Kerry club SFC: Powerful second-half performance sees Na Gaeil top group
Diarmuid O'Connor of Na Gaeil. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Na Gaeil have posted back-to-back wins after proving far too strong for Templenoe after last week’s win over Austin Stacks.
They top Group 1, and have a two-in-three chance of being one of the two sides that will get a bye to club semis, with one group topper having to play in the quarter finals.
It was a game where Na Gaeil got it tactically spot on.
Stefan Okunbor man-marked Templenoe danger man Killian Spillane, who only managed two points from play. Jack Barry was joined by Oisin Maunsell at midfield, while Diarmuid O’Connor started on the forty but eventually played in the corner, where he was the ideal target man.
Maunsell, who is the Kerry senior hurling captain, but also led the Kerry minor football team in 2020, has returned from helping Abbeydorney retain their SHC title. His return has boosted Na Gaeil in the scoring stakes, adding three points to the 1-2 scored last week against Stacks.
He gave a near faultless performance along with the three Barry brothers, Jack Doyle and Tomás Ó hAiniféin.
Templenoe had to win by nine points or more and they started brightly, kicking two points inside the opening five minutes as the home side won most of the breaking ball at midfield.
Slowly but surely, however, Na Gaeil began to win possession in the middle third as Tadgh Morley was trying to keep Diarmuid O’Connor quiet.
Na Gaeil were, however, being punished for some indiscipline as the half wore on.
The visitors did not play well in the opening half despite a superb Diarmuid O’Connor goal in the 17th minute, which appeared to act as a wakeup call. Na Gaeil only led by two at the interval (1-7 to 0-8), but whatever was said at half time worked.
They resumed a transformed side and, driven on by Jack Barry at midfield and his brother Fergal and Andrew in the half back line, they assumed complete control, outscoring the home side 0-11 to 1-2, and Gavin Crowley would admit that his goal was shade fortuitous.
Crowley, Kieran O’Neill, Tadgh Morley and John Rice tried hard for Templenoe, but they failed to convert two decent goal chances in the opening half and they could not handle Na Gaeil’s running game in the second.
After Killian Spillane opened the scoring in the second half, Dara Devine and Oisin Maunsell pushed Na Gaeil three in front again but when a Mark Casey rocket came back off a post, Gavin Crowley was on hand to finish to the net in the 38th minute and level the contest at 1-9 apiece.
But that was as good as it got as Na Gaeil took over and they scored five unanswered points, from Dara Devine, Conor Bohane, Jack Doyle, Sean O’Connor and Jack Sheehan, and it was game over as Na Gaeil cruised to an eight-point win.
D O’Connor (1-2, 1f). D Devine (0-4, 3fs), O Maunsell (0-3), J Doyle (0-2), J Barry, C Bohane (’45), F Barry, K O’Connor, S O’Connor, J Sheehan and S Okunbor (0-1 each)
K Spillane (0-7, 5fs), G Crowley (1-1), C Crowley (0-2, 2pf).
M Looney; M Hallissey, K O’Neill, C Crowley; G Crowley, J Spillane, J Rice; S Sheehan, T Morley; Colin Crowley, Mark Casey, B Crowley; K Spillane, A Spillane, M O’Reilly.
A Crowley for John Rice (46), K McCarthy for M Reilly (46), R O'Byrne for A Spillane (55), P Clifford for B Crowley (55).
C Bohane; N O’Mahony, S Okunbor, J Doyle; E O’Connor, A Barry, F Barry; J Barry, O Maunsell; J O’Connor, T Ó hÁiniféin, K O’Connor: D O’Connor, D Devine, J Sheehan.
P Doyle for J O'Connor (35), S O'Connor for K O'Connor (44), R Ó hAiniféin for J Sheehan (50), K O'Donovan for J Sheehan (55), R O'Neill for Niall O'Mahony (58).
E Walsh (Rathmore).
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