Again in semi-final

accept. They couldn’t care less whether or not it was a great game or a great occasion. For them the winning was all. The way Templenoe go about their football is always pleasing on the eye, however, and though they trudged off the pitch they could do so with heads held high.

There was no shame in this. Templenoe gave it their all, tried their best, left it all on the field and on this occasion it just wasn’t enough.

All over the field they had guys who fronted up – led from the back by Tadhg Morley who was simply an immense presence, giving real leadership from first minute to last.

In front of him at centre-back Tom Spillane was excellent. At midfield Seán Sheehan gave a warrior’s performance. Teddy Doyle and Brian Crowley both impressed at half-forward, while all three of the full-forward line looked sharp and dangerous even if ultimately that goal just wouldn’t come.

Templenoe had a few bits of bad luck too. Gavin Crowley carried an injury into the game and didn’t look quite himself, although he did thunder into the game late on and kicked a massive point on fifty two minutes from over forty yards out.

The wing-back also won a free for Stephen O’Sullivan to point before that and assisted his inter-county colleague Killian Spillane for a point on fifty six minutes. With the game slipping away from his side, Crowley stood up and stood out. A leader.

Patrick Clifford having to go off with twenty minutes go was another blow and robbed Templenoe of another platform from which to attack on the half-back line. Indeed, it was from halfback that Oughterard arguably won the game.

Their centre-back Ronan Molloy was the game’s outstanding performer, while both of the Monaghan brothers, Cian and Ryan, alongside him stood out too. Oughterard took four points form half-back and Templenoe just one. Few would have predicted that disparity beforehand.

Oughterard really are a fine side, a well-drilled side and a side who hung on in there when they had to and picked off their

MAIN MAN

For us Tadhg Morley was the top Templenoe performer on the day, but we’ve gottogowith Oughterard centre-back Ronan Molloy who was an immense figure throughoutthe match for his side.

TALKING POINT

Maybe Kerry’s dominance atthis level isn’t quite as prounounced as many of us thought itto be. Ye s this is a game Templenoe could have and maybe should have won, but had they done so there wouldn’t have been much in it. Galway clubs seem to have the Kingdom’s measure atthis level.

KEY MOMENT

The goal, itturned the game. It wasalittle unfortunate from aTemplenoe point of view the way it played out and really Templenoe should have had one of their own before that,butthat’s the way the cookie crumbled on this occasion. scores when they could. When Templenoe get a chance to reflect on this game that’s the thing that will really annoy them, they didn’t make the most of what they had.

They created marginally more scoring chances in the game than their rivals – 25 to 21 – but their rate of return on those chances was significantly poorer at 48% compared to Oughterard’s 62%. Had they been more clinical this game was there for John Rice’s men.

Still though – and we know the pain of defeat will linger for a while yet – there’s much to enthuse about from a Templenoe point of view. It’s been a fantastic twelve months even if the ultimate has eluded them on this occasion.

The football they play, the quality of footballer they have at their disposal, the imprint they have on the current Kerry senior football squad, speaks to a very healthy club dynamic.

Compared to most clubs they really are living the dream right now and the thing to remember is they ain’t done yet.

In April they’ll play their first ever games at senior level and sometime after the All Ireland, probably in mid to late September, they’ll play their first games in the County Senior Football Championship.

Templenoe’s journey from Division 5 to Division 1, from novice to senior football, has been truly remarkable and memorable. A defeat on a heavy pitch on a wet day to a very good Oughterard side undoes none of that.

The future is bright. The future is blue and white.

The football they play, the quality of footballer they have at their disposal, speaks to a very healthy club dynamic