KINGDOM CAPTAIN COLM Cooper’s hopes of claiming a third successive county senior football crown with his club Dr Crokes will be determined by a third round meeting with East Kerry after the Killarney club were paired with the divisional outfit in yesterday’s third round Kerry SFC draw.
The date for the local derby has yet to be decided and will be determined by Kerry’s progress in the All-Ireland championship qualifiers after they were paired with Westmeath in this morning’s round two draw in a match that will take place on the weekend of July 14th-15th. The meeting of 2010 beaten finalists Austin Stacks and 2009 champions South Kerry, which will see Kerry stars Kieran Donaghy, Killian Young, Bryan Sheehan and Declan O’Sullivan all in action, is the glamour tie from the third round draw.
There will be a Mid Kerry derby between Laune Rangers and Milltown/Castlemaine while St Kieran’s face Kerins O’Rahilly’s and Kilcummin will play Dingle. Last year’s club championship winners Rathmore face fellow East Kerry representatives Legoin while St Michael’s-Foilmore will battle against Kenmare.
KERRY SFC THIRD ROUND DRAW: Feale Rangers a bye; Kilcummin v Dingle; St Michael’s-Foilmore v Kenmare; Rathmore v Legion; St Kieran’s v Kerins O’Rahilly’s; South Kerry v Austin Stacks; Laune Rangers v Milltown/Castlemaine; Dr Crokes v East Kerry.
Meanwhile six of the quarter-finalists in this year’s Mayo senior football championship are known after the weekend’s group stage action. In Group 1, Garrymore and Knockmore both reached the last eight with Garrymore defeating Shrule-Glencorrib by 1-11 to 1-7 while Knockmore beat Aghamore by 0-8 to 1-4. In Group 2 Castlebar Mitchels secured top spot with a 2-9 to 1-7 victory over Ballinrobe. The remaining qualification spot in this group will be contested by Ballinrobe, Crossmolina and Kiltane in the final stage of the round-robin games.
In Group 3 reigning champions Ballintubber, who are bidding for a three-in-a-row this year, nailed down a spot in the last eight with a 1-13 to 0-9 victory over Davitt’s. Claremorris reached the quarter-final’s as well with a success in this group against Breaffy by a 1-13 to 0-8 margin. Finally in Group 4, Ballaghadereen ensured they will participate in the quarter-finals with a 1-10 to 1-8 success against Westport. All the remaining sides in this group – Westport, Tourmakeady and Ballina – still harbor ambitions of reaching the quarter-finals.
In Tipperary, there was a high-scoring draw between reigning county champions Drom-Inch and Loughmore-Castleiney in the Mid Tipperary SHC semi-final as their clash finished 2-21 apiece. Elsewhere in the first round of the county senior hurling championship in the Premier county, there were successes for Kildangan, Burgess, Lorrha-Dorrha, Moneygall and Roscrea over the weekend.
