Kerry SHC: Late Ballyduff surge earns win and eliminates Crotta

Ballyduff earned their first win of the championship while Crotta lost their second game and have been eliminated.

Podge Boyle scored 1-11 for Ballyduff in the victory over Crotta O'Neill's. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Kerry SHC: Ballyduff 1-20 Crotta O'Neill's 1-18

2023 champions Crotta O’Neill's crashed out of the championship when they were defeated by last year’s beaten finalists Ballyduff after a dramatic encounter that could have gone either way.

It was a game that Crotta O’Neills simply had to win after their two-point first round loss to St Brendan's. They were boosted by the return of Kerry senior football panelist Cillian Trant and Kerry senior hurler Seanie McGrath and for long periods of the game, they looked the most likely winners.

But Ballyduff superbly led by JP O’Carroll, Kyle O’Connor and Paud Costello at the back and Podge Boyle up front, battled their way back into the game before snatching victory at the death thanks to a very fortuitous goal.

Crotta had Trant imperious at midfield having little difficulty adjusting from the big ball to small ball and he was ably assisted by Rory Mahony, Shane Nolan and Jordan Conway but they were not posting enough scores with the wind.

It was 0-5 to 0-4 to Crotta by the end of the opening quarter with points from Jordan Conway (2), Barry Mahony, Shane Nolan and Seanie McElligott while Podge (2) and Evan Boyle, along Dylan Moriarty, replied for Ballyduff.

By the 20th minute, Crotta had stretched 0-10 to 0-5 in front thanks to points from Jordan Conway (2), Nolan (2) and Oisin Heaton but they were also guilty of shooting seven wides.

But Ballyduff, with Evan Boyle and Darragh Slattery playing pivotal roles, closed the gap to 0-12 to 0-8 at half-time thanks to two Podge Boyle frees and a superb point by Jack Enright.

Nolan and Boyle kept swapping scores in the second half as the sides were deadlocked at 0-16 apiece at the end of the third quarter.

Nolan pushed Crotta one point clear in the 50th minute but that was the last time they led. Evan and Podge Boyle had the Duffers one in front but Nolan leveled in the 59th minute at 0-18 apiece.

Then in a pulsating and dramatic added time Podge Boyle sent in a free from his own forty five that somehow ended up in the Crotta net. Luke Rochford and Stefan Carrig added the insurance points. Shane Nolan drilled a last second free to net but it was too little too late for Crotta.

Scorers for Ballyduff: P Boyle (1-11, 1-10fs), E Boyle and J Enright (0-2 each), A Segal, A Kavanagh, D Moriarty, L Rochford and S Carrig (0-1 each) 

Scorers for Crotta O’Neills: S Nolan (1-8, 1-5fs), J Conway (0-3), B Mahony, C Trant and S McElligott (0-2 each), O Heaton (0-1) 

CROTTA O'NEILLS: D Sayers; D Nolan, B Keane, O Heaton; S McGrath, S Weir, Darragh O’Donoghue; J McKenna, C Trant; S McElligott, R Mahony, E O’Sullivan; S Nolan, B Mahony, J Conway 

Subs: T McKenna for D Nolan (h/t), C White for E O’Sullivan (44), D Kennelly for D O’Donoghue (47), P Quille for O Heaton (58) 

BALLYDUFF: D Quinlan; J P O’Carroll, P Costello, K O’Connor; D O’Carroll, D Slattery, E Boyle; A Segal, J Segal ; A Kavanagh, D Moriarty, K Boyle; P Boyle, J Enright, L Rochford 

Subs: S O’Connor for K Boyle (52), S Carrig for J Enright (60) 

Referee: M Sexton (Limerick)