An Ghaeltacht, Dr Crokes and O’Rahillys through to semis

DEFENDING champions An Ghaeltacht, Dr Crokes and Kerins O’Rahillys are all through to the semi-finals of the AIB Kerry SFC after three of the four quarter-finals at the weekend.

The remaining last eight tie between Feale Rangers and Kilcummin will be played on Wednesday night, with the winners to face Gaeltacht. As a result of last night’s draw, Dr Crokes will meet Eoin Liston’s O’Rahillys outfit in the last four. An Ghaeltacht edged home in dramatic circumstances with a 0-12 to 0-11 victory over a determined South Kerry in Killorglin yesterday.

With the encounter in the fifth minute of added-time Maurice Fitzgerald stepped up to a free to the right of the goalpost on the 45-metre line. One point adrift, the odds favoured a draw but untypically, he never got a lift on the kick. And while An Ghaeltacht held the initiative for long periods, South Kerry’s final flourish deserved at least a share of the spoils. An Ghaeltacht led by four points (0-7 to 0-3) at the interval. Earlier Kerins O’Rahillys just about managed to do enough (0-12 to 0-10) to hold out against a never-say-die Rathmore side in the first quarter-final at Killorglin. O’Rahillys laid the foundations for victory with a superb first-half display that saw them lead 0-7 to 0-3 at the interval. Declan Quill finished with eight points for Strand Road, four from frees, but when they lost Barry O’Shea with concussion, O’Rahilly’s lost their way and Rathmore, driven on by Aidan O’Mahony and John Buckley began a comeback, but three wides in as many minutes early in the half was to cost them dearly.

However, it took a great save from Declan Sweeney to deny Rathmore a goal nine minutes from time when he tipped a Pat McCarthy piledriver over the bar. On Saturday, Dr Crokes saw off a spirited Laune Rangers by 0-14 to 0-12, with teenage sensation Colm Cooper scoring five points from play.

However, after an unsure opening, when they trailed 0-5 to 0-1 after 11 minutes, the Killorglin men rallied from a 0-8 to 0-5 half-time deficit to level the scores at eight points each by the 38th minute.

But as soon as their control of proceedings was threatened, Crokes stepped up a gear, made a few shrewd positional switches, and in doing so, stretched their advantage once again to 0-12 to 0-8 by the 44th minute.

Scorers for An Ghaeltacht: D. O Cinnéide (0-6, 0-5 frees), A. MacGearailt (0-3, 0-1 free), J.J. Corduff (0-2), C. MacGearailt (0-1).

South Kerry: M. Fitzgerald (0-8, 0-5 frees), R. Hussey (0-1), A. Constable (0-1), K. Moran (0-1).

Scorers for Kerins O’Rahilly’s: D Quill 0-8 (0-4 frees), G Molloy, M Quirke, J O’Connor, G Walsh 0-1 each.

Rathmore: M O’Riordan 0-6 (all frees), K O’Keeffe, J Murphy, D Casey, P McCarthy, M O’Leary 0-1 each.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: C. Cooper (0-5), R. Neher (0-4, 1 free), M. Crowley (0-2), V. Cooper, A. O’Shea (free), D. Moloney (0-1 each).

Laune Rangers: P. O’Sullivan (0-7, 6 frees), M.F. Russell (0-3), C. O’Connor (0-2).

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