Ryan brothers inspire Rathmore to O'Rahillys scalp 

SCORING THREAT: Shane Ryan of Rathmore. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Rathmore 1-20 Kerins O’Rahillys 0-13 

Kerry Intermediate champions Rathmore made a bright start to life in the Senior grade, overcoming holders Kerins O’Rahillys on a windy and rain-sodden evening in Fitzgerald Stadium.

Paul Murphy showed his class and experience to score 1-2 in the contest, Shane Ryan helping himself to three points, while Chrissy Spiers hit 0-6 in a game very much of two halves.

Rathmore led 1-12 to 0-06 at the break, weathering a Strand Road storm in the second half, they finished with a flurry to have a ten-point margin between them. O’Rahillys now needs to dust themselves off, notably after Tommy Walsh went off injured, another blow for them in this first-round tie.

Rathmore started brightly as James Darmody and Chrissy Spiers put two between them but after five minutes the sides were level, as Tom Hoare and Shane McElligott found their range for the Strand Road side. Darragh O’Connor had Rahillys ahead with a free eight minutes in a tight tussle in the early minutes shared 0-3 to 0-2 on the scoreboard.

Towards the end of the opening quarter Rathmore hit their stride, Spiers with two wonderful points, Darmody almost got on the end of a pass across goal but Robert O’Connor saved with ease, the half-forward settled for a point a minute later, ahead 0-5 to 0-3.

Shane Ryan kept the scoring up with a long-range effort from the Rahillys 45, before Ben Hanafin raced up to end a ten-minute spell without a score. Barry John Keane helped put two between them with a strike off his left.

Rathmore, with Cathal and Mark Ryan, dominant at midfield stealing seven of the Strand Road kick-outs and winning all but one of their own hit a purple patch with points from Brendan O’Keeffe, Paul Murphy and Shane Ryan with a chipped point.  

O’Connor floated over another free for the Tralee side, but approaching half-time, another kick-out was lost by Shane McElligott as Paul Murphy picked his pocket and the Kerry star strolled through on goal and shot low to the net. 

Spiers and Shane Ryan capped off a great opening half to see Rathmore leading 1-12 to 0-06 at the interval and Kerins O’Rahillys had a mountain to climb.

The Tralee, side to their credit, rallied and points from Tom Hoare, a Diarmuid O’Sullivan brace from 45s, another from a free, Conor Hayes and Tommy Walsh closed the gap to 1-14 to 0-12 after 42 minutes.

But when Rathmore needed inspiration and a score, Paul Murphy kicked a superb point to extend the lead to six and the Kerins O’Rahillys bubble burst.

Rathmore finished strong, Spiers, Dan Murphy, Cathal Ryan, Mark Ryan and Spiers again added those late scores, as Tommy Walsh went over on his ankle chasing a Barry John Keane shot that came back off the post. 

Alan Dineen, Brendan O’Keeffe, Dan Murphy, Andrew Moynihan and Brian Friel had big games along with the Ryan brothers and Paul Murphy. 

Rathmore will not fear anyone in the senior ranks.

Scorers for Rathmore: C Spiers (0-6, 3f), P Murphy (1-2), S Ryan (0-3), J Darmody, B O’Keeffe (0-2 each), F Murphy, C Ryan, M Ryan, D Murphy, C Collins (0-1 each) 

Kerins O’Rahillys: D O’Sullivan (0-3, 2 45’, 1F), BJ Keane (0-2), T Hoare (0-2, 1F), Darragh O’Connor (0-2, all frees), S McElligott, B Hanafin, T Walsh, C Hayes (0-1 each) 

RATHMORE: K O’Keeffe; T O’Doherty, A Dineen, D Murphy; B O’Keeffe, P Murphy, A Moynihan; M Ryan, C Ryan; J Darmody, B Friel, F Murphy, J Moynihan, S Ryan, C Spiers.

Subs: C Collins for Darmody (35), C Dineen for T O'Doherty (50) KERINS O’RAHILLYS: R O’Connor, J Foley, R O’Callaghan, D McElligott, S McElligott, C Barrett, B Hanafin; D Moran, D O’Sullivan; C Coffey, BJ Keane, T Hoare, D O’Connor, T Walsh, C Hayes.

Subs: G Savage for B Hanafin (37), S Brosnan for D O'Connor (42), P Griffin for T Walsh (inj 50), S Pituch for R O'Callaghan (57), D Bowler for S McElligott (58) 

Referee: B Fleming (Currow)