'It's an absolute disgrace' - Na Gaeil boss blasts Kerry system as Kerins O’Rahillys relegated

The famous Tralee club drop out of the senior ranks after a dramatic playoff showdown.

SURVIVAL: Na Gaeil Manager Paul Fitzmaurice at Austin Stack GAA Grounds Tralee. Picture: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus

Late drama in Austin Stack Park as for the first time in their history Kerins O’Rahillys were relegated from the Kerry Senior Championship. 

Dara Devine struck 1-1 late in extra-time to seal the contest and ensure Na Gaeil survived and Kerins O’Rahillys take the drop to the Intermediate ranks, on a 1-17 to 0-16 scoreline.

Na Gaeil boss Paul Fitzmaurice admits that Na Gaeil did it the hard way: "We did. Look, we were saying all week coming in it's a game no one aspires to win, but the priority is not to lose it and we are happy with that.” 

The Dingle native says he feels for Kerins O’Rahillys and he took a swipe at the current SFC format. 

“Well the game ebbed and flowed but I will deviate from that, personally I think that was the best game in the County Championship so far this year, hands down.

"Kerins O’Rahillys are in a position, nobody wants to be in, but they cannot come out and say this because it might be deemed as sore losers, but I think it's an absolute disgrace that after that performance today that effort, everything they invested in, not just this year every year, that they are gone from the County Championship an established club. 

"And there's Districts that won no game in the County Championship this year. And one District gathered points from a walkover from another. And all those teams can play uncontested, unquestioned in a County Championship next year is wrong.” 

On the game, Fitzmaurice felt his side worked very hard: “You could say in the first 20 minutes of the first half, we were kind of playing second fiddle. Now we worked ferociously well, hard, we chased everything down. We were chaotic in everything we did off the ball. But what was our downfall in those 20 minutes was we were just as chaotic with the ball when we had it after winning back. 

"In the second half fellas calmed down, settled down, they grew into the game and I think from that 12th minute on in the second-half, we did control it and we probably should've won that game in normal time.” 

Kerins O’Rahillys manager John O’Connor was magnanimous in defeat but revealed that the feeling in the dressing room was one of devastation. “The dressing room they’re absolutely devastated really," he said. "I suppose look we can be crying now about this system and saying it's unfair, but look I suppose to be to be honest, that's a conversation for another day. I suppose look you know it was a ding-dong battle, we missed a few scores there, few rubbed off the wrong side of the post, in a game like that, a tight game, you need to take those scores especially when bodies are getting tired and as bodies went down all over the place with cramp.

“I can't question the lads' commitment; they died out on the field. It's hugely disappointing for our club, we are a proud club we’ve had a long, I think maybe possibly even the longest stint as a senior club maybe in the County and it's obviously devastating for not just the team but everyone involved around the club. I just hope that the County Board at some stage see sense, I know it's raw at the moment but this is a very very harsh and even last year, Austin Stacks, it's just so harsh that you made a Munster club final one year and get a run of a couple of bad run of games in your relegation match.

"I don't know there has to be a better system but look I just want to congratulate Na Gaeil; they've been doing tremendous work there the last few years with underage and their thriving. I just want to congratulate them, I spoke to their management afterwards and they felt the very same way, like that is just such a harsh, harsh system.”