Dr Crokes obliterate understrength Dingle

ANOTHER goal for Dr Crokes veteran Kieran O’Leary, a last minute penalty goal for Rathmore to win an East Kerry derby, another defeat for struggling Kerins O’Rahillys and a draw between Ballymacelligott and Milltown/ Castlemaine are just some of the storylines from the second round of Division One action, with West Kerry neighbours Dingle and An Ghaeltacht at the foot of the table and struggling.

Dr Crokes 1-21 Dingle 0-4

AFTER their 19-point total the previous weekend, Dr Crokes bettered that by five points on Sunday afternoon with a statement win over a Dingle side that had no answer to the Killarney men.

In some mitigation for Padraig Corcoran’s team, Dingle resembled a ‘B’ team such were the number of first-teamers missing, with no Geaney playing, while Tom O’Sullivan, Tom Leo O’Sullivan and Matthew Flaherty all missing too.

Dr Crokes were off the mark early and often and they led by five points to no score after nine minutes before Dingle’s Padraig Cahill got their first, and only, score of the first half in the 12th minute.

The Killarney men were rampant, however, added another five between there and the break to lead 0-10 to 0-1 at half time.

The Crokes dominance continued straight from the start of the second half as they pulled further ahead to lead 0-14 to 0-1 before Dingle scored their second point in the 36th minute. With Cian McMahon freely scoring for Pat O’Shea’s team, another Crokes point was followed by the game’s only goal from Kieran O’Leary that saw the home side stretch their lead to 17 points, 1-16 to 0-2.

The game petered out to its inevitable conclusion with O’Leary finishing with 1-3, Cian Mahon had seven points (six frees) and Brian Looney scored three points as Crokes had nine scorers in all.

Former Kerry minor goalkeeper James Hoare came into the Dingle forward line at half time and converted two frees and a ‘45’ on a forgettable afternoon for the West Kerry men.

Ballymacelligott 1-8 Milltown/Castlemaine 1-8

IT was honours even in Caherslee in Tralee as Ballymac shared the points with Milltown/Castlemaine who secured their first point of the campaign after going down quite heavily to Glenflesk the previous weekend.

After an early exchange points between Ballymac’s Darragh Sweeney and Dara Hogan for Milltown/Castlemaine, the visitors moved two clear through Sean Hogan and Gavin Horan before Vinnie Horan and Aidan Breen replied in kind to level the scores. Another Breen score edged Ballymac in front but then Cathal Moriarty found the net to put the Mid Kerry ahead, 1-4 to 0-5. Sean Hogan with his fourth point had Milltown/Castlemaine three points ahead at half time.

Ballymac had the benefit of a fortuitous goal at the start of the second half when Aidan Breen free dropped short and ended up in the Milltown/Castlemaine net to level the game.

The rest of the second half produced just three points each for both sides, with Breen (two frees) and Horan on target for Ballymac, while Dara Hogan (two frees) and Cathal Moriarty were the Milltown/ Castlemaine scores as it finished level, 1-8 each, in Tralee.

An Ghaeltacht 0-10 Spa 3-9

SPA bounced back from their opening round defeat to Dr Crokes to give manager William Harmon his first county league win with the Killarney club when they had eight points to spare over An Ghaeltacht.

The West Kerry men were a big improvement on the three points they scored in their first round loss to Rathmore but porous defending continues to be a problem for Fergal Ó Sé’s side as they shipped three goals to Spa in Gallarus.

This result moves the Killarney club into mid-table but keeps An Ghaeltacht second from bottom, just above their neighbours Dingle on scoring difference.