Keeper Coffey heroic for Mid Kerry as West Kerry fade out

Mid Kerry produced an 11-point swing while West Kerry were left to rue erratic shooting,

Roibeard Ó Sé of West Kerry during the Kerry County Senior Football Championship Round 1 match between Mid Kerry and West Kerry at Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Kerry. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Kerry County SFC: Mid Kerry 1-14 West Kerry 1-10

In the proverbial game of two halves, Mid Kerry produced an eye-catching second-half fightback to deservedly see off a real Jekyll and Hyde West Kerry in this entertaining county SFC (Group 3) encounter at Austin Stack Park.

Trailing by seven points (1-8 to 0-4) at one stage in the first half, a 28th-minute goal from livewire corner-forward Kieran Dennehy enabled the eventual winners to belatedly ignite their challenge, reducing the interval deficit to a more manageable margin (1-9 to 1-5).

Up to that juncture, with Roibeard Ó Sé a dominant presence around the midfield, West Kerry gained almost complete scoreboard supremacy, helped enormously by a fortuitous goal from Cian O’Grady in the second minute, and with Dara Ó Sé and Killian Falvey dovetailing sweetly up front.

However, on the resumption, with wind advantage now in their favour, it was Mid Kerry’s turn to assume territorial dominance, and with four unanswered points, they had drawn level by the end of the third quarter (1-9 apiece), goalkeeper Sean Coffey making a superb point-blank stop from Dara Ó Sé.

The Mid Kerry netminder was inspirational, foiling Timmy Moriarty (West Kerry’s solitary scorer in the second half) with another stunning save, and with substitutes Colin McGillicuddy and Jack O’Connor making a huge impact, the 2020 beaten finalists showed their true credentials.

With the latter slotting over his third point from play in injury-time, Mid Kerry had performed an 11-point swing by the final whistle, while West Kerry were left to rue erratic shooting, and Coffey’s between-the-sticks excellence, for their hugely disappointing fade-out.

Scorers for Mid Kerry: E O’Connor 0-6 (0-4fs), K Dennehy 1-1, J O’Connor 0-3, L Carey, D Houlihan, C Teahan, K Evans 0-1 each.

Scorers for West Kerry: C O’Grady 1-1, D O Se 0-3 (0-2fs), K Falvey 0-2, J Hickson, C O Muircheartaigh, R O Se, T Moriarty 0-1 each.

MID KERRY: S Coffey (Beaufort); P Wrenn (Milltown/Castlemaine), N Breen (Beaufort), J Brosnan (Glenbeigh/Glencar); E Clifford (Laune Rangers), P Kilkenny (Glenbeigh/Glencar), S O’Brien (Beaufort); R Murphy (Beaufort), D Houlihan (Cromane); F Clifford (Laune Rangers), E O’Connor (Milltown/Castlemaine), K Evans (Keel); K Dennehy (Beaufort), L Carey (Beaufort), C Teahan (Glenbeigh/Glencar).

Subs: C McGillicuddy (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for Murphy (27 mins), J O’Connor (Beaufort) for Teahan (47 mins), D Mangan (Laune Rangers) for Wrenn (58 mins), D Cleary (Laune Rangers) for F Clifford (59 mins).

WEST KERRY: T Pierce (Annascaul); C Moriarty (Annascaul), C O Murchu (An Ghaeltacht), T Moriarty (Castlegregory); P Og O Se (An Ghaeltacht), PJ MacLaimh (An Ghaeltacht), B O Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht); R O Se (An Ghaeltacht), J Hickson (Annascaul); C O’Grady (Castlegregory), D O Se (An Ghaeltacht), J Crean (Annascaul); K Falvey (Annascaul), C O Muircheartaigh (An Ghaeltacht), E O Conchuir (An Ghaeltacht).

Subs: M Scanlon (Castlegregory) for C Moriarty (37 mins), M Manning (Lispole) for Hickson (42 mins), S O Conchuir (An Ghaeltacht) for O’Grady (47 mins), J Scanlon (Annascaul) for O Muircheartaigh (51 mins), C Kennedy (Lispole) for P Og O Se (58 mins).

Referee: E Walsh (Rathmore).