The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Gneeveguilla on the cusp of promotion
DIVISION FOUR
VERY close to the first promotion now with three rounds to go as Gneeveguilla kept their unbeaten record going thanks to a 3-15 to 0-13 win over Beale that means victory in Round Nine would almost certainly send them straight back to Division 3 for 2019.
All three of the East Kerry side’s goals came in the first period as they had a half-time lead of 3-9 to 0-7 and never looked in danger of falling to a second-half turnaround.
What it means is that a win away to second placed Firies in their next match assures them of promotion while a draw might be enough should Tarbert lose away to St Michaels / Foilmore.
Firies themselves were outscored by their opponents down south in Renard, but found the back of the net four times to defeat their opponents by 4-11 to 1-16 to stay second in the table.
Con O’Mahony scored Firies first goal and even though they found themselves trailing after a run of Renard points including three Darragh Fitzgerald efforts. Patrick McGill also saved from Jack Sherwood, but Niall Donohoe did score a second goal for the visitors to allow them to lead by 2-6 to 0-9 at the break.
Goals from Jake Flynn and Pádraig de Brún along with points from O’Sullivan seemed to have Firies in control at 4-10 to 0-12, but a Brian Sugrue goal and points from Kevin Kelly and Fitzgerald kept the game in the balance until the final whistle.
Fossa remain primed to take advantage of the scoreline in the meeting of their fellow East Kerry sides next time as they kept hold of third place in the table with a repeat of their Premier Junior Club Championship victory over St Michaels / Foilmore from earlier in the year.
Goals from Paudie Clifford and Tadhg O’Shea had them 2-7 to 1-6 ahead at the break as Donald O’Sullivan, Lorcan Daly and Michael O’Keeffe had them in control despite St Michaels / Foilmore finding the next twice in the second period.
The second (and the third in total for them) was in injury time however as it put a better gloss on a final scoreline of 2-17 to 3-11 in Fossa’s favour.
Cordal became the fourth East Kerry side at the weekend to score three or more goals as they were the decisive factor in a win over Castlegregory that pushed them up to fifth in the table on nine points and clear of the relegation battle.
Eamon Nolan and Brian Reidy scored two in the first period to give them a lead of four over the home side that Alan Fitzgerald had to whittle down for Castle. Reidy’s second goal after half-time was crucial however in allowing Cordal pick off points that gave them a 3-8 to 0-14 win.
Skellig Rangers moved out of the relegation battle, meanwhile, a three point victory away to Cromane as they found the net four times themselves in keeping the Mid Kerry side rooted to the foot of the table.
Seán O’Sullivan had scored a goal to give Cromane a lead of 1-5 to 1-1 during the first period, but Skellig found the net again to draw level at the break, 2-4 to 1-7. The South Kerry side managed two goals in quick succession after the restart to take control of the game as they went on to win by 4-7 to 1-13 as anything bar a win away to Cordal in their next match and Cromane are relegated straight back down to Division 5.
Ballylongford find themselves in the same perilous situation as they went down by double scores to Tarbert in a North Kerry derby at Shannon Park. Two Jason Deegan points were their only firsthalf scores as four Gavin Breen frees had Tarbert leading by 0-10 to 0-2 at the break.
Andrew Doherty and the impressive Shea McDonnell added second-half goals for the victors in a 2-16 to 0-11 win that ensures Tarbert stay in with a chance of promotion.
If Ballylongford lose to Castlegregory in their next match they need Beale to lose to Fossa to have any hope of taking their chances at staying up to the final two rounds.