The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Legion rue missed penalty as new boys Kenmare earn draw and replay
IN a contest where the sides were level 11 times over the 80 minutes played, it was fitting that this County Championship round 1 game should end in a draw after extra-time.
Both sides will feel that they could have won the game as the chances were there to do so. Kenmare will point to the 15 wides they kicked during the encounter, some of them reckless. Legion, meanwhile, will rue a missed penalty from James O’Donoghue in the 31st minute of the first half as having a pivotal bearing on the outcome.
Jamie O’Sullivan, prominent all through for the Killarney side, was brought down by Kenmare’s Gavin O’Shea just inside the large parallelogram. Although O’Donoghue hit the penalty well, Kenmare goalkeeper Kieran Fitzgibbon dived full length to his left hand side to effect a brilliant save at the expense of a ‘45, which O’Sullivan pointed.
Legion went in at the break leading by 0-4 to 0-3 in what was a largely forgettable and defence-orientated first period of the game. In fact, all of Legion’s points in the first half came from placed balls, as did two of Kenmare’s three points, with the only score from play coming from Paul O’Connor in the seventh minute.
Thankfully a decent attendance in Direen was treated to a lot more positive fare in the second half, although both sides continued to operate on a safety first approach defensively.
Kenmare’s Shane O’Sullivan, who got on a lot of ball in the right half back position, levelled the scores with a good point in the 32nd minute, but a minute later O’Donoghue got off the mark for the first time from play to put Legion 0-5 to 0-4 ahead.
Seán O’Shea, from a free, and O’Donoghue with another from play, swapped points once more before Jamie O’Sullivan pushed Legion two ahead after being set up by the very impressive Billy McGuire.
Tempers were beginning to flare up a bit as the game finally began to take on the intensity of senior championship football. Stephen O’Brien, after a poor opening 30 minutes, became more prominent for Kenmare and Seán O’Shea put over another free kick to bring it back to a one-point game after O’Brien was fouled.
Kenmare began to boss possession but shot three bad wides in a row as they chased an equaliser. They were nearly made to pay for their wastefulness when Legion’s Thomas Moriarty swapped passes with Jamie O’Sullivan, but Moriarty’s tame shot for goal was well saved by Fitzgibbon.
Both sides rang the changes on the sideline as they searched for the winning score in what was turning into an absorbing contest. Finbarr Murphy for Legion, on the field just four minutes, seemed to seal the deal for the Killarney side when he pointed with just two minutes of normal time remaining.
Tempers began to fray once more and after a mini skirmish on the stand side involving a number of players, referee Paul Hayes showed yellow cards to Donal Lyme of Legion and Seán O’Shea of Kenmare.
It looked like it was game over for Kenmare as Legion piled bodies back in order to protect their one-point advantage. Kenmare are resilient though and O’Shea showed great accuracy and nerves of steel to slot over the equalising point from a 40-metre free kick after a Legion player was adjudged to have picked the ball off the ground. The referee called for the ball straight afterwards and with the game finishing at 0-9 each.
Kenmare got off to an excellent start in the first period of extra-time when substitute Kevin Price goaled after 40 seconds following a defence splitting move involving Kevin O’Sullivan and Stephen O’Brien.
James O’Donoghue responded with a pointed free two minutes later, but Kenmare’s Aidan Crowley put over a very stylish point from play immediately afterwards to keep his side three ahead.
O’Donoghue and Michael McCarthy traded points before Legion’s Jamie O’Sullivan had the last point of the half to leave Kenmare leading 1-11 to 0-12 at the break.
Legion started the second period of extra-time as they finished the first and Cian Gammell put over the bar after a soccer style cross from Finbarr Murphy. A minute later Jonathan Lyne scored an inspirational equaliser as Legion took a firm grip on proceedings. Legion pointed their third in a row to put them one ahead when Conor Keane slotted a free, which was earned himself.
Kenmare looked dead and buried, but credit to them for fighting back and Seán O’Shea slotted over his seventh point of the game from a free to draw the sides level once more.
There was still time for both teams to kick a wide each, before the referee called time with the game finishing level at 1-12 to 0-15. LEGION: Brian Kelly, Cathal Sheehan, Danny Sheehan, Chris Davies,Darragh O’Doherty, Denis Sheehan, Jonathan Lyne (0-1), Shaun Keane, Billy McGuire, Rob Leen, Jamie O’Sullivan (0-5, 3f, 1 ‘45’), Donal Lyne, James O’Donoghue (0-4, 2f) Conor Keane (0-3, 2f), Thomas Moriarty. Subs: Cian Gammel (0-1) for R Leen (52 min), Finbarr Murphy (0-1) for C Keane (54 min), Conor Keane for T Moriarty (h/t of e/t), Sean McCarthy for C Sheehan (78 min, e/t) KENMARE: Kieran Fitzgibbon, Denis Cronin, Dara O’Shea, Dara Crowley, Gavin O’Shea, Shane O’Sullivan (0-1), Sean O’Leary, Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1), David Hallissey, Stephen O’Brien (0-1), Donal O’Connor, Sean O’Shea (0-7, 6f), Dean Cassidy, Paul O’Connor (0-1), Micheal McCarthy (0-1). Subs: Kevin Price (1-0) for D Hallissey (h/t), Aidan Crowley for Gavin O’Shea (42 min), Brian O’Sullivan for D O’Connor (48 min), Brian Clifford for D Cassidy (52 min), David Hallissey (e/t) REFEREE: Paul Hayes (Kerins O’Rahillys)