Holders Causeway pushed all the way by Crotta O'Neill's

Crotta battle to bitter end but Causeway will play Ballyduff

Anthony Fealy, Causeway, and Shane O’Donoghue, Crotta O’Neill’s, in action at Austin Stack Park. Photo By Domnick Walsh

Kerry SHC quarter-final: Causeway 0-14 Crotta O’Neill’s 0-13

Holders Causeway hung on by the minimum to just defeat a Crotta O’Neill’s side that fought to the bitter end in this last of the Kerry SHC quarter-finals played in torrential rain at the Austin Stack Park on Sunday evening.

Indeed if Crotta’s leading marksman Shane Nolan had put over a long-range free in the final minute, then the game would have required extra time and in truth Crotta would have deserved it.

Causeway can thank the Diggins brother, Joseph and Jason, as well as Tommy Casey, Keith Carmody and Daniel Goggin for this win as they played well below par with the absence of Brandon Barrett and the conditions the only mitigating factors.

Crotta O’Neill’s, with their full-back line led by Sean Weir on top,  and Tomás O’Connor a colossus at centre back, looked the more likely winners. But they were over-reliant on their free-taker Shane Nolan who scored five points in the opening half. Causeway retired 0-8 to 0-5 in front at half time. 

Causeway had a better spread of scorers with Billy Lyons (3 frees), Tommy Casey two from play, along with one each from Bryan Murphy, Jason Diggins and industrious Dan Goggin.

Crotta O’Neill’s regrouped for the second period but were still three adrift (0-12 to 0-9) at the water break, with Joe Diggins from play and Billy Lyons adding two each for Causeway. Shane Nolan with two frees and one each from Sean O’Donoghue and Cillian Trant keeping Crotta in touch.

But Crotta controlled the final quarter and despite two Dáire Kennelly points and two Nolan frees and one from James Sheehan, they shot four wides in the last ten minutes that ultimately cost them. Dan Goggin’s 59th-minute point saw Causeway through to a semi-final meeting with Ballyduff on Sept 5/6. Abbeydorney will play Kilmoyley. 

Scorers for Causeway: B Lyons (0-5 frees), Joe Diggins, D Goggin and T Casey (0-2 each), Jason Diggins, B Murphy and C Harty (0-1 each).

Scorers for Crotta O’Neill’s: S Nolan (0-9, 8 frees), D Kennelly (0-2), S O’Donoghue, C Trant and J Sheehan (0-1 each).

CAUSEWAY: T Flynn; S Sheehan, M Delaney, T Barrett; E Murphy, Jason Diggins, A Fealy; K Carmody, Joseph Diggins; B Lyons, B Murphy, T Casey; D Goggin, C Harty, G Dooley.

Subs: G Mahoney for A Fealy (41), P McGrath for B Lyons (59).

CROTTA O’NEILL’S: A O’Sullivan; A Mahony, S Weir, E Shanahan; P Shanahan, T O’Connor, J McKenna; C Trant, D Hunt; S O’Donoghue, S Nolan, D O’Donoghue; J Sheehan, J Conway, M Keane.

Subs: P Quille for M Keane (h/t), D Kennelly for J McKenna (43), R Nolan for D O’Donoghue (57).

Referee: M Sexton (Limerick)