Kerry SFC: Dingle survive O'Shea masterclass to edge Kenmare Shamrocks

ON THE MARK: Paul Geaney scored three points for his side. ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Kerry Club SFC  

Kenmare Shamrocks 0-13 Dingle 2-8

Dingle survived a Seanie O'Shea masterclass to edge their Kenmare hosts in a thrilling Kerry senior club football championship group game at Fr Breen Park on Saturday night. 

The winners now progress to the last four of the competition while Kenmare must turn their attention to a relegation battle in the coming weeks after finishing the group stages with a single point. 

Dingle did their best work in the opening half to lead 1-7 to 0-5. By the 40th minute, Dylan Geaney 1-1 had them looking comfortable with a 2-8 to 0-7 lead. But they failed to score for the remainder of the game as five points from O’Shea show and a Paul O’Connor effort dragged Kenmare within touching distance of an equaliser. But that last score failed to materialise. 

A brace of Paul Geaney points, a fine effort from Barry O’Sullivan, and a point each from Dylan Geaney and Gavin Curran from a placed ball had Dingle 0-6 to 0-4 in front by the 20th minute with Paul O’Connor and Seanie O’Shea replying with a brace each for Kenmare Shamrocks.

But then in the 23rd minute Dingle struck for the first of their two goals when George Durant collected from Paul Geaney after a long Barry O’Sullivan delivery before drilling the ball past Kieran Fitzgibbon and a 1-7 to 0-5 lead was deserved but Kenmare Shamrocks were still very much in the contest.

Then on resumption, two Seanie O’Shea points with a Dylan Geaney point sandwiched in between had the home side hoping to eat into Dingle’s lead. 

But then Dylan Geaney finished to the Kenmare net in the 41st minute after being fed by cousin Paul, and Dylan rounded the keeper to increase Dingle’s lead to seven points ( 2-8 to 0-7) and it looked game over but Seanie O’Shea and his teammates refused to give in and six unanswered points, 0-5 from Seanie and one from Paul O’Connor left them one short as Dingle failed to score in the final quarter but the 2-8 they posted proved just enough.

Scorers for Dingle: D Geaney ( 1-2), G Durant ( 1-0), P Geaney ( 0-3, 2 marks ), G Curran ( 0-2 , 1f,1’45), B O’Sullivan (0-1f).

Scorers for Kenmare Shamrocks: S O’Shea ( 0-9, 7f’s, 1’45 1 M), P O’Connor (0-4 ( 0-1 pen).

KENMARE SHAMROCKS: K Fitzgibbon; T Cronin, C Hanley, D Cronin; D O’Shea, J McCarthy, S O’Sullivan; D Hallissey, G Wharton; P O’Brien, S O’Shea, D McCarthy; S O’Brien; K O’Sullivan , P O’Connor.

Subs: T O’Sullivan (for Griffin Wharton, 45), J O’Regan (for P O’Brien, 48), D Cronin (for C Hanley, 55).

DINGLE: G H Curran; M Flannery, C O’Sullivan, P O’Connor; M Geaney, C Flannery, T O’Sullivan; G Durrant, B O’Connor; R McCarthy, B O’Sullivan, P Sheehy; D Geaney, P Geaney, N Geaney.

Subs: M Flaherty for R McCarthy (38), T De Brún for M Flannery (41), C Bambury for P Sheehy (46). 

Referee: J Enright (Ballylongford).