Mid Kerry look the big threat to East Kerry reign

The division will face Dingle next Saturday in the first of the Kerry SFC semi-finals

Mid Kerry's Keith Evans

Kerry SFC quarter-final: Mid Kerry 1-19 Na Gaeil 1-7.

It was all too easy for Mid Kerry as they cruised into a Kerry SFC semi-final against Dingle by putting a below par Na Gaeil side to the sword with a 12-point win. In doing so, the division served notice that they could be East Kerry’s biggest threat.

There was little indication of what was to follow as Sean O’Brien fired over a superb point to level the contest after Dan Goggin had given Na Gaeil a dream start with a point inside the opening minute.

For the next 20 minutes though Mid Kerry threatened to overrun the club side with a power-packed display of running from the back and some slick forward play led to a succession of scores. By the 20th minute Mid Kerry had raced 1-9 to 0-2 in front, and were scoring at will. In the 8th minute a short kickout by Na Gaeil's Devon Burns did not reach Jack Barry and Cillian Burke intercepted before feeding Sean O’Brien who found Eanna O’Connor to find the net. 

Jack Sheehan finally ended 17 minutes without a score for Na Gaeil when he pointed but Gavin O’Grady replied. However there was a brief chink of light for the Tralee men when Kerry's Mike Breen was shown a black card in the 23rd minute for a foul on Diarmuid O’Connor. Devon Burns converted the resultant free from outside the ’45 and suddenly Na Gaeil, with the extra man, had a cause with quick fire points from Darragh Reen and Jack Barry. It got even better, albeit briefly, when Morgan Madden and Jack Sheehan exchanged passes before the former, a Kerry hurler, threaded the ball through Sean Coffey’s legs for a badly needed Na Gaeil goal. 

Mid Kerry might have been frustrated to change ends at 1-10 to 1-5 but they quickly set that right, taking over completely in the third quarter, with Fiachra Clifford coming in and kicking three points while Gavin Horan added to his growing reputation with two more. 

Na Gaeil never gave up with Diarmuid O’Connor, Jack Barry and Stefan Okunbor trying might and mane, and Niall O’Mahony striking the crossbar in injury time but it mattered very little. 

Scorers for Mid Kerry: E O’Connor (1-5, 1f); S O’Brien, F Clifford and G Horan (0-3 each); L Carey, D Cleary D Roche, D Houlihan, G O’Grady (f) (0-1 each).

Scorers for Na Gaeil: M Madden (1-0), D Reen (0-2), D Burns (f), J Barry, J Sheehan, J Barry and D Devine (f) (0-1 each).

MID KERRY: S Coffey (Beaufort); P Wrenn (Milltown/Castlemaine), N Breen (Beaufort), D Mangan (Laune Rangers); D Roche (Milltown/Castlemaine), M Breen (Beaufort), P Kilkenny (Glenbeigh/Glencar); S O’Brien (Beaufort), G Horan (Milltown/Castlemaine); D Houlihan (Cromane), C Burke (Milltown/Castlemaine), K Evans (Keel); G O’Grady (Glenbeigh/Glencar), L Carey (Beaufort), E O’Connor (Milltown/Castlemaine).

Subs: G Hassett (Laune Rangers) for L Carey (37); F Clifford (Laune Rangers) for K Evans (40); D Cleary (Laune Rangers) for G O’Grady (43); J Brosnan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for M Breen (50; C Teahan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for D Roche (53).

NA GAEIL: D Burns; E Doody, N O’Mahoney, J Doyle; M Madden, S Okunbor, D Bourke; D O’Connor, J Barry; K O’Donovan (JC), D Reen, J O’Connor, J Sheehan, D Devine, D Goggin. 

Subs: K O’Connor for J O’Connor (46), J Bourke for M Madden (48) R O’Neill for E Doody (50); R O’Sullivan for D Bourke (57, inj), D Cooney for D Devine (61), K O’Connor for D Reen (65).

Referee: P O’Sullivan (Firies).