The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
South Kerry always had a little to spare
GARVEY’S COUNTY SFC QUARTER-FINAL
South Kerry 0-19 St Kierans 1-10
SOUTH Kerry are through to the senior championship semi-final after a comfortable win over a spirited, but limited, St Kierans side at Fitzgerald Stadium last Sunday.
The winners greater understanding and teamwork contributed greatly to their success, whilst their ferocious work rate and big game experience certainly stood to them. South Kerry’s three week lay off since the previous round may have affected them a bit early on in the contest (they kicked five wides in the first quarter), but they settled down pretty well thereafter. They also had that extra bit of cuteness that St Kierans lacked.
Having said that St Kierans will look back on the game with a minor sense of regret. They played second fiddle to South Kerry in most sectors of the field, but when they went long to their inside line they caused all sorts of problems for the eventual winners. Their biggest problem was that they were unable to get the ball in early enough, and South Kerry were able to cope quite well with the armoury that St Kierans had at their disposal.
South Kerry started the brighter with early scores from Brendan O’Sullivan and Daniel Daly, before Philip O’Connor got St Kierans off the mark in the 8th minute with a neat point. Killian Young was assigned the task of marking the St Kierans dangerman and after a few testing opening moments he curtailed the Cordal man’s influence to a large degree.
South Kerry were very dominant around the middle of the field, and with restarts a problem for St Kierans, their players were struggling to get their hands on the ball. Despite South Kerry’s superiority they continued to be wasteful, and although Ciarán Keating pointed to push them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead, an Adam Barry free in the 13th minute kept St Kierans in touch.
Sheehan, Rob Wharton and Brendan O’Sullivan started to take the game to St Kierans and their strong running was causing a lot of problems. Ciarán Keating added his second point of the game before Wharton sliced through the St Kierans defence and parted to Daniel Daly who punched over.
South Kerry added their third point on the bounce a minute later when Brendan O’Sullivan punished a St Kierans turnover in the middle of the field to propel his side into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead with 19 minutes gone.
Luka Brosnan struck over for Kierans, but Bryan Sheehan replied with a trademark curler from play to push South Kerry four points ahead once more. St Kierans continued to live off scraps, but they made the most of their meagre attacking forays when Paul Walsh finished to the back of the net in the 24th minute, after excellent work from Luke Lyons and Adam Barry.
Barry pointed a close in free two minutes later to level proceedings, and suddenly St Kierans looked like they might push on. Instead, it was South Kerry that shifted a gear with Brian Sugrue and Ciarán Keating kicking over before half time to see their side take a two-point lead, 0-9 to 1-4, in at the break.
South Kerry began the second half in flying fashion with two Jack Daly points, and another from Conor O’Shea, to push them five points ahead, 0-12 to 1-4. St Kierans needed a response and with Aidan Breen and Adam Donoghue beginning to exert a bit of influence around the middle of the field, they slotted over three points, with a brace from substitute Eddie Horan and one from Breen.
South Kerry began to lose the ball in the tackle, and St Kierans nearly goaled but for a superb block from Fionán Clifford on Philip O’Connor.
Serious questions were being asked of South Kerry, but in fairness they answered all of them. Eddie Horan and Sheehan traded points but the eventual winners landed three in-a-row from Jack Daly, Brendan O’Sullivan and Bryan Sheehan to lead by 0-16 to 1-8 with nine minutes of regulation time left to play.
St Kierans refused to give up though, and after O’Connor scored his second point of the day, Paul Walsh had a goal ruled out for a square ball infringement in the 55th minute after Tomás Lynch made inroads.
The influential Brendan O’Sullivan slotted his third point for South Kerry, and although Horan struck two more for St Kierans, they really needed a goal to salvage the game. They found a way through in the 61st minute but Mark Griffin effected a good block to keep Adam Donoghue’s half chance out.
A sense of inevitability ensued thereafter, and South Kerry finished as deserved, but not overly impressive winners.
ST KIERANS: Seán Óg Ó Ciardubhain (Cordal), Luke Lyons (Castleisland Desmonds), Padraig Reidy (Scartaglin), Michael lReidy (Ballymacelligott), Luka Brosnan (Castleisland Desmonds) (0-1), Brian Leonard (Castleisland Desmonds), Maurice Hickey (Castleisland Desmonds), Seamus Scanlon (Currow), Adam Donoghue (Castleisland Desmonds), Philip O’Connor (Cordal) (0-2), Aidan Breen (Ballymacelligott) (0-1), Seán Horan (Scartaglin), Paul Walsh (Brosna) (1-0), Edmund Walsh (Knocknagoshel), Adam Barry (Brosna) (0-2f). Subs: Eddie Horan (Scartaglin) (0-4, 1f) for A Barry, half-time, Tomás Lynch (Castleisland Desmonds) for S Horan, 51, Mike Walsh (Knocknagoshel) for L Brosnan, 47, Seán O’Connell (Cordal) for E Walsh, 56
SOUTH KERRY: Padraig O’Sullivan (Skellig Rangers), Fionan Clifford (Waterville), Killian Young (Renard), Padraig O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), Brian Sugrue (Renard), Mark Griffin (St Michaels Foilmore), Rob Wharton (Renard), Bryan Sheehan (St Mary’s), Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), Brendan O’Sullivan (Valentia), Jack Daly (St Mary’s), Conor O’Shea (St Marys), Barry O’Dwyer (Waterville), Daniel Daly (St Mary’s), Ciaran Keating (Skellig Rangers). Subs: Niall O’Shea (Dromid Pearses) for B O’Dwyer, Darragh O’Sullivan (St Mary’s) for B Sugrue, Dillan O’Donoghue (Dromid Pearses) for D Daly, 58, Sam Dwyer (Waterville) for C Keating, 64
REFEREE: Paul Hayes (Kerins O’Rahillys)