Slick Mid Kerry survive late St Kierans rally
TWO first half goals within a minute of each other set Mid Kerry up for a fully deserved win over St Kierans, but a 60th minute goal from the home side made for a couple of anxious minutes for the eventual winners after they allowed a nine-point lead be pared back to just three as the game entered injury-time at the end of an engaging contest.
Playing with the advantage of a stiff, crossfield wind, Mid Kerry looked the better team for much of this contest, but it took a while for them to translate that superiority onto the scoreboard, and when they did build up an appreciable lead they then lost focus and let a determined St Kierans side drag themselves back from the brink and almost rescue the contest to force extra-time.
St Kierans willingness to battle to the bitter end must be acknowledged and it’s that resolve as much as anything else that should send them into this weekend’s second round match against Legion - back in Castleisland - with some confidence.
Mid Kerry, meanwhile, move into the third round and with some tinkering and tailoring by manager James Sheehan they should be a formidable opponent for anyone when their championship resumes.
Those two game defining goals arrived in the 20th and 21st minutes at a stage when MId Kerry were finding it difficult to shake off a sticky St Kierans team whose biggest crime was erratic shooting ands poor shot selection. Mid Kerry had raced to an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead - with Gary Sayers landing the first and third of those scores - but a pair of converted frees by Tom McGoldrick kept St Kierans in touch, and by the 18th minute Mid Kerry were just a point clear, 0-6 to 0-5.
Then Fergal Griffin arrowed a long ball from the defence straight into clubmate Gavan O’Grady who worked a little space for himself before cracking a shot beyond Sean Og O Ciardubhain to put the visitors four points clear. St Kierans were still absorbing this set-back when Darran O’Sullivan weaved a lovely one-two with county colleague Donnchadh Walsh and deftly rolled the ball lost past O Ciardubhain for the second time within a minute, which took Mid Kerry to the break with a 27 to 0-6 lead.
Early second half points from Darran O’Sullivan and Donnchadh Walsh extended Mid Kerry’s lead and at the three-quarter stage they held an eight-point lead, 211 to 0-9, with Sayers, O’Grady, Walsh and Darran O’Sullivan causing the St Kierans defence considerable problems. Mid Kerry should have been further ahead at this stage but that difficult wind that benefitted them in the first half was now their foe and denying them several good scoring chances.
Kieran Brennan’s introduction at half time and Edmund Walsh’s move to midfield gave St Kierans a better foothold as the game wore on and when the excellent Thomas Hickey struck for a 47th minute goal suddenly the momentum shifted a little and St Kierans sensed there was still something in this game for them.
Padraig Reidy stole forward to fist a point, but when Bernard Murphy and then O’Grady got late points for Mid Kerry their lead was back to six points as the match hit the 60minute mark. Then Brennan hoisted in a high ball that Daniel O’Shea - back on as a sub after Edmund Walsh got a black card - slapped over the advancing Michael Moriarty to the Mid Kerry goal and suddenly the lead was down to one score.
St Kierans tried to mine that equalising goal but the Mid Kerry defence stood firm to keep them out and one last Mid Kerry attack saw Bernard Murphy score his third point after coming in as a 41st minute substitute as James Sheehan’s team sealed a merited, if a little scrappy, victory.
St Kierans, under new manager Denny Long, will feel there is plenty of room for improvement, but whether they can get those gains in a week remains to be seen.
ST KIERANS: Sean Og O Ciardubhain (Cordal), Barry Lynch (Castleisland Desmonds), Eamon Kelly (Brosna), Padraig Reidy (Scartaglin), Cian Counihan (Ballymacelligott), Mike Coakley (Scartaglin), Flor McAuliffe (Brosna), James Walsh (Knocknagoshel), Aidan Breen (0-1) (Ballymacelligott), Philip O’Connor (Cordal), Maurice Hickey (Desmonds), Daniel O’Shea (1-0) (Ballymacelligott), Thomas Hickey (1-1, 0-1f) (Desmonds), Edmund Walsh (0-3, 1f) (Knocknagoshel), Tom McGoldrick (0-3f) (Brosna). Subs: Kieran Brennan (0-1) (Desmonds) for D O’Shea (blood, 25), Mike Brosnan (Knocknagoshel) for M Coakley (inj, 30), Cian O’Connor (Desmonds) for M Hickey (38), Gene Griffin (Ballymacelligott) for T McGoldrick (53). MID KERRY: Michael Moriarty (Beaufort), Michael John O’Connor (Beaufort), Garry Nagle (Keel), Ger Hartnett (Beaufort), Aaron Cahillane (Keel), Fergal Griffin (0-1) (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Pa Kilkenny (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Colin McGillicuddy (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Thomas Ladden (Keel), Gary Sayers (0-2) (Keel), Darran O’Sullivan (1-1) (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Danny O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Gavan O’Grady (1-4, 0-3f, 0-1 ‘45’) (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Donnchadh Walsh (0-3) (Cromane), Jeremiah Hoare (Glenbeigh/Glencar). Subs: Bernard Murphy (0-3) (Glenbeigh/ for Danny O’Sullivan (41), Kieran Courtney (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for Darran O’Sullivan (inj, 53). REFEREE: Paul O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses)