Five sides battle through to quarters
Each was successful on a hectic programme of championship action in the Kingdom, which saw Austin Stacks and Glenflesk bite the dust.
The victorious quintet will be joined by the winners of Kerins O’Rahillys and Listowel, who meet next weekend, South Kerry or John Mitchels, and either Laune Rangers, Shannon Rangers or Kenmare.
Riobaird MacGearailt gave the Kerry selectors something to think about ahead of next month’s Munster SFC, with a marvellous display for An Ghaeltacht as the former champions dumped Glenflesk out of this year’s AIB Kerry SFC at Gallarus yesterday.
Left off the county panel earlier in the season, Riobaird, operating at centre-forward, contributed 1-4 of his side’s tally (1-11 to 0-7 ) in a game that never rose above mediocrity.
Also in West Kerry yesterday, the divisional side clipped the wings of Austin Stacks 0-11 to 1-5 in a tempestuous affair in Castlegregory.
The old adage that the best of goods come in small packages could well be applied to Gene Farrell, with the former county player turning in a five star performance, scoring six of his side’s points.
But this was by no means a one-man show as 14-man West Kerry produced a gutsy performance to fully deserve their win.
Eight yellow cards (six for Stacks) and two reds were issued by a very fussy referee who it must be said got it all wrong in sending off Stacks corner forward Michael Collins late in the game.
At Gneeveguilla, East Kerry sounded a warning that they mean business as they powered to a 2-16 to 2-8 win over St Kierans yesterday.
Ambrose O’Donovan’s side turned on the afterburners in the third quarter to power into a 2-13 to 1-5 by the 45th minute, with full-forward trio Ronan and Fergus McCauliffe and Donald O’Sullivan amassing 1-9 of their side’s total.
The game was also notable for the impressive return to competitive action of Kerry star Donal Daly who dominated the mid-field exchanges particularly in the second half, getting good assistance from Paul Kennedy.
It meant Seamus Scanlon had to play second fiddle and Daly did his chances of playing in the Munster Final against Limerick a power of good.
Mid Kerry triumphed in a war of attrition (0-11 to 0-10) against Dr Crokes in Killarney, with the home side having Eanna Kavanagh sent off.
The sides went 22 minutes of the second half without a score as the divisional side, led by Kieran Foley, scraped home, despite a six-point contribution from Colm Cooper for Crokes.
Listowel are still in the championship, despite already losing twice the campaign this year. They outlasted Castleisland Desmonds in a relegation play-off by 0-10 to 1-5, the upshot of which is that Desmonds play intermediate football next year, while Listowel progress to meet reigning champions Kerins O’Rahillys.
Laune Rangers still do not know their opponents in the last 16, after Kenmare and Shannon Rangers battled to a 0-10 apiece draw in Tralee on Saturday night.
Kilcummin though are safely through to the last eight with a 0-12 to 1-7 defeat of Rathmore.
Trailing 1-6 to 0-6 at half-time, it looked as if Kilcummin might have spurned their chance to progress when they blazed two clear-cut goal chances wide and forced an excellent double save from Kerry keeper Declan O’Keeffe, all in the first quarter.
Those missed opportunities looked even more costly when Rathmore’s John Buckley crashed the ball to the Kilcummin net three minutes before half-time.
But after the interval the home side could only muster a solitary point in the second-half as the winners found inspiration from the boot of DJ Fleming and Michael McCarthy, who kicked two fine points, to see them through.
Scorers West Kerry: G. Farrell 0-6 (0-3 frees)
T. Griffin, S. Farrell, D. O' Sullivan, B. Hannafin, J. Ferriter 0-1 each.
Austin Stacks: K. Donaghy 1-0, D. Ahern, M. Finn, D. Bohane, D. Long, F. Smith 0-1 each.
WEST KERRY : D Murphy (Dingle); K O’Driscoll (Annascaul); S O’ Dowd (Dingle); D McNamara (Castlegregory); F Smith (Dingle); S O’ Mahony (Castlegregory); A O’ Donnell (Annascaul); J Kelleher (Dingle ); T Griffin (do); J O’Driscoll
(Annascaul); S Farrell (do.); MN Sheehy (do.);
D O’ Sullivan (Lispole); G Farrell (Annascaul);
S Geaney (Dingle). Subs: J Ferriter (Dingle) for O’ Sullivan, R Carroll (Lispole) for McNamara,
B Hennefin (Lispole) for S Geaney, E Kennedy (Annascaul) for J O’ Driscoll
AUSTIN STACKS : D Hennebry; TJ Hogan,
K Leen; B Dennehy; T Costello; P Laide; P Hennebry; W Quillinan; M Fin; K Donaghy; B Sheehan; D Sayers; D Ahern; D Long; M Collins.
Subs: D Bohane for Costello, F Smith for Ahern, M Courtney for Leen.
Referee: P Sheehy (Clounmacon)
