West Kerry edge out St Kierans

West Kerry 0-14 St Kierans 0-13

IN the end it was West Kerry who were grateful to hear the final whistle. West Kerry led the game for most of the contest but St Kierans had a chance to level things up with the very last kick of the game in the 63rd minute. Unfortunately for them Sean Óg Ó Ciardubhain’s well struck ‘45’ went inches wide of the post. In the overall context of the game a draw would probably have been a fair result, but how extra-time would have been possible in the fading light of Gallarus is difficult to know.

A very well-drilled West Kerry outfit did look the better side for a lot of the game and their ability to counter attack at pace had the St Kieran’s rearguard in all sorts of trouble at times. St Kierans forwards found it difficult to penetrate a resolute West Kerry rearguard and but for the excellent Philip Griffin and Aidan Breen in attack, their forwards didn’t function with any great fluency, and they certainly missed the injured Thomas Hickey.

In contrast when West Kerry attacked at pace they opened up holes in the St Kierans defence and the likes of Sean Micheal O Conchuir, PJ Mac Lamh , Dara O Se and Declan O’Sullivan were a constant menace throughout. In the middle of the field Riobeard O Se’s mobility and work rate was a feature of the game.

Both sides started the game nervously but West Kerry did settle first and raced into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes with their scores coming from PJ Mac Lamh,Jason Hickson and two frees from Dara O Se with the St Kierans reply coming from two Philip O’Connor efforts, one a free.

West Kerry were playing with just Sean Micheal O Conchuir and Declan O’Sullivan inside the 45-metre line and with Colm O Muircheartaigh sweeping up well and attacking from the back, their ability to counter attack St Kierans at pace was paying rich dividends.

Tomas Mac an tSaoir did have to make an excellent save from James Walsh in the 16th minute after the powerful St Kierans midfielder exchanged passes with Brian Leonard before bursting through the middle and forcing Mac an tSaoir to save with his right knee when a goal looked certain.

St Kierans did pull one back from a Philip O’Connor free, but West Kerry then put over three on the bounce from a lovely curling effort from Declan O’Sullivan, a Dara O Se free and a Sean Micheal O Conchuir point from play to push them 0-8 to 0-3 ahead with two minutes left in the first half.

St Kierans moved full forward Aidan Breen out around the middle of the field and as he began to win some good possession, centre half back Eamon Kiely scored a badly needed point to bring them back to within four points of their rivals. Dara O Se hit the upright with a goal chance for West Kerry but pointed a free afterwards with James Walsh following suit for St Kierans to leave the half time score at West Kerry 0-9 St Kierans 0-5.

As a heavy misty rain came down and conditions began to deteriorate, St Kierans started the second half in determined fashion and the livewire Philip O’Connor pointed in the first minute. A minute later came the games most controversial moment.

St Kierans Philip O’Connor had a free kick out on the right stand side of the sideline from about 30 metres and after striking the ball superbly with the inside of his left boot, the ball appeared to sail directly between the posts for a point. The umpire thought differently, and despite protests from the St Kierans players the ball was waved wide.

This setback didn’t deter St Kierans and O’Connor pointed another free kick to bring them to within two of their opponents. From the kick out West Kerry went direct and O Ciardubhain was forced to make a brilliant stop from Declan O’Sullivan. It was St Kierans turn to attack again and a pointed James Walsh free brought them to within one, 0-9 to 0-8, as West Kerry appeared to be struggling with St Kierans higher intensity in the second period.

West Kerry eventually began to get a grip on things once more, and they slotted over two points on the bounce , the first from Sean Micheal O Conchuir and the second straight after the kick-out from PJ Mac Lamh to push them three ahead again, 0-11 to 0-8.

It was then St Kierans turn to put over two from Mike Finnegan and Adam Barry, and with Eamon Kiely becoming more prominent at centre half back, the game was in the melting pot. West Kerry attacked once more and O Ciardubhain made a brilliant double save from full back Cathal O Luing.

Soon afterwards an off the ball misdemeanor by a West Kerry defender left Walsh with a tap over free to level the game at 11 points each as St Kierans appeared to be in the ascendancy with 10 minutes remaining.

This West Kerry team, are made of stern stuff however, and PJ Mac Lamh slotted over his third point of the game when a goal looked on. Dara Ó Sé then pointed after a good exchange of passes to push West Kerry two ahead before Walsh from a free and Declan O’Sullivan, from play, exchanged scores. Breen was unlucky not to goal for St Kierans when his soccer style shot was cleared off the line and then at the other end O Ciardubhain made his third save of the game when a long ball in found Declan O Sullivan in the clear.

Philip O’Connor with a monster 55 metre free kick off the hands brought it to a one-point game with just seconds remaining. St Kierans attacked once more and after earning a 45, O Ciardubhain’s effort agonisingly went wide of the post and West Kerry were one point victors. WEST KERRY: Tomas Mac an tSaoir, Colm O Muircheartaigh, Cathal O Luing, Gearoid MacGearailt, Padraig Óg Ó Sé, Gareth Noonan, Andrew Finn, Roibeard Ó Sé, Jason Hickson (0-1), Tomas Ó Sé, Dara Ó Sé (0-6, 4f), PJ Mac Lamh (0-3), Declan O’Sullivan (0-2), James Crean, Sean Micheal O Conchuir (0-2). Subs: Timmy Moriarty for T Ó Sé (b/c, 20 mins), Cathal Ferriter for J Crean (58 min). ST KIERANS: Sean Óg Ó Ciardubhain, John O’Connor, Dan O’Sullivan, Shane Fitzmaurice, Padraig Reidy, Eamon Kiely (0-1), Brian Leonard, Seamus Scanlon, James Walsh (0-5f), Daniel Murphy, Philip O’Connor (0-5, 3f), Timmy Finnegan, Mike McCarthy, Aidan Breen, Adam Barry (0-1). Subs: Cian O’Connor for T Finnegan (26 min), Tom McGoldrick for M McCarthy (36 min), Mike Finnegan (0-1) for D Murphy (38 min), Vinny Horan for A Barry (41 min), Thomas O’Connor for C O’Connor (47 min), Daniel O’Shea for T O’Connor (b/c, 61 min). REFEREE: Mike Hennessy (Ballyduff)