14-man St Kieran's edge through against Spa in Kerry SFC

Spa failed to register a score in the final 22 minutes. 

Divisional side St Kieran's are through to the Kerry SFC quarter-finals after a three-point victory over Spa. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE

Kerry SFC round 3: St Kieran's 1-12 Spa 1-9 

Holding their resilient opponents scoreless in the last 20-odd minutes, 14-man St Kieran’s kicked the game’s last three points to crawl past the winning post in this absorbing Kerry SFC Round 3 clash at Paddy Burke Memorial Park in Milltown.

Despite seeing corner-back Isaac Brosnan dismissed for a straight red card offence in the 37th minute, the divisional side dug deep when needed most. In that respect, the sin-binning of Spa wing-back Conor Stack during that period also helped their cause.

In the end, white flags from the magnificent Philip O’Connor, wing-back Micheál Reidy and late substitute John McMahon, proved to be the decisive scores, in a contest that produced some thrilling passages of football, albeit with a cagey final 15 minutes.

Indeed, Spa will regret the scoreable frees missed by Michael Foley and Cian Tobin that could have brought the sides to parity down the final stretch, with the injury-enforced withdrawal of lively replacement Luke O’Neill another significant blow.

St Kieran’s got off to a flyer, scoring two points within the opening minute, but, driven on by excellent corner-backs Eric O’Donoghue and Eoin Fitzgerald, and with Evan Cronin pulling the strings at centre-forward, the club side goaled in the 18th minute through David Spillane (1-3 to 0-4).

Pre-match favourites St Kieran’s were certainly not having things all their own way, but O’Connor was already getting into his stride on the ’40, and Adam Barry’s coolly dispatched penalty, following a foul on Cathal Brosnan, gave them the slightest of leads at half-time (1-6 to 1-5).

It was tit-for-tat for long spells on the resumption, but Sean O’Connell’s influence at midfield grew progressively stronger for St Kieran’s, with Jack O’Sullivan making a notable bench impact. Spa, despite their bravery, failed to register a score in the last 22 minutes.

Scorers for St Kieran’s: P O’Connor 0-4, A Barry 1-1 (1-0pen), M Reidy 0-2, T Brick, C McElligott, P Walsh, C Brosnan, J McMahon 0-1 each.

Scorers for Spa: Evan Cronin 0-4, D Spillane 1-1, C Tobin 0-3 (0-2fs), L O’Neill 0-1.

ST KIERAN’S: B Lonergan (Ballymacelligott); I Brosnan (Desmonds), B Leonard (Desmonds), J McElligott (Knocknagoshel); R Bourke (Desmonds), L Brosnan (Desmonds), M Reidy (Ballymacelligott); T Brick (Ballymacelligott), S O’Connell (Cordal); C McElligott (Knocknagoshel), P O’Connor (Cordal), N Collins (Ballymacelligott); P Walsh (Brosna), A Barry (Brosna), C Brosnan (Currow).

Subs: V Horan (Ballymacelligott) for C McElligott (ht), J O’Sullivan (Brosna) for Collins (35), E Horan (Scartaglin) for P Walsh (55), J Walsh (Knocknagoshel) for Bourke (57), J McMahon (Currow) for V Horan (60+3).

SPA: J O’Sullivan; E O’Donoghue, Eoghan Cronin, E Fitzgerald; C Stack, D O’Donoghue, C Spillane; O O’Neill, M Foley; T Cronin, Evan Cronin, L Spillane; D Spillane, M Horgan, C Tobin.

Subs: L O’Neill for L Spillane, inj (22), M Moynihan for T Cronin (45), R O’Neill for L O’Neill, inj (53).

Referee: E Moriarty (Dingle).