O’Sullivan connection crucial again as Dromid win epic
AIB Munster Club JFC semi-final
The Limerick outfit produced a tremendous first-half that saw them score three goals. They led by nine points after 23 minutes, with Tommie Childs dominating at midfield. Maurice O’Sullivan and Wayne Walsh scored their first two goals in the space of four minutes to fire them 2-2 to 0-1 clear after 12 minutes at the South Kerry venue.
Kerry U21, Graham O’Sullivan, then finished off a great move for Dromid’s first goal a minute later but the hosts looked in major trouble nearing half-time when Alan Condon netted Galtee’s third for a 3-5 to 1-2 lead after 23 minutes. Chris Farley got a second goal for the hosts three minutes later to leave it 3-7 to 2-5 at the interval.
However the hosts would dominate the second-half with Galtee’s only second-half score being a point for Condon in the 42nd minute after Dromid goalkeeper Brian O’Leary made a crucial save from wing-forward Seán Casey minutes earlier.
The visitors were clinging onto their lead and Dromid were reduced to 14 men with five minutes left when influential forward Niall O’Shea was red-carded, although Galtee lost full-back Richard Fitzgerald to two yellow cards soon afterwards.
Padraig J O’Sullivan scored the equalising point for Dromid with two minutes remaining (3-8 to 2-11) but the Kerry side failed to convert a number of chances for a winner in the closing stages.
Graham O’Sullivan was the star of the show for the winners in extra-time (Shane O’Connor also impressing for the victors), scoring four of their five first extra period points to give them a 2-16 to 3-10 lead.
Chris Farley fisted over the only score of the second period at the death but it was enough to settle a pulsating encounter.
Graham O’Sullivan (1-5), C Farley (1-3, 1f), N Ó Sé (0-4), T Curran (0-2, 2f), Gearóid O’Sullivan, D O’Donoghue and P O’Sullivan (0-1 each)
A Condon (1-2), M O’Sullivan and W Walsh (1-0 each), B Childs (3f) and S Casey (0-3 each) and S McGrath (0-2).
B O’Leary; C Ó Sé, Dominic O’Sullivan, S O’Connor; P Sheehan, Graham O’Sullivan, P O’Sullivan; K O’Leary, A S O’Sullivan; Gearóid O’Sullivan, C Farley, K Sheehan; D O’Donoghue, T Curran, N O’Shea.
K Farley for K Sheehan (30 +1), Denis S O’Sullivan for P Sheehan (45), J O’Shea for N O’Shea (E/T), E O’Leary for Gearóid O’Sullivan (63) and M Sheehan for K O’Leary (BC, 75).
M Jones; E Gallahue, R Fitzgerald, I Whelan; A Coughlan, S McGrath, E Maloney; T Childs, A Condon; S Casey, B Childs, D Gallahue; P McGrath, M O’Sullivan, W Walsh.
B McGrath for Walsh (47), E Kelly for D Gallahue (49), S McNamara for O’Sullivan (59), P Moriarty for Fitzgerald (E/T) and P Cleary for Whelan (66).
P O’Driscoll (Cork)
