The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kilgarvan footballers atone for hurlers loss with Munster win
MUNSTER CLUB JUNIOR ‘B’ FOOTBALL C’SHIP FINAL (Knockaderry Tournament) Kilgarvan 1-11 Ballinacurra (Cork) 0-10
FOUR weeks of travel to West Limerick in both codes finally ended with success for Kilgarvan as despite losing out to Tournafulla in the Munster Junior Club Hurling Championship, they re-established Kerry’s dominance of the Knockaderry Tournament as they became the 11th winner of the competition from the Kingdom in its 13-year history.
Having accounted for The Nire of Waterford’s B team and Clare’s Doonbeg in the build-up, they had a very physical encounter with Cork’s Ballinacurra on Sunday, one they had enough resolve to deal with however despite having to make do without Munster U-20 Player of the Year Donal ‘Down’ O’Sullivan and another All-Ireland winning Kerry Minor in John Mark Foley. Patrick O’Shea scored the opening point after 20 seconds for the Kenmare District side but it would get better in the ninth minute when Richard O’Sullivan and Keith Harrington combined to give the impressive Daniel Casey the chance to go through for goal. He managed to find a way to get the ball past Joe Wyer in the Ballinacurra net as Kilgarvan had a lead of 1-2 to 0-0.
Ballinacurra would dominate the next phase of the game however, finally getting on the scoreboard in the 13th minute a Stephen O’Brien point as a brace (including one free) from their main threat Jake Hegarty had them within two points after 18 minutes. Gearóid Fennessy was fouled in the 22nd minute but converted the free himself to get Kilgarvan’s first score in 13 minutes with goalkeeper Paul Gleeson fisting away a dangerous high ball into his goalmouth soon after. Kilgarvan finished the first-half very strongly in amassing a further three unanswered points to, a brace from Casey and a free from O’Shea to lead by 1-6 to 0-3 at half-time.
The second half was really about Kilgarvan staying strong in the face of relentless Ballinacurra pressure as the Cork side reeled off four unanswered points in the eight minutes after the restart, three from Hegarty and a Gary Carty effort to open the half making it a two-point game once more at 1-6 to 0-7 after 38 minutes. Wing-back Liam Twomey lifted Kilgarvan’s spirits with their first score of the second-half in the 41st minute as some great heroics from veteran defender Connie Cremin as well as Michael Godfrey and Flor O’Sullivan around the middle were keeping the Kerry side in charge. The margin went back to two points once more between the sides in the 51st minute when Hegarty’s seventh point (fourth free) made it 1-8 to 0-9 as John Mark Foley came in to steady matters for Kilgarvan.
They got it back out to four with Casey’s final point and a Con Godfrey effort with a red card for Ballinacurra full-back Trevor Costigan in the 56th minute ultimately signalling the beginning of the end of Ballinacurra’s hopes at victory. O’Shea put over his fourth (third free) and Kilgarvan’s point a minute later as although Ballinacurra’s Hegarty finished with 0-8 (5f) in total the Cork side could not find a way through a wall of Kilgarvan bodies in the remaining six minutes of play with a black card for substitute Senan O’Connor another setback before the final whistle for them.
Since they first started venturing out into Munster in the middle of the last decade, primarily in Hurling, Kilgarvan now finally have a provincial title. Although it is in Football not in Hurling it is surely one that will be savoured especially as they have only returned fully to Football in Kerry in the last two years.
The experience of their more seasoned campaigners might have got them through the hard parts, but there is enough youthful promise in the club to suggest more is to come from them soon.
KILGARVAN: Paul Gleeson; Michael O’Sullivan, Connie Cremin, Christopher Creedon; Sean Casey, Keith Harrington, Liam Twomey (0-1); Gearóid Fennessy (0-2, 1f), Flor O’Sullivan; Sean Godfrey, Michael Godfrey, Con Godfrey (0-1), Richard O’Sullivan, Patrick O’Shea (0-4, 3f), Daniel Casey (1-3). Subs: John Mark Foley for Flor O’Sullivan, Jack O’Brien for Michael Godfrey.
BALLINACURRA: Joe Wyer; Darragh Graham, Trevor Costigan, Thomas O’Meara; Gary Carty (0-1), Damien Daly, Thomas O’Leary; Matthew Thompson, Padraic Nagle; Stephen O’Brien (0-1), Jake Hegarty (0-8, 5f), Shane Wiggins; Kelvin Krushal, Glen Harty, Killian Harty. Subs: Senan O’Connor for Graham, Dave O’Donaghue for Glen Harty, Robert Swayne for O’Meara, Ian Cahill for O’Connor (b/c).
REFEREE: Donnacha O’Callaghan (Limerick)