St Kieran's advance to quarter-finals after defeating Feale Rangers

St Kieran's GAA Kerry. Pic: St Kieran's GAA

Kerry SFC Group 2

ST KIERAN’S 4-14 FEALE RANGERS 0-13 

Three first half goals propelled St Kieran’s to an expected convincing victory over already eliminated Feale Rangers as the winners advanced to the quarter-finals of the Kerry SFC following this Group 2 Round 3 clash at Frank Sheehy Park in Listowel.

The hosts, minus the majority of the Emmets’ contingent, deserve credit for making the game a competitive affair all the way to the finish, but the needless concession of a couple of the green flags meant they were always fighting a losing battle.

Top scorer Paul Walsh (he finished with 2-5) was the main beneficiary of poor Feale Rangers defending in the opening half, the Brosna man swooping for goals in the fourth and 17th minutes (the second seeing the ball go all the way to the net from a 45 metre free).

Sean Horan set up brother Eddie for the winners’ third goal in the 24th minute as they went on to lead by eleven points at half-time (3-6 to 0-4). To be fair to Feale Rangers, they could have had two goals themselves, from Darragh Lynch and Barry Mahony, but the breaks didn’t go their way.

The home team kept plugging away on the resumption, the excellent Cormac Dillon, Cillian Trant, Lynch and Ted Moloney leading the way, but St Kieran’s, utilizing their bench to good effect, were always in control of proceedings, with Niall Collins a most sprightly arrival into the fray.

The Ballymacelligott youngster, a Kerry minor like Dillon in 2022, notched 1-2 on his introduction, copper-fastening the St Kieran’s victory with their fourth goal in the 55th minute. Fergus Fitzmaurice’s charges will be difficult opposition for anybody in the last eight in a fortnight’s time.

Scorers for St Kieran’s: P Walsh 2-5 (1-2fs), N Collins 1-2, E Horan 1-1, A Barry 0-4 (0-2fs), S Og O Ciardubháin 0-2 (‘45s).

Scorers for Feale Rangers: C Dillon 0-7 (0-5fs), D Lynch 0-3, T Moloney 0-2, S Stack 0-1.

ST KIERAN’S: S Og O Ciardubháin (Cordal); J McElligott (Knocknagoshel), L Brosnan (Castleisland Desmonds), B Leonard (Castleisland Desmonds); M Hickey (Castleisland Desmonds), E Horan (Scartaglin), S Horan (Scartaglin); C Brosnan (Currow), T Brick (Ballymacelligott); P O’Connor (Cordal), D Keane (Ballymacelligott), A Donoghue (Castleisland Desmonds); P Walsh (Brosna), A Barry (Brosna), T Lynch (Castleisland Desmonds).

Subs: N Collins (Ballymacelligott) for C Brosnan (41 mins), T Fitzgerald (Brosna) for L Brosnan (41 mins), V Horan (Ballymacelligott) for Keane (41 mins), C McElligott (Knocknagoshel) for E Horan (50 mins), S O’Connell (Cordal) for S Horan (53 mins).

FEALE RANGERS: D O’Keeffe (Duagh); S O Caoimh (Duagh), A O’Connor (Duagh), E Stack Mulvihill (Moyvane); O Kennelly (Moyvane), D Maher (Duagh), S Leahy (Moyvane); S Stack (Moyvane), C Trant (St Senan’s); T Scanlon (Duagh), B Mahony (St Senan’s), T Moloney (Duagh); A Behan (St Senan’s), D Lynch (Listowel Emmets), C Dillon (Duagh).

Subs: J McVeigh (Listowel Emmets) for Leahy (37 mins), J Wallace (Finuge) for Behan (37 mins).

REFEREE: E Moriarty (Dingle).