The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Celebration time:
A delighted Killarney Celtic squad pictured with KDL officers, Seán O'Keeffe and John O'Regan after their victory in the Munster Junior Cup Kerry Area Final over Listowel Celtic at Mounthawk Park on Sunday afternoon.
MUNSTER JUNIOR CUP FINAL (KERRY AREA) Killarney Celtic 5 Listowel Celtic 0
THESE two sides deserve gold medals for taking to the field at Mounthawk Park on Sunday in the Kerry final of the Munster Junior Cup.
Conditions for the game were absolutely atrocious with a heavy pitch and a howling wind of gale force proportions making it impossible to control the ball and put any kind of constructive passages of football together. Listowel Celtic were fighting against the odds from the very outset as they were without key players, Brian Murphy, Paudie Quinn, Jamie Barry and Micheál Lynch. Meanwhile, Killarney Celtic had a very strong team on duty with John McDonagh and Pa McGrath back after long injuries while David O’Sullivan also made a comeback at full-back.
On the day Killarney were by far the better side and won with plenty to spare at the end. This was not a very appealing game to watch as the adverse weather was the winner with neither side able to contend with it. Listowel had the gale advantage in the first half and they held their own reasonably enough in the opening quarter. They created a chance in the sixth minute when Ian Murphy created an opening for Stephen Lonergan but his shot was over the top.
Then Killarney forced a corner which was taken by Gary Keane and it took a couragious header by Conor O’Neill to deny Eddie Joe Walsh. However, once Killarney began to get their game together there was only going to be one winner as Listowel were just not able to cope with them. The opening goal came in the 16th minute when Robert Watson took off on one of his trademark runs down right wing picking out Peter McCarthy at the near post and when Listowel goalie Chris Mason did not snuff out the danger McCarthy showed his predatory instincts flicking the ball beyond his reach and it went in off the butt of the post. Mason was injured in the build up to the goal and was replaced by Jack O’Neill.
Then Eddie Joe Walsh opened the Killarney defence with a great run but there was no one at hand to take advantage of his dangerous cross. Walsh was busy moments later carving an opening for Conor O’Neill, but he was unable to keep his shot down.
With Killarney continuing to pile on the pressure the second goal came in the 37th minute and it was beautifully manufactured. Peter McCarthy began the move at midfield setting John McDonagh free and his looping cross seemed to have been overhit but the strong gale held up the ball in the air sufficienly long enough for Ginatus Poketaurus to get in and poke it home from close range and Killarney looked comfortable going in 2-0 up at halftime.
Listowel Celtic brought on subs James McCarthy and Michael Woods at the start of the second half but they were already fighting a losing battle as they were unabe to get the ball past the half way line. Five minutes in Killarney struck again with Ginatus Poketaurus linking up with Jack O’Neill who crossed to Peter McCarthy in the six yard box and he stooped low to direct a powerful header to the roof of the net.
It was curtains for Listowel on the hour mark when they were reduced to 10 men when their goalie Chris Mason took down Peter McCarthy just outside the box and as he was the last man a red card was flashed by referee Seamus O’Mahony. Centre half Pa Burns then took over goalkeepering duties. Listowel failed to deal with a Gary Keane corner kick in the 75th minute and Peter McCarthy capitalised with a tap in goal to complete his hat trick. They put the icing on the cake in the final minute when John Mc Donagh was at hand to score goal number five.
There was a great reception for the captain of the Killarney side Brian Spillane as he was presented with the cup by the Chairman of the Kerry District League Sean O’Keeffe.
They have a home draw against Kanturk in the next round of the competition