Kerry SFC: Four-goal Kenmare ease past North Kerry into quarter-finals

Kenmare will face Austin Stacks in the Kerry SFC quarter-finals. 

Jack Tangney of Kenmare Shamrocks in action against Eddie Healy of North Kerry during Garvey's SuperValu Kerry Senior Football County Championship Round 3 game in the Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Kerry SFC round 1: Kenmare Shamrocks 4-15 North Kerry 1-12 

A pair of goals in each half saw Kenmare Shamrocks produce a dominant display to defeat North Kerry, and book their place in the Kerry SFC last eight.

James McCarthy and Jack Tangney led the scoring charge for Kenmare with a brace of goals in each half. 

North Kerry had started brightly. Two pointers from Cormac Dillon and Robert Stack saw them settle into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the 11th minute. Kenmare began to find their rhythm, with Tom Murnane and Tangney narrowing the gap, while a brilliant defensive intervention from Sean O’Shea denied Cillian Trant what looked like a certain goal at the other end.

James McCarthy then turned the game on its head with a stunning burst from defence in the 20th minute, slotting home to the bottom corner after excellent work from David Hallissey. Two minutes later, Tommy Cronin’s free stretched the lead to three, and although Murnane was denied by Kevin O’Connor’s feet moments later, McCarthy struck again on the half-hour mark, racing clear to fire home his second goal. Kenmare held a 2-5 to 0-6 lead at the interval.

Any hopes of a North Kerry fightback were quickly extinguished after the restart. Within two minutes, Tangney palmed to the net after a clever exchange with Paul O’Connor, making it 3-5 to 0-7. Cronin, Dara Crowley, and Jack O’Sullivan added points as Kenmare surged 3-9 to 0-7 ahead by the 43rd minute.

North Kerry battled gamely, with Ruairi O’Connell and Dillon replying, but as they tried to rattle the net, they found Kenmare net minder Kieran Fitzgibbon in inspired form, saving superbly from Jack Kennelly and Robert Stack in quick succession. 

Joe Joe Grimes did finally break through with a thunderous goal into the top corner on 54 minutes, followed by a Trant point to narrow the gap to six.

However, Sean O’Shea’s monstrous 55-metre free swung momentum back to Kenmare, and then the result was put beyond doubt when Tangney’s late effort at a point deceived O’Connor and dropped into the net. Kenmare finished with a flurry in the final minutes of proceedings, seeing out an impressive display in the end.

Scorers for Kenmare Shamrocks: J Tangney 2-2, J McCarthy 2-0, T Murnane, T Cronin (1tp) S O’Shea (1tpf) 0-3 each, D Crowley, J O’Sullivan, E McCarthy, T O’Sullivan 0-1 each 

Scorers for North Kerry: JJ Grimes 1-1, C Dillon 0-4 (1tpf, 1f), R O’Connell, R Stack (1tp) 0-2 each, E Healy, D Mulvihill, C Trant 0-1 each 

NORTH KERRY: K O’Connor (Ballyduff); M Kennedy (Listowel Emmets), J Foley (Ballydonoghue), D Maher (Duagh); E Healy (Listowel Emmets), P Walsh (Listowel Emmets), C Kennelly (St Senan’s); JJ Grimes (Listowel Emmets), C Trant (St Senan’s); R Stack (Beale), E Boyle (Ballyduff), B Ó Seanacháin (Ballydonoghue); C Dillon (Duagh), R O’Connell (St Senan’s), D Mulvihill (Tarbert).

Subs: J Kennelly (Ballydonoghue) for B Ó Seanacháin (h/t), S Enright (Tarbert) for D Maher (h/t), C Sweeney (Listowel Emmets) for E Boyle (42), D O’Shea (Ballydonoghue) for K O’Connor (60+1), Darragh Lynch (Listowel Emmets) for E Healy (60+4) 

KENMARE SHAMROCKS: K Fitzgibbon; C O’Sullivan, J McCarthy, T Cronin; D O’Shea, D O’Connor, D Crowley; J O’Sullivan, J Lehane; D Hallissey, S O’Shea, P O’Connor; J Tangney, D O’Sullivan, T Murnane.

Subs: S O’Sullivan for T Cronin (Blood 7–10), E McCarthy for P O’Connor (39), Shane O’Sullivan for J Lehane (46), T O’Sullivan for T Cronin (60+1), Liam O’Sullivan for D Crowley (60+1) 

Referee: P O’Sullivan (Firies)