Senans emerge as contenders

COUNTY PJFC GROUP 4 ROUND 2 Fossa 2-6 St Senans 3-17

NORTH Kerry champions have had a habit of flattering to deceive a little bit in county competition over the past decade or so.

Neither Listowel Emmets nor Ballydonoghue pushed on after landmark victories. St Senans were every bit as impressive last December in taking the crown for the first time, but promising and all as it seemed one did tend to wonder whether we’d see any of that kind of quality in the month of April.

This St Senans team, though, are a different kettle of fish. They played with all the brio and quality and swashbuckling spirit that saw them surge to victory over Ballydonoghue in their defeat of Fossa on Sunday afternoon.

Here was a North Kerry champion fronting up in a major way. A declaration almost of their arrival as contenders for this title and most importantly they did it with style, defying persistent stereotypes about the type of football played in the north of the county. Senans are – as young lads are wont to say – ballers.

The margin of their victory over a Fossa side who reached the semi-finals last year speaks to their quality. Of course, Fossa are down a number of important players at the moment – most notably Paudie Clifford, who had been in sensational form before his injury – but that shouldn’t detract from what Senans did here.

In pretty much all aspects of the game they were the superior force. They defended better – any day you hold David Clifford to just two points from play is a good day – they had the upper hand out around the middle – Damien Somers continuing his North Kerry championship form – and up front they shot the lights.

The first half followed the type of pattern we thought it might with St Senans on top, but with Fossa dangerous enough to cause them problems and, at times, frighten the life out of them. That’s the value of having David Clifford in your side.

Even as they were opening out a five point lead early in the game – 0-2 to 1-4, the impressive Conor Kennelly with the goal – with Clifford lurking Senans could never feel quite comfortable and rightly so as he earned a penalty for his side on fourteen minutes, following a foul by Bill Keane.

Tadgh O’Shea – promising throughout – converted and Senans had to rethink their strategy for dealing with the boy wonder. Seán T Dillon marked him man-on-man early on before Senans boss Mark Bourke switched Kerry Under 20 prospect Barry Mahony onto him.

Mahony initially found Clifford a real handful – he misjudged a ball in towards Clifford in the lead up to the penalty – but once Senans brought Seán Weir into the fold as a sweeper Clifford’s influence was much curbed.

Senans reassumed control over the game and in the lead up to half time and shot 1-5 without reply – Seán O’Connell with the goal – to take an eight point lead in at the break – 1-5 2-10. Clifford though remained dangerous, just before half-time he got in behind the cover with a brilliant jink, but blasted wide when a goal was there for the taking.

Had that gone in it might well have been a different game. Probably not though as even a screamer of goal from Lorcan Daly just after the half-time break could reanimate Fossa’s challenge or knock Senans off their stride.

Fossa managed just one more score over the remaining twenty nine minutes of play as Senans drove on quite relentlessly – Seán O’Connell scored their third goal late on – for a statement victory.

FOSSA: Daniel Cronin, Anthony O’Keeffe, Kevin O’Sullivan, Kevin McCarthy, Mark Donnellan, Mark Dennehy, Derry O’Sullivan, Matt Rennie, Paddy Sheehan, Mikey O’Shea, Tadhg O’Shea (1-1, 1f, 1-0 pen), Killian Buckley, Brian Myers, David Clifford (0-5, 3f), Lorcan Daly (1-0) Subs: Gary Cronin for D O’Sullivan, 15, Paudie Devane for M O’Shea (inj), half-time, Anthony Wharton for K Buckley, half-time, Damien Dennehy for K McCarthy, 49, Michael O’Keeffe for B Myers, 52

ST SENANS: James Barry, Mike Keane, Seán T Dillon, Darragh Behan, Mark Behan, Bill Keane, Con O’Keeffe, Damien Somers, Barry Mahony, Eoin O’Connell (0-1), David Foran, Conor Kennelly (1-2), Paudie Quille (0-4), Ronan Kerin (0-3), Seán O’Connell (27, 6f) Subs: Seán Weir for C O’Keeffe, 18, Jason Browne for M Behan, 18, Paudie Dillon for D Foran (inj), half-time, Adrian Mahony for C Kennelly, 55, Kieran Lyons for S Dillon, 60, Paudie Whelan for R Kerins, 61

REFEREE: Brian Fleming (Currow)