Clinical Templenoe retain their senior status against 12-man Kilcummin

Killian Spillane finished with 1-7 and Stephen O’Sullivan 1-5 for the winners

Killian Spillane of Templenoe kicked 1-7 as his side retained senior status. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Kerry SFC relegation play-off: Templenoe 3-18 Kilcummin 0-14

Templenoe ensured they would have a second year as a senior club in Kerry as they took apart a pretty meek Kilcummin effort in Fitzgerald Stadium yesterday afternoon.

The 2019 All-Ireland intermediate champions had to endure the additional embarrassment in having to finish with 12 players on the pitch.

While it was a clean contest, Kilcummin lost Gary O’Leary to a straight red in the first period, Kieran Murphy to a second yellow in the second half as Chris O’Leary was also sent off for a combination of a yellow and a black late on. John Spillane was also shown a second yellow for Templenoe, but they were far more clinical on the day in taking their scores as well as showing far better application and movement.

Killian Spillane finished with 1-7 and Stephen O’Sullivan 1-5 and Josh Crowley-Holland was the last Templenoe player to touch an effort that Kieran Murphy actually hit over the line for Templenoe’s first goal of the game before the first half water break.

Five points for Paul O’Shea was one of the few highlights for Kilcummin as they are due to go to back to East Kerry now for 2021.

Templenoe’s win is also likely to mean no team under the Kenmare District banner again next year with only two candidates in Kilgarvan and Tuosist as the size of the East Kerry district team is likely to come under the microscope again.

Scorers for Templenoe: K Spillane (1-7, 3f), S O’Sullivan (1-5), B Crowley (0-4), J Crowley-Holland (1-0), M Reilly and C Crowley (0-1 each)

Scorers for Kilcummin: N Duggan (0-6, 6f), P O’Shea (0-5), S McSweeney, K Gorman and K McCarthy (0-1 each) 

KILCUMMIN: B Kealy; D Maher, K McSweeney, O O’Connor; C O’Leary, S O’Leary, J Nagle; K Gorman, S McSweeney; E O’Donovan, G O’Leary, K McCarthy; K Murphy, N Duggan, P O’Shea

Subs: D O’Leary for D Maher (21) E O’Sullivan for K McSweeney (47), M O’Shea for Duggan (54) and P O’Riordan for O’Donovan (57)

TEMPLENOE: M Looney; J Spillane, T Morley, K O’Neill; M Reilly, G Crowley, J Rice; S Sheehan, A Spillane; T Doyle, B Crowley, J Crowley-Holland; S O’Sullivan, K Spillane, C Crowley

Subs: P Clifford for A Spillane (38), M Hallissey for J Rice and T Spillane for M Reilly (both 55), J Moriarty for C Crowley and J Sheehan for B Crowley (both 58)

Referee: P O’Sullivan (Firies)