Paul Geaney inspired Dingle maul 13-man Milltown-Castlemaine to reach Kerry last eight

Geaney kicked eight points for Dingle. 

INSPIRATION: Paul Geaney of Dingle. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Exam Garveys Supervalu Kerry SFC Rd 3: Dingle 0-18 Milltown/Castlemaine 0-1 

It was a convincing performance by Dingle to advance to the quarter-final stage of the Kerry SFC, eighteen points without reply seeing them past 13 man Milltown-Castlemaine, who were abject on the day.

The Mid Kerry side battled hard but failed to take their chances. To add to their woes, Milltown-Castlemaine were reduced to 13 men for the final ten minutes after Gavin McKenna and David Roche were shown their marching orders.

Just one point in the third minute from Eanna O'Connor, which opened the scoring, was all Milltown-Castlemaine could conjure up, as Paul Geaney gave an exhibition of how to play in dreadful conditions for Dingle. The Kerry star kicked eight points, to continue his fine form in club colours.

Dingle would lay down the marker early in the opening half, scoring nine points without reply to lead 0-9 to 0-1 at the interval. 

Matthew Flaherty replied to O'Connor's opening score to put Dingle on the board after four minutes, before Geaney kicked them into a lead two minutes later. Further points from Geaney would stretch the lead 0-4 to 0-1 at the end of the quarter.

Dingle had the umpires busy with the white flag, Paul Geaney (f), Niall Geaney, Flaherty, Barry Dan O’Sullivan and Tom Leo O’Sullivan all kept the clinical West Kerry men on top.

And they would add to this with nine more in the second half. Dylan and Paul Geaney continued the impressive start for Dingle with the opening four points of the second half inside ten minutes. Conor O’Sullivan was soon black carded, but it was Dingle who maintained their advantage as Paul Geaney grew the lead 0-14 to 0-1 by the end of the third quarter with a free.

Tempers started to fray and in three minutes Gavin McKenna was shown a straight red card and David Riche a second yellow, as referee Edmund Walsh was kept busy taking down names. 

With the final four points the West Kerry side, at a pedestrian pace, moved into the quarter final. Paul and Dylan Geaney, along with Cathal Bambury and another from Tom Leo O’Sullivan, rounded off a dominant showing by Dingle.

Scorers for Dingle: P Geaney 0-8 (5fs, 1m), D Geaney 0-3 (1f, 1m), M Flaherty, TL O’Sullivan 0-2 each, BD O’Sullivan, N Geaney, C Bambury 0-1 each 

Scorers for Milltown/Castlemaine: E O’Connor 0-1f 

DINGLE: G Curran; S Óg Ó Moran, C O’Sullivan, M Flannery; B O’Connor, D O’Sullivan, TL O’Sullivan; BD O’Sullivan, L O'Connor; B Devane, M Flaherty, N Geaney; D Geaney, P Geaney, T Browne Subs: C Bambury for B Devane (42), E De Hóra for C O’Sullivan (53), M Ó Beoláin for M Flaherty (55), S De Hóra for G Curran (57), 

MILLTOWN/CASTLEMAINE: C Leane; G McKenna, P Wrenn; A Kelliher; K O’Carroll, D Roche, D Hogan; D Dennehy, G Horan; B Casey, E O’Connor, C Spillane; J O’Sullivan, C Moriarty, S Roche.

Subs: S Hogan for E O’Connor (h/t), K Kerins for D Hogan (h/t), J Dennehy for S Roche (42), A Barrett for J O’Sullivan (53) 

Referee: E Walsh (Rathmore)