Cliffords rested but East Kerry still stroll past youthful South
Eoghan O'Sullivan East Kerry (RED) and Conor O'Leary South Kerry in action at Austin Stack Park.
East Kerry could enjoy the luxury of resting the Clifford brothers Paudie and David and still prove too strong for a young South Kerry outfit in the County SFC Group 1 Round 1 game played before a small crowd at the Austin Stack Park.
Other East Kerry stars missing included Ruairi Murphy, Kieran Murphy, Paul O’Shea, Paudie O’Leary and Niall Donohue, but they were always in control in a mediocre opening half, when they only managed to convert 7/15 scoring chances from play. They still held the lion’s share of possession with Dara Roche excelling on the edge of the square.
The opening score of the game didn’t arrive until the fifth minute when a shot from Patrick Darcy came back off the post for Dara Roche to pounce and drill the ball to the back of the South Kerry net.
South Kerry responded with a free from Keith Brennan following a foul on the dangerous Ian O’Sullivan. Roche from a free and Patrick Darcy from play added points for East Kerry as they moved 1-2 to 0-1 ahead after 10 minutes before South Kerry created a goal chance. But the pass from Ian O’Sullivan was a tad too high for Emmet Daly who managed to tip it over the bar rather than into the net.
East Kerry dominated the next 10 minutes but only managed two points, both from play and both spectacular efforts from Dara Roche, as East Kerry moved 1-4 to 0-2 in front.
The game temporarily came to life in the 23rd minute when South Kerry struck for a well-taken goal when Fionan Clifford sent Emmet Daly through and he rounded a defender before slipping the ball beneath the keeper to the back of the net.
Cian Gammell and Luke Crowley added points for East Kerry, who really never hit top gear in the opening half. An error at the back by East Kerry saw keeper Brian Kelly concede a 45 which South Kerry keeper Austin Murphy converted. It was fitting that Dara Roche should bookend the first half with a beauty from play as East Kerry retired 1-7 to 1-3 in front.
A contest briefly broke out on resumption when three unanswered South Kerry points from Ian O’Sullivan, Keith Brennan and Emmet Daly closed the gap to just two points 1-8 to 1-6.
But Fossa star Emmet O’Shea killed off the game as a contest when he kicked two points and then struck for a goal with an audacious lob over the South Kerry keeper. It was too much for a young South Kerry side that had 11 players U-21. Emmet O’Shea sealed the victory with his second goal in the 56th minute.
E O’Shea (2-2), D Roche (1-5, 2fs), D O’Sullivan and P Darcy (0-2), L Crowley (0-1)
E Daly (1-5, 1f), I O’Sullivan (0-3, 2fs), K Brennan (0-2, 1f), J Daly (0-1) Teams:
B Kelly (Killarney Legion); D Callaghan (Kilcummin), J Sherwood (Firies), O Fitzgerald (Gneeveguilla); C Gammell (Killarney Legion), P Warren (Gneeveguilla), D O’Brien (Glenflesk); D Lyne (Killarney Legion), Ronan Buckley (Listry); D O’Sullivan (Kilgarvan), P Darcy (Glenflesk), E O’Sullivan (Killarney Legion); L Crowley (Glenflesk), D Roche (Glenflesk), E O’Shea (Fossa).
C Lynch (Glenflesk) for O Fitzgerald (35), S O’Leary (Kilcummin) for P Warren (44), F Murphy (Legion) for E O’Sullivan (50), M Rennie (Fossa) for L Crowley (53), R Colleran (Fossa) for D Callaghan (57 inj)
A Murphy (Reenard); B Kelly (Reenard), D O’Sullivan (St Marys), O Moran (St Marys); D Scanlon (St Michaels/Foilmore), C O’Donoghue (St Marys), F O’Sullivan (Skellig Rangers); G O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), F Clifford (Waterville); C O’Leary (Reenard), J Clifford (St Michaels/Foilmore), R O’Shea (Skellig Rangers); I O’Sullivan (St Michaels/Foilmore), K Brennan (Skellig Rangers), E Daly ( Valentia).
Subs: C Clifford (St Michaels/Foilmore) for F O’Sullivan (42), A O’Neill (Reenard) for K Brennan (44), A Curran (Reenard) for B Kelly (45), J Daly (St Marys) for D Scanlon (54), W Galvin (Reenard) for C O’Leary (54)
P Hayes (Kerins O’Rahillys)
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