Super Mac points the way as Listowel Emmets see off Ballymac fightback
Listowel Emmets captains Darragh Leahy and Niall Collins of Listowel Emmets with their team after winning the Kerry final Junior Premier final
Kerry Junior Premier Club Final
They said Kerry Club football was dead! But neither Listowel Emmets nor Ballymacelligott read the script. After an epic encounter of high drama and massive excitement, Listowel pushed on in extra-time for a three-point victory over a fancied Ballymacelligott side. Man of the match Jack McElligott played a massive part in getting the North Kerry side, who have Marc Ó Sé in their management team, over the line in a near two-hour humdinger.
Listowel’s passing precision in the first half was immense as they nearly got in for two goals in the opening minutes. As it was, they raced 0-4 to 0-1 ahead after six minutes with Ballymac looking slightly shellshocked.
The Division 1 side did manage to rally and drew level by the end of the first quarter at 0-5 apiece before the gap started to widen over the next 12 minutes. Emmets hit six without reply and only for the stray leg of Ballymac goalkeeper Christy Leen they would have fallen further behind with a third goal chance in the 17th minute.
Sean Keane hit two nice points for Listowel, while Ballymac full-back Dan O’Shea put over a score that ended their wait on the scoreboard. But Emmets’ Jack McElligott then went on a mazy run of nearly 60 metres in popping over a point that brought the crowd to its feet. Listowel’s advantage at the break was 0-13 to 0-6.
Although Ballymac appeared to have the breeze few would have convincingly predicted their second-half fightback. They hit 1-3 without reply in the third quarter as a number of goal chances came their way.
Their goal came in the 47th minute from a Daire Keane free that was fisted in by Brian Lonergan to leave just a point in it at 0-13 to 1-9. Joe Joe Grimes ended Listowel’s wait for a score but a David Keane free was their only other score until injury time. Substitute Ger McCarthy had a potential match-winner stopped by Leen’s head as Aidan Breen converted two frees to put Ballymac level four minutes into an announced additional five. Ballymac appeared to have completed a remarkable turnaround when Vinny Horan put them ahead for the very first time in the match at 1-13 to 0-15.
Listowel’s heads didn’t drop at that setback. Jack McElligott’s second point wasn’t as flashy as his first but it was the score that sent the game to extra-time in a cauldron of excitement in Tralee.
Listowel outscored Ballymac by 0-7 to 0-2 in the first period of extra-time as Darragh Lynch kicked some calming scores, but it still felt like the game was in the melting pot.
Ballymac went for goals in the second period of extra-time but they were denied a potential winner late on when Cathal Keane defied Niall Collins. Listowel will represent Kerry in the Munster Junior Club Championship buoyed on by the nature of this massive performance.
D Keane (0-5, 1f, 1m), J McElligott (0-4), JJ Grimes and S Keane (0-3), S Tarrant, B Sweeney and D Lynch (0-2 each), E Browne, C Holly and J Moriarty (0-1 each)
A Breen (0-8, 7f), B Lonergan (1-1, 1m), V Horan (0-3), D Keane and T O’Connor (0-2 each), D O’Shea and M Reidy (0-1 each)
C Keane; C Pierse, N Collins, E Healy; M Kennedy, E Browne, J McElligott; JJ Grimes, J McVeigh; S Keane, D Leahy, S Tarrant; B Sweeney, C Mulvihill, D Keane
G McCarthy for S Keane (H/T), A O’Rourke for C Mulvihill (43), D Lynch for J McVeigh (48), C Holly for S Tarrant (57), J Moriarty for G McCarthy (60 +3), T Melvin for C Pierse, R Smith for N Collins and S Glibert for E Healy (all ET)
C Leen; T O’Connor, D O’Shea, E Creedon; C Counihan, T Brick, D Sweeney; A Breen, M Reidy; N Collins, D Keane A Sheehy; D Daly, V Horan, B Lonergan
B Cassidy for A Sheehy (46), D Regan for N Collins (51), M Sweeney for C Counihan (59), N Collins for B Cassidy, A Sheehy for C Creedon and D Broderick for D Daly (inj) (all ET)
P O’Sullivan (Firies)
