Ryan can overshadow O’Donoghue in derby

COUNTY SFC ROUND 1 Rathmore v Killarney Legion Saturday, August 25 Rathbeg at 6pm Referee: Brendan Griffin

A GOOD old-fashioned East Kerry derby promises to throw up a great contest between two clubs separated by just one point in the final Division One standings of the County League, and who contested last year’s East Kerry SFC Final. Rathmore won on that occasion and they did likewise when the teams met in this year’s Senior Club Championship back in early April with a seven-point win.

Matters were somewhat closer when they met in their county league fixture at the end of June with Rathmore winning by 3-12 to 1-17. That more recent meeting was in Rathbeg and home advantage has to tip this game in Rathmore’s favour for Saturday.

Rathmore will lean heavily on the services of Paul Murphy and Shane Ryan, with the latter a player that the next Kerry manager would do worse than to have a close look at. The goalkeeper turner inside forward has all the skills necessary for the step-up to inter-county football and could, with a the right guidance and luck, usurp James O’Donoghue in a Kerry full forward line.

After a disappointing (and injury hit) season with Kerry O’Donoghue will be keen to end the year with a good run with Legion, and the Killarney club has a very fine team that will want to get back somewhere at least to their 2015 form that took them to the County SFC Final.

Two really good teams should produce an open, attacking game of football with little between them.

Verdict: Rathmore