The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kenmare and O’Shea dig deeper for victory
COUNTY SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 1 ROUND 1 Kenmare Shamrocks 2-9 Kerins O’Rahillys 0-13
KERRY manager Peter Keane might have signalled a clarion call to every footballer in the county that places are up for grabs on his panel for later in the year, but we’ll assume that everyone understands that the open invitation doesn’t extend to no.11s. Just to be clear: nobody will be laying claim to Sean O’Shea’s place on the Kerry team come October. From literally the first minute to the last, O’Shea was central to everything Kenmare Shamrocks did to record a not expected but not unsurprising win over a Kerins O’Rahillys team that will have kicked themselves all the back to Tralee after this competitive and entertaining contest.
O’Shea finished his business with eight points, including five from play and a converted advanced mark, but without question his more important work came in the 61st minute. O’Rahillys had held a 0-13 to 2-6 lead since the 54th minute when they won a free in their own half, on the terrace side. First principles apply, or at least they should. Simple ball. Up the wing. Keep possession.
In and of itself, Cormac Coffey’s free kick back into the middle of his defence wasn’t the worse thing, with Ross O’Callaghan having plenty of time to gather and collect his thoughts, but O’Shea showed the hunger that none of the O’Rahillys forward did to show for Coffey’s free kick, with the Kenmare dispossessing the full back and firing over the equalising score. Within two minutes O’Shea was in the end of another Kenmare attack, this time lasering over a score from an acute angle on the stand side. With O’Rahillys reeling, midfielder Dan McCarthy - now operating in a more advanced role - fired over the insurance score to give Shamrocks a not undeserved win. Quite what O’Rahillys manager William Harmon had to say to his players afterwards is anyone’s guess, but the words ‘basic’, ‘mistake’ and ‘I never want to see that happen again’ surely figured.
Of more concern to Keane will be the news that Tommy Walsh hobbled off in the 25th minute and left the Stadium with his ankle wrapped in ice, while Stephen O’Brien was called ashore at the three-quarter stage, though the reason for the Kenmare forward’s withdrawal was less clear.
Before his departure, O’Brien had scored Kenmare’s second goal in the 17th minute, set up by a brilliant cross-field pass from Paul O’Connor, who had scored his team’s first goal in the fifth minute with an incisive finish across Gary Kissane’s goalmouth.
O’Shea had opened the scoring after just 16 seconds for Kenmare, but those two goals and that early point aside, Kenmare could only add a converted advanced mark from O’Shea in the 24th minute to give them a 2-2 first half tally. O’Rahilly’s - playing with the aid of a stiff breeze - managed eight points, six from Jack Savage and one apiece for Danny O’Sullivan and Tom Hoare to leave the teams level at the break, 2-2 to 0-8.
As he did at the start of the first half, Sean O’Shea mined a Kenmare score straight from the throwin, and over the next 15 minutes he converted two frees against three frees Savage nailed to make it 2-5 to 0-11 at the three-quarter stage.
David Moran was trying to make things happen for O’Rahillys, and the midfielder couldn’t be faulted, but around him too many Tralee men were coming up short. Barry John Keane did kick O’Rahillys into the lead in the 50th minute but it wasn’t enough of a contribution from the former Kerry man, while for Shamrocks, Paul O’Connor blew too hot and cold, especially after O’Brien’s departure.
Savage converted another free to double O’Rahillys lead, and it seemed - momentarily - as if this contest would go along predicted lines: a narrow Strand Road win. But Kenmare, and their talismanic O’Shea in particular, had other ideas. In the 54th minute O’Shea kicked a great score under pressure, and then missed a ‘45’ won from his own shot at the posts. However, when Kenmare’s need was greatest, O’Shea stole in to dispossess O’Callaghan, kick the equalising point and help secure a huge win for a Shamrocks team that made all their own luck.
KENMARE SHAMROCKS: Kieran Fitzgibbon, Dara Crowley, Dara O’Shea, Tommy O’Sullivan, Shane O’Sullivan, James McCarthy, Mark Crowley, Kevin O’Sullivan, Dan McCarthy, Tommy Cronin, Sean O’Shea, Michael McCarthy, Stephen
O’Brien, Fionan O’Sullivan, Paul O’Connor (1-0). Subs: Tom Murnane for S O’Brien (44, inj), Rory O’Sullivan for T Cronin (58), Kevin Price for Michael McCarthy (65).
KERINS O’RAHILLYS: Gary Kissane, Darragh McElligott, Ross O’Callaghan, Sean Collins, Danny O’Sullivan (0-1), Karl Mullins, Cormac Coffey, David Moran, Shane Brosnan, Tom Hoare (0-1), Jack Savage 0-10 (7f, 1 ‘45), Sean Walsh, Barry John Keane (0-1), Tommy Walsh, Conor Hayes. Subs: Gearoid Savage for T Walsh (25, inj), Cian Sayers for T Hoare (51), David Murphy for D O’Sullivan (58), Gearoid Dillane for C Hayes (62, inj).
REFEREE: Padraig O’Sullivan (Firies)