Keane’s class tells as Tralee give depleted Skibb a lesson

DEFENDING champions Tralee CBS served notice that it will take a very good team to deny them back to back Corn Uí Mhuirí titles this year on the evidence of this display at Gneeveguilla yesterday.

Inspired by the brilliance of county minor Barry John Keane, who scored half of his side’s total, they completely over ran an understrength Skibbereen side, who were without a number of first choice players because of next Sunday’s Cork County SFC final involving Ilen Rovers.

Even at full strength, it’s doubtful if they would have won such was the dominance of Tralee.

Any team that could afford to leave two county minors out of their starting 15, Wayne Guthrie and Shane Carroll, have to be special.

Apart from Keane, they also included another county minor, Barry Shanahan, and he made a telling contribution at midfield. With both these players in tremendous form, there was never a hint of an upset and the defending champions led from start to finish. Indeed but for some outstanding goalkeeping by Ryan Price, the winning margin would have been at least two goals greater.

With maximum points from two games played, Tralee are now through to the knockout stages of the championship after Christmas and it’s a brave person who would go against them.

Aided by the wind, Tralee were quickly out of the blocks and a Barry John Keane had them in front after just 30 seconds.

The Kerry team’s football was out of the top drawer and with Fachtna’s labouring all over the field, they led 0-7 to 0-1 after 25 minutes, with the crossbar denying Alan Fitzgerald a goal in the 15th minute.

The aerial dominance of Barry Shanahan ensured Tralee won the midfield exchanges and the pressure on Fachtna’s finally yielded the goal a minute from the break, when Shanahan and Luke Mulligan combined to put Colm O’Mahony through. He easily found the net to give his side a 1-7 to 0-1 half-time lead.

The wind was of little advantage to the West Cork school on the changeover as Tralee kept up the pressure.

Eoin Daly got a point back for Fachtna’s but the Kerry side, with Barry John Keane sparkling in attack, kicked seven unanswered points, and only two superb saves by Ryan Price denied him a goal.

Richard Hodnett and Shane Crowley, up to the time he retired injured, did all they could to stem the tide, but there was little they could do as Keane and Shanahan continued to dictate matters, and when Keane’s effort for a point dropped over the head of Price for a goal, it was game, set and match for Tralee.

Scorers for Tralee CBS: BJ Keane 1-8 (0-2 frees); A. Fitzgerald 0-4; C. O’Mahony 1-0; E. Walsh, L. Mulligan, K. Hurley, F. Mangan 0-1 each.

St. Fachtnas: R. McCarthy 0-2 (0-1 free); E. Daly, C. Hodnett 0-1 each.

TRALEE CBS: G. Sugrue; P. Galvin, R. O’Callaghan, N. O’Shea; D. O’Neill, S. Purcell, M. Galvin; B. Shanahan, P. Barrett; E. Walsh, A. Fitzgerald, L. Mulligan; C. O’Mahony, BJ Keane, T. McCarthy.

Subs: S. Carroll for Walsh; K. Hurley for Mulligan; F. Mangan for McCarthy; W. Guthrie for O’Mahony; J. Keane for O’Neill.

ST FACHTNA’S: R. Price; D. O’Hea, R. Hodnett, P. Crowley; D. O’Mahony, S. Crowley, D. O’Donovan; L. Swanton, P. O’Driscoll; E. Daly, S. O’Sullivan, R. McCarthy; D. Hodnett, G. Minihane, R. Whelton.

Subs: D. Hazel for O’Hea; A. Leonad for S. Crowley; J. Russell for O’Driscoll.

Referee: M. Meane (Limerick).