Kerry SFC: Dingle leave it late to edge titanic battle

Liam O Conchuir of Dingle contests a high ball with Sean O'Brien of Mid Kerry. Picture: Domnick Walsh 

Dingle 1-7 Mid Kerry 0-8

In what was definitely one of the hardest-fought encounters of the weekend in the opening round of the Kerry County SFC, it took a wonderful goal in the 60th minute from corner-forward Conor Geaney to propel Dingle into the quarter-finals after a two-point victory over a gallant and luckless Mid Kerry.

In horribly difficult weather conditions on a miserable winter’s day at Austin Stack Park, the contest appeared to be heading down the barrel of extra-time entering the final minute of normal time with both sides deadlocked at 0-7 all after neither outfit could really make the most of wind advantage in either half.

When Kerry teammate Tom O’Sullivan found Paul Geaney down the left wing of the winners’ attack, there didn’t seem to be too much danger for the Mid Kerry rearguard. However, Geaney’s speculative cross-field delivery was magnificently plucked from the sky by his namesake, Conor, who, in one movement, turned swiftly and rattled a low left-footed drive to the net.

Cue delirium from the Dingle faithful, and dejection from the divisional side’s supporters. Even though substitute Gavan O’Grady replied with a pointed free from close range, Mid Kerry simply ran out of time, and were left to rue the two missed goal opportunities that they had squandered themselves over the hour. If either had been converted, it could have been a totally different outcome.

The first of those arrived in the 20th minute of the opening half when a beautiful, flicked pass by youngster Cillian Burke to Cathal Moriarty led to the Mid Kerry forward being brought to the ground by Dingle goalkeeper Gavin Curran, conceding a penalty in the process. However, Moriarty’s spot-kick rocketed off the crossbar, and he could only blaze the rebound high and over.

There was another crucial let-off for Dingle just six minutes into the second period when a flowing Mid Kerry move, involving several players, culminated in Fiachra Clifford putting midfielder Sean O’Brien clean through on goal, but his left-footed drive was brilliantly tipped around the post by Curran. Two huge moments that, eventually, came back to haunt the losers.

Dingle took an early three-point lead in the first half, with Paul Geaney looking extremely sharp from the outset and getting the better of his individual battle with Peter Crowley, but Mid Kerry soon settled, with the Breen brothers, Nathan and Mike, in inspirational form, and when they only trailed by two points at the interval (0-6 to 0-4), they must have felt in right-good shape, especially with the elements to be in their favour on the resumption.

However, despite enjoying plenty of possession, they just could not create any real attacking momentum in the second period, with not a single score from play registered. That damning statistic was to cost them in the end, as Dingle, without ever looking the finished article themselves, hung in there superbly, until Conor Geaney’s last-gasp moment of magic finally settled the destination of the contest.

After a very interesting weekend, both finalists from last season, East Kerry and Mid Kerry, have now fallen at the first hurdle.

Scorers for Dingle: C Geaney (1-3, 2f); P Geaney (0-3, 1f); T O’Sullivan (0-1).

Scorers for Mid Kerry: C Moriarty, J O’Connor (1 ’45, 1f), G O’Grady (2f) (0-2 each); F Clifford, M Breen (0-1 each).

DINGLE: G Curran; T Leo O’Sullivan, P O’Connor, T O’Sullivan; M Flaherty, M Geaney, A O’Connor; B O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan; N Geaney, M Flannery, G Durrant; C Geaney, P Geaney, D Geaney.

Subs: B O’Connor for N Geaney (47 mins), T Browne for A O’Connor (50 mins), C Moriarty for Flannery (58 mins).

MID KERRY: S Coffey (Beaufort); P Wrenn (Milltown/Castlemaine), N Breen (Beaufort), S Kelliher (Beaufort); P Crowley (Laune Rangers), M Breen (Beaufort), P Kilkenny (Glenbeigh/Glencar); C McGillicuddy (Glenbeigh/Glencar), S O’Brien (Beaufort); D Roche (Milltown/Castlemaine), F Clifford (Laune Rangers), J O’Connor (Beaufort); T Cahill (Glenbeigh/Glencar), C Burke (Milltown/Castlemaine), C Moriarty (Milltown/Castlemaine).

Subs: G Hassett (Laune Rangers) for Cahill (42 mins), G O’Grady (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for O’Connor (50 mins), D Houlihan (Cromane) for Moriarty (50 mins), E Clifford (Laune Rangers) for McGillicuddy (58 mins), C Teahan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for Burke (58 mins).

Referee: E Walsh (Rathmore).