The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Glenflesk just dig it out
COUNTY IFC GROUP 4, ROUND 3 Glenflesk 1-8 John Mitchels 0-10
A FINAL flourish yielded a last gasp win for Glenflesk on their home pitch last Sunday, and in the process qualified them for the last four in the competition.
Reduced to thirteen players with six minutes of normal time remaining, and being one-point adrift at that juncture, it looked to be a bridge too far for Glenflesk despite having the advantage of a very strong breeze.
However, they dug out a result, which was due in many respects to the input of half time substitute Jeff O’Donoghue. When leadership was required he steered the ship home with a few composed and influential plays.
With the aid of the elements, which were considerable, Mitchels found it difficult to get to grips with the situation at the outset, even if, Mikey Kelliher pointed them into the lead after four minutes.
A goal two minutes later, drilled low to the net by the Glenflesk captain Brian O’Donoghue, just after Dara Roche had levelled matters afforded the home side a decisive 1-1 to 0-1 lead, given that the onus was on Mitchels to accumulate a sizeable half time lead.
Glenflesk who were dictating the trend of proceedings consolidated their advantage by the end of the opening quarter, but two fine scores from George Bastible and Niall Sheehy kept the Tralee side’s challenge afloat, and Alan O’Donoghue could well have levelled matters with a goal chance four minutes from the half-time break.
A brace of pointed frees from Mikey Kelliher brought them to within a point, 1-3 to 0-5, at halftime, but it was advantage Glenflesk in many respects at this juncture.
Dara Roche doubled their advantage within three minutes of the restart, but Mitchels responded with heart warming intensity, and with Alan O’Donoghue opening up the Glenflesk defence with some penetrating runs they were level, 1-4 to 0-7, by the 35th minute.
Dominant in midfield with Michael Wrenn emerging as an influential figure, the visitors poured forward in waves of attacks and went in front with a tremendous individual score from Shane O’Connor into the teeth of the breeze.
Glenflesk were by this stage pretty indifferent and, at times, indisciplined being somewhat laboured in their approach, even if Jeff O’Donoghue with a beauty from distance, followed by another from Seán Doherty pushed them 1-6 to 0-8 in front by the end of the third quarter.
A Seán Moloney point levelled matters in the forty sixth minute, but with Dara Roche being dismissed, having been shown a straight red card, along with Kieran A O’Donoghue with black and yellow cards adding up to a red, Mitchels went back in front after Mikey Kelliher had converted his fourth pointed free.
They looked to be suitably equipped to close the game out at this particular juncture and indeed, a draw would have ensured qualification for them. A pointed free from Jeff O’Donoghue meant that the encounter was deadlocked again as the clock ticked into added time.
Delicately poised, Jeff O’Donoghue created the opening for Brian O’Donoghue to shoot what proved to be the winning score with an excellently angled finish from a difficult position in the thirty second minute.
Mitchels who looked for long periods in the second half as if they were the most likely to succeed were unable to salvage the situation in the remaining time thereby resulting in a pretty hard earned if at times somewhat inconsistent performance from the East Kerry side ultimately proving to be sufficient.
Certainly, some improvement is required if they are to make any further impact or progress in the competition.
GLENFLESK: Kenny Cronin, Gary O’Donoghue, Shane Courtney, James Mc Carrick, Kieran A O’Donoghue, Chris O’Donoghue, Cian Horan, Kieran Murphy, Padraig Healy, Alan Murphy, Brian O’Donoghue (1-1), Michael O’Shea, Patrick D’Arcy, Darragh Roche (0-4, 3f), Ian Roche Subs: Sean Doherty (0-1) for P D’Arcy, Jeff O’Donoghue (0-2, 1f) for A Murphy, Gearoid O’Leary for P Healy, Danny Lucey for I Roche
JOHN Mitchels: Peter Nammock, Michael Walsh, Jonathan O’Halloran, Patrick Kearney, Sean Moloney (0-1), Stephen O’Mahony, Thomas Kearns, Michael Wrenn, Shane O’Connor (0-1), James Duggan, Niall Sheehy (0-1), George Bastible (0-2), Alan O’Donoghue, Wayne Duggan, Mikey Kelliher (0-5, 4f) Subs: Laurence Bastible for W Duggan, Padraig White for T Kearns
REFEREE: Brendan Griffin (Clounmacon)