Kerry club wrap: Austin Stacks and Legion lay down early markers

BACK IN ACTION: Kerry's Dylan Casey was back in action for Austin Stacks. File pic: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus Ltd

The layers may quibble as to who the outright favourites should be for this year’s Intermediate Club Championship between Austin Stacks and Killarney Legion, both senior clubs in unfamiliar territory, but Austin Stacks served a warning with a 2-18 to 1-8 win over Ballydonoghue that they intend their exile in the Intermediate ranks to be a short one.

Stacks, with Dylan Casey and Jack O’Shea back from Kerry duties, made light work of Ballydonoghue in Listowel. Sean Quilter was the main man for Stacks kicking 0-9 of their total with six coming from play and with David Mannix chipping in with 0-3, it was one way traffic. Donagh McKivergan and Colin Griffin added second half goals after Stacks led 0-10 to 0-5 at half-time with Quilter kicking 0-5 in that opening half. Paul Kennelly offered Ballydonoghue’s only resistance on the scoreboard kicking 1-4 but Stacks were mighty impressive.

Killarney Legion faced Currow who had been struggling in Division 2 of the County League and this was a blow out with Legion romping to a 1-20 to 0-8 win. Will Shine fired over 1-5 for the winners, Pater McCarthy scored 0-5 and Ryan O’Grady 0-3 as the Legion with eleven different scorers romped to a facile win.

Group A in the Intermediate Club has a host of previous Munster Club winners and there was a thrilling finish at the Spa grounds where Milltown/Castlemaine scored an injury time winner to beat Gneeveguilla by a point (1-12 to 1-11). This battle between two division one sides went right down to the wire and it took a 62nd minute point from David Roche to settle the issue. Milltown/Castlemaine lad narrowly at half time, 1-6 to 1-4 with Cathal Moriarty scoring an early goal for Milltown/Castlemaine but Shane O’Sullivan responded in kind for the East Kerry side. 

Eanna O’Connor with accurate free taking kept the mid Kerry side in front and in fact by the 50th minute Milltown/Castlemaine led 1-10 to 1-7 and looked in control. However, points from Shane O’Sullivan and top scorer John O’Leary closed the gap to a point and after a superb Eanna O’Connor point, it was a brace from John O’Leary which leveled the contest at 1-11 apiece heading into added time. David Roche then popped up with the Milltown/Castlemaine winner and they defended a late Gneeveguilla free for an important win.

Local rivals Glenbeigh/Glencar and Beaufort met in Killorglin with Beaufort pulling clear in the final quarter for a 1-18 to 0-13 win. Beaufort established a 1-9 to 0-4 half-time lead thanks to a Ciaran O’Sullivan goal and points from Darragh O’Connor (4), Fergal Hallissey (3) and Kieran Dennehy (2) while Gavin O’Grady, Caolim Teahan and Gavin O’Grady kept Glenbeigh/Glencar afloat.

Glenbeigh/Glencar closed the gap in the third quarter to just four (1-11 to 0-10) thanks some good scores from Gavin O’Grady, Caolim Teahan, Sean Roche, and Kieran Courtney but Beaufort went on a 0-7 to 0-3 run with points from Kieran Dennehy (2), Fergal Hallissey (2), Ronan Murphy, Darragh O’Connor, and Sean Brien for a deserved win.

Meanwhile in Group B following Fossa’s shock win over An Ghaeltacht, the pressure was on Glenflesk to beat St Marys and they emerged 2-15 to 1-10 winners. It was competitive with a Tadhg O’Connor goal for St Marys closing the gap to just four (1-13 to 1-9) in the 50th minute but Glenflesk kicked on thanks to a Patrick Darcy goal to add to a first half Dylan Roche goal in a game of ten yellow cards.

In the Junior Premier one of the favourites Ardfert lost out to Firies on a 3-11 to 1-15 scoreline but Tarbert had a big 3-11 to 1-9 win over Finuge. Last year’s beaten finalists Listry eventually saw off Churchill on a 0-10 to 0-7 score line with Aaron O’Shea scoring the first four points for Listry while Ronan Buckley and Sean Lehane, who top scored, were their best players.

There was also a major flare in Listry in the Junior Club on Sunday in game that finished in a draw between Ballyduff and Dromid Pearses 3-9 to 2-12 but in a 56th off the ball flare, six players were red carded by referee Billy O’Shea. Father and son Mikey and Killian Boyle for Ballyduff along with Kevin O’Connor while Donagh O’Sullivan, Padraig Mangan and Eoghan O’Leary saw red for Dromid.