East Kerry dominant over Feale Rangers in one-sided affair

David Clifford of East Kerry is tackled by Niall Collins, left, and Sean T Dillon of Feale Rangers.  Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

East Kerry: 1-14 Feale Rangers: 0-3

Reigning champions East Kerry were at their ease in coming through this desperately one-sided Kerry county championship fixture.

Absolutely nobody will want to draw East Kerry when the quarter-final pairings are determined tomorrow evening for while Jerry O’Sullivan’s charges didn’t set the world alight here, they still managed to hold their opponents scoreless from play across 60-plus minutes of football.

In better weather conditions than they had to battle here, the potential of this East Kerry side, strengthened by the addition of Rathmore’s Paul Murphy and Shane Ryan, is as exciting as it is undeniable.

The winners only kicked three second-half points, a most modest tally, yes, but there was no requirement to keep the scoreboard ticking over given the result had been taken care of in the first-half.

Points from the Clifford brothers, Paudie and David, and Darragh Roche had East Kerry 0-7 to 0-1 clear after 22 minutes and it was game over when Roche drilled the ball to the roof of James Barry’s net shortly after.

We must give Barry due credit, though, because he would go on to produce a number of fine saves and you can be sure the end margin would have been far greater than 14 points were it not for his several interventions.

It was 1-10 to 0-1 at the break, with David Clifford (free), Roche (free) and sub Mike Foley accounting for East Kerry’s three second-half points. 

Foley’s fisted effort was the game’s only second-half score from play.

Scorers for East Kerry: D Roche (1-3, 0-2 frees); D Clifford (0-6, 0-4 frees, 0-1 mark); P Clifford (0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 45’);D Moynihan, M Foley (0-1 each).

Scorers for Feale Rangers: S Keane (0-2, 0-2 frees); D Lynch (0-1 free).

East Kerry: S Ryan (Rathmore); C O’Donoghue (Glenflesk), J Sherwood (Firies), P Warren (Gneeveguilla); S Cronin (Spa), D O’Donoghue (Spa), P Murphy (Rathmore); L Kearney (Spa), R Buckley (Listry); D Moynihan (Spa), P Clifford (Fossa), B O’Keeffe (Rathmore); D Clifford (Fossa), D Roche (Glenflesk), E Cronin (Spa).

Subs: N Donohue (Firies) for Warren (42 mins); D O’Brien (Glenflesk) for O’Keeffe (45); B O’Donoghue (Glenflesk) for E Cronin (51); J O’Donoghue (Glenflesk) for Moynihan (56) 

Feale Rangers: J Barry (St Senan’s); ST Dillon (St Senan’s), N Collins (Listowel Emmets), M McNulty (Duagh); A O’Connor (Duagh), S Stack (Moyvane), E Browne (Listowel Emmets); E Flaherty (Moyvane), E O’Connell (St Senan’s); T Scanlon (Duagh), D Hunt (St Senan’s), K Trant (St Senan’s); S Weir (St Senan’s), M Stack (Moyvane), D Lynch (Listowel Emmets).

Subs: P Quille (St Senan’s) for S Weir (28); D Maher (Duagh) for McNulty, P Corridon (Finuge) for Lynch, S Keane (Listowel Emmets) for Trant (all half-time).

Referee: B O’Shea.