Kilcummin Rathmore stun South Kerry to book final date

Favourites South Kerry were shocked in Saturday’s Kerry U21 football championship semi-final by the impressive Kilcummin/Rathmore amalgamation (1-10 to 0-12).

The game’s decisive goal came in the 10th minute when Kerry minor midfielder Kieran Murphy, who started at full forward, soared high above Mark Griffin to fetch a Brendan O’Keeffe cross and rifled to the net.

The winners, thanks to two points from Marc Reen, dominated the opening half, and led 1-6 to 0-3 at the interval.

However South Kerry resumed a transformed side and with Eanna O’Connor (son of Kerry boss Jack) kicking four points and Kerry junior Niall O’Shea landing two more, they closed the gap to the minimum, as Kilcummin/Rathmore were reduced to 14 men in the 44th minute as corner-back Damien O’Leary.

However a late Marc Reen free saw the winners move two clear and despite the best efforts of O’Connor and Ian Galvin, South Kerry couldn’t snatch a winner.

Kilcummin/Rathmore face Legion in next month’s final, after the Killarney side defeated wasteful Austin Stacks, 1-6 to 0-8. David Gleeson got the vital goal, in the ninth minute, when Stacks keeper Barry Galvin, flapped at a David O’Sullivan free kick.

O’Sullivan scored five points while David Mannix was Stacks’ top marksman, with a similar haul. It was dour and physical game with very few highlights.

Meanwhile Dingle moved to the top of the senior football league when they beat Spa in back league game 3-12 to 1-11, with goals from Paul Geaney, Joe Sheehy and David Devane. Ardfert remain pointless after losing to Laune Rangers, 1-10 to 0-4.