Kerry SHC: Abbeydorney pummel newbies Tralee Parnells in one sided contest

Abbeydorney's Michael O'Leary. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Kerry SHC Group 2: Abbeydorney 1-27 Tralee Parnells 0-08 

Abbeydorney produced an empathic opening performance in this year’s Kerry Senior Hurling Championship, defeating Tralee Parnells by 22 points in Austin Stack Park on Sunday evening. Michael O’Leary was a big performer for Abbeydorney as he struck 0-11 in 40 minutes in the one sided affair.

This result sets up the Lixnaw and Abbeydorney meeting next weekend to determine who tops this Group, Abbeydorney are through to the quarter-final stage with Parnells having to go through the preliminary quarter finals.

Abbeydorney started brightly with Jack Sheehan sending over the opening score from 40 metres in the second minute. Abbeydorney built a seven point lead by the end of the first quarter.

Michael O’Leary, Mikey Clifford and Keith O’Connor all raised the white flag as Parnells were put under serious pressure from their puck outs. The Tralee side was on the board after 16 minutes, Stephen Morrissey with a long range effort dissecting the posts.

At the other end O’Leary hit a quick-fire double in response for a 0-9 to 0-1 lead after 18 minutes. A monster 80 metre free from Gearoid O’Doherty registered a second point for Parnells in the 20th minute, soon after the talisman for Parnells had to be carried off having picked up an injury.

The lead at the break would be 0-13 to 0-4 for the O’Dorney men, despite tallying 11 wides but they still had the firepower to bypass the Tralee side’s defence. Whatever damage was done going into the break, Abbeydorney put the issue beyond doubt with an explosive third quarter scoring spree.

O’Dorney struck the first nine scores in the second half and looked like a different team to what we saw in that opening period. Oisin O’Brien got Parnells' opening scores of the second half as they trailed 0-23 to 0-6 by the end of the third quarter.

Brendan O’Leary goaled minutes later and while Parnells never gave up until the long whistle, the result was always going the way of Abbeydorney as last year’s intermediate champions came face to face with the realities of senior championship.

Scorers for Abbeydorney: M O’Leary 0-11 (5fs, 1 ‘65), B O’Leary 1-1, D Egan, C O’Sullivan 0-3 each, J Sheehan 0-2, M Clifford, K O’Connor, D O’Leary, N O’Mahoney, O Maunsell (f), J Hannon, J O’Connor, 0-1 each 

Scorers for Tralee Parnells: O O’Brien 0-3 (2fs), S Healy 0-2 (1f), S Morrissey, G O’Doherty (f), J Sherman, (0-1 each) 

ABBEYDORNEY: C Bohane; K Dineen, S Egan, M Clifford; J O’Connor, R Donovan, J Maunsell; O Maunsell, N O’Mahoney; D O’Leary, C O’Sullivan, J Sheehan; D Egan, M O’Leary, K O’Connor.

Subs: B O’Leary for K O’Connor (h/t), T Hannafin for M O’Leary (41), J Parker for D O’Leary (43), J Hannon for D Egan (46), R Hannafin for N O’Mahoney (52) 

TRALEE PARNELLS: R Gilsenan; A Morrissey, D Keane, R Reen; D Maloney, T Brick, N Cassidy; M Madden, E O’Connor; C O’Riordan, S Morrissey, J Sherman; E Sheehy, G O’Doherty, O O’Brien.

Subs: T Reen for O’Doherty (24 inj), Shane Healy for S Morrissey, S Woulfe for J Sherman (Both 41), B Lyons for A Morrissey (48), J Downey for O’Riordan (50), J Sherman for O O’Brien (55 blood) 

Referee: C Maguire (Clare)