-9 to 0-5 at the break.

The two most geographically furthest matches in the division were won by the two North Kerry sides meanwhile as Tarbert firstly got the better of Renard. A brace each for Ger O’Sullivan and Mark Buckley along with a Cillian Lanigan free had Tarbert 0-5 to 0-0 up after the first 10 minutes before they looked comfortable at the break in leading by 0-11 to 0-3. It looked even more so when O’Sullivan scored a goal for Tarbert that had them 11 points in front but Renard seemed to throw caution to the win from here in 1-2 from Darragh Fitzgerald bringing them back into the game. Incredibly it was down to a single point entering the three-quarter mark thanks to Brian and Mark Sugrue in the main for Renard before Micheal Heaphy scored a great point late on to settle Tarbert’s nerves and ensure a 1-16 to 1-13 win.

Ballylongford got a much sought after first win of their campaign

against Skellig Rangers in coming good in the second-half to complete a nine point turnaround from a six point deficit at the break. The visitors had led by 0-11 to 0-5 at the break despite Ballylongford making a decent start but it was a Jack Mulvihill goal in the second period and two quick points from Seanie Kennelly that had the hosts in front for the first time. Diarmuid and Ciaran Keating scored Skellig’s three points in the second period but Matt O’Connor scored the final point of a big 2-11 to 0-14 win for Ballylongford, one that lifts them off the bottom of the table for now.

It is Cromane who are now bottom after going down to St Michaels/Foilmore by 2-13 to 2-9 in a game the South Kerry side hosted. A Matthew O’Sullivan penalty was one of two first-half goals for the victors cancelling out a Darren Houlihan goal for Cromane in the visitors trailing by 2-5 to 1-7 at half-time. The hosts went ahead by six points in the second period and that was enough to hold on for a four point win that puts them fourth in the table on seven points. Beale put pay to Castlegregory’s hopes of joining the tie for second meanwhile with a 0-13 to 0-12 win in Ballybunion that lifted them out of the relegation places at the same time.

Darragh Buckley was scorerin-chief for the victors as despite James McMahon going off injured they regrouped to lead by 0-9 to 0-3 with Philly Blake their main inspiration. Anton Kelliher, Jimmy O’Grady. Colm O’Mahony, Joe O’Connor and Tadhg Kerin led a big Castle fightback in the second period however as Alan Fitzgerald scored a point to leave only one score between the sides but ultimately Castle ran out of time in looking for an equaliser as they now face a big game with Firies in Round 6 in terms of the promotion battle. Gneeveguilla vs. Tarbert will be just as interesting to watch as St Michaels/Foilmore will hope they can move up the table another bit depending on the results in the aforementioned fixtures with fellow South Kerry side Renard their opponents in two weeks.

Cromane are the only side in the table without a win and they will definitely want something from the visit of Beale to Mid Kerry as Fossa host Ballylongford and Skellig Rangers travel up to Cordal in the other two fixtures in the next round.