DINGLE AND MID Kerry have joined East Kerry and Rathmore in next week’s county SFC semi-finals after they won Sunday’s two remaining quarter-finals in Killarney.
The semi-final draw has pitted Sunday’s two winners, Mid Kerry and Dingle, against each other in a game scheduled for next Saturday in Tralee, while Saturday’s quarter-final winners, Rathmore and East Kerry, will meet in Killarney on Sunday.
Dingle 0-20
Templenoe 1-9
In the end it was as easy as perhaps it was expected it might be, but for the briefest of periods in the third quarter Dingle went behind to a Templenoe goal and had to gird themselves for a fourth-quarter push.
That they did steady themselves and win the last 25 minutes by 0-11 to 0-2 says much of their poise and patience, not to mind their precision in front of the target. Again, the Geaney cousins were to the fore – Paul, Conor, Dylan and Niall all scoring, with 14 points between them, eight from play.
Templenoe played their part in what was a competitive contest for 42 minutes, but the loss of Kerry panellist Adrian Spillane before the game through injury was a blow they simply could not absorb.
The underdogs took an early two-point lead, but once Dingle got to the rhythm of the game they worked themselves into a 0-7 to 0-3 lead after 24 minutes. Points from Colin Crowley and Killian Spillane made it a two-point game at half-time, 0-7 to 0-5.
Still two behind after 36 minutes, Brian Crowley slipped Stephen O’Sullivan through the Dingle defence for a coolly dispatched goal to give Templenoe the lead.
Dingle, though, were unflinching, and points from Matthew Flaherty and two from Conor Geaney in three minutes had Dingle back in front, and they never looked back from there.
DINGLE: Gavin Curran; Conor Flannery, Conor O’Sullivan, Tom Leo O’Sullivan; Niall Geaney 0-1, Tom O’Sullivan 0-1, Brian O’Connor 0-1, Mark O’Connor, Billy O’Connor, Mikey Geaney, Dylan Geaney 0-3, Darragh O’Sullivan, Conor Geaney 0-5 (1f, 1m), Paul Geaney 0-5 (2f, 2m); Cathal Bambury 0-3.
Subs: Matthew Flaherty 0-1 for Tom O’Sullivan (HT), Micheál Flannery for Darragh O’Sullivan (42), Tom O’Sullivan for Conor O’Sullivan (50), Paul Devane for Cathal Bambury (51), Eoghan Hoare for Billy O’Connor (62).
TEMPLENOE: Mark Looney, Michael Hallissey, Kieran O’Neill, Mark Casey, Gavin Crowley, Tadhg Morley, Martin Reilly, Sean Sheehan, Daniel Crowley 0-1, Stephen O’Sullivan 1-0, Patrick Clifford, Colin Crowley 0-1, Killian Spillane 0-5 (2f, 1m), Brian Crowley, Aidan Crowley 0-2 (1f).
Subs: Kieran McCarthy for M Hallissey (temp, 5-11), Kieran McCarthy for Daniel Crowley (52), Ciaran Crowley for Patrick Clifford (inj, 54), Joseph Sheehan for Ciaran Crowley (62).
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (St Senans).
Mid Kerry 1-19
Na Gaeil 1-7
Last year’s beaten finalists, Mid Kerry, have eased their way back to the penultimate stage of the championship with a 12-point win over Na Gaeil; the Tralee club now facing a senior championship relegation play-off against Kerins O’Rahillys after failing to reach the final.
Mid Kerry were as good as they had to be in this lacklustre quarter-final, the divisional team always well in control except for a period in the second quarter when Morgan Madden’s goal dragged Na Gaeil back into the contest.
Mid Kerry had taken a commanding 1-7 to 0-1 lead, with Eanna O’Connor’s goal making it 1-4 to 0-1 around the quarter-hour mark.
Na Gaeil’s meaningful attacks were few and far between, although Darragh Reen did force a save from Sean Coffey, though it was a weak shot from the forward.
Leading 1-9 to 0-2 after 18 minutes, Mid Kerry were in full control, but then Mike Breen was black carded for a foul on his Kerry team mate Diarmuid O’Connor, affording Na Gaeil a small window to make hay, and they won the rest of the half by 1-3 to 0-1, with Morgan’s goal just before the break making it 1-10 to 1-5 at the interval.
Restored to 15 players, Mid Kerry went about their business with ruthless efficiency, with a rally of scores in a one-sided second half. Fiachra Clifford came off the bench to score three from play, with midfielder Gavin Horan scoring two more, as Mid Kerry showed they are more than capable of going one better than last year, though Dingle (in the semi-final) and the others will have plenty to say about that.
MID KERRY: Seán Coffey (Beaufort), Pa Wrenn (Milltown/Castlemaine), Nathan Breen (Beaufort), David Mangan (Laune Rangers), David Roche 0-1 (Milltown/Castlemaine), Mike Breen (Beaufort), Pa Kilkenny (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Seán O’Brien 0-3 (Beaufort), Gavin Horan 0-3 (Milltown/Castlemaine), Darren Houlihan 0-1 (Cromane), Cillian Burke (Milltown/Castlemaine), Keith Evans (Keel), Gavan O’Grady 0-1 (f) (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Liam Carey 0-1 (Beaufort), Éanna O’Connor 1-5 (0-2f)(Milltown/Castlemaine)
Subs: Gearoid Hassett (Laune Rangers) for L Carey (37), Fiachras Clifford 0-3 (Laune Rangers) for K Evans (40), Daire Cleary 0-1 (Laune Rangers) for G O’Grady (43), Jack Brosnan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for M Breen (51), Caolim Teahan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for D Roche (53)
NA GAEIL: Devon Burns 0-1 (f), Eoin Doody, Niall O’Mahoney, Jack Doyle, Morgan Madden 1-0, Stefan Okunbor, Damien Bourke, Diarmuid O’Connor, Jack Barry 0-1, Kieran O’Donovan, Darragh Reen 0-2, James O’Connor, Jack Sheehan 0-1, Dara Devine 0-1 (f), Dan Goggin 0-1.
Subs: Jack Bourke for M Madden (48), Kieran O’Connor for J O’Connor (49), Ryan O’Neill for E Doody (50), Ruairi O’Sullivan for D Bourke (temp, 58), Declan Cooney for D Devine (62), Sean O’Connor for D Reen (64)
Referee: Pádraig O’Sullivan (Firies)