East Kerry cruise to sixth minor title in a row

East Kerry captain Dara Callaghan and his team celebrate 6-in-a-row titles after defeating Mid Kerry in the Keane's Supervalu Kerry County Minor final at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney on Saturday. Picture: Don MacMonagle

Kerry MFC Final: East Kerry 0-18 Mid Kerry 0-6

It was all too easy for a powerful East Kerry side who completed six in a row County Minor titles at the expense of a disappointing Mid Kerry side in Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Mid Kerry flattered to deceive in the opening quarter, only to be overrun in one-sided second half. 

Dingle were the last team to beat East Kerry in a County minor knockout game in the 2015 quarter-final. Since then, East Kerry have reigned supreme beating Mid Kerry in 2016, St Brendan's in 2017, St Kieran’s in 2018, and St Brendan's in 2019 and 2020 and now Mid Kerry to complete a perfect six.

Adopting a defensive gameplan, Mid Kerry appeared to be the better side in the opening quarter as Mikey Moriarty and Marc O’Sullivan counterattacked with purpose and East Kerry turned the ball over,

Points from Brendan Casey and Mikey Moriarty were followed by a goal chance for full-forward Jason O’Connor who was through one on one with keeper Brian McCarthy but blazed over the bar.

Darran Ryan kicked East Kerry’s sole opening quarter point as they struggled to breach Mid Kerry’s wall of defenders. 

However East Kerry improved in the second quarter and fired over four answered points from Sam Benson, Mark O’Shea and two Harry Kelly frees though Mid Kerry added two late first half frees from Conor Spillane and Darragh O’Connor to leave East Kerry 0-6 to 0-5 up at the interval.

But that was as close as Mid Kerry got as East Kerry powered clear in the third quarter, firing over eight unanswered points with Stephen Palmer adding three and Mark O’Shea kicking three sublime efforts in a similar fashion to brother Paul.

East Kerry were to add four more in the final quarter as they ran their bench and Mid Kerry’s sole second-half score was a 61st-minute point from a Conor Spillane free as East Kerry once again proved unbeatable.

Scorers for East Kerry: M O’Shea (0-1 mark), H Kelly (4fs) and S Palmer (0-4 each), S Benson (0-3, 2f’s), D Ryan, D O’Callaghan and T Moynihan (0-1) 

Mid Kerry: C Spillane (0-2 frees), D O’Connor (1f), M Moriarty, J O’Connor and B Casey (0-1 each).

EAST KERRY: B McCarthy (Firies); M Dennehy (Rathmore), R Colleran (Fossa), J Williams (Kilcummin); S Dineen (Fossa), D O’Callaghan (Kilcummin), D O’Shea (Kilcummin); D Ryan (Fossa), F Murphy (Rathmore); J Horgan (Firies), M O’Shea (Kilcummin), C Gammell (Legion); S Benson ( Legion, H Kelly (Fossa , S Palmer (Firies).

Subs: Timmy Moynihan (Spa) 0-1 (free) for Gammell (half-time), Darragh Nagle (Rathmore) for Horgan (57 mins), Colm O’Shea (Firies) for Kelly (60 mins), Cian Doyle (Fossa) for Dennehy (60 mins), Jack Costello (Firies) for Williams (60 mins).

MID KERRY: D Crosby (Cromane); S O’Connor ( Milltown/Castlemaine), L O’Neill ( Cromane) , T Evans( Keel); M O’Sullivan ( Beaufort), J Teahan ( Milltown/Castlemaine), J Coffey ( Beaufort); M Moriarty( Beaufort), F Griffin ( Keel); C Spillane ( Milltown/Castlemaine), S Evans( Keel), D Hogan ( Milltown/Castlemaine); D O’Connor ( Beaufort), J O’Connor( Beaufort), B Casey( Milltown/Castlemaine).

Subs: F O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for Griffin (44 mins), T Evans (Keel) for Hogan (47 mins), H O’Malley (Beaufort) for Moriarty (47 mins), E Murphy (Keel) for S O’Connor (52 mins), M Murphy (Keel) for J O’Connor (57 mins).

REFEREE: G Kissane (Kerins O’Rahilly’s)