Kerry Petroleum Senior Football Club Championship, Group 2, Round 3.
Templenoe 1-17, Kenmare Shamrocks 2-17.
Kenmare Shamrocks inflicted another heart-breaking defeat on neighbours Templenoe, after they had a powerful finish to win by three points despite trailing Templenoe for almost three quarters of the game.
There was very large crowd in attendance for this local derby game, which was played in beautiful sunshine at Templenoe GAA Grounds on Sunday afternoon. Kenmare had the brighter opening with Seanie O’Shea opening their account with a free to precede their first goal which was finished to the net by Tom Murnane after Eoghan McCarthy’s effort which looked to be going in stopped short at the post, but Murnane was perfectly positioned and he wasn’t going to miss an open goal. Templenoe were somewhat sloppy in the first ten minutes, but they soon started to settle after Brian Crowley and Killian Spillane both split the posts either side of a second Kenmare point from Zack O’Shea. Soon after Gavin Crowley was put through on goal by his brother Brian and he made no mistake with his finish, firing a low shot to net giving Kenmare keeper Kieran Fitzgibbon no chance. Killian Spillane added another point to put the hosts in front for the first time to lead by 1-03 to 1-02 at the end of the first quarter. But then disaster struck when Patrick Clifford, who has been so unlucky with injuries in the past, suffered what appeared to be a serious leg injury and he had to be stretchered off. Everyone wishes Patrick a full and speedy recovery,
When play resumed Ciaran Crowley was introduced for Templenoe to replace Patrick Clifford., Then good build up play by Templenoe ended with the industrious Pat Spillane wisely fisting the ball over the bar for his first score. Seanie O’Shea and Jimmy Lehane responded with a brace for the visitors. Killian Spillane almost had a two pointer for Templenoe only to be denied by the crossbar, but two minutes later he converted a free to restore a one-point lead for Templenoe after Brian Crowley was fouled. Templenoe were defending well and only conceded one more score before the break from a Seanie O’Shea free. Templenoe finished the half strong and had three more scores from Gavin Crowley, Killian Spillane and Aidan Crowley with a 45, after Kieran Fitzgibbon saved from Ciaran Crowley and a follow up back heel effort at goal from Brian Crowley was diverted out for the 45 by the Kenmare defence.
Half Time Score: Templenoe 1-08, Kenmare Shamrocks 1-05.
Jimmy Lehane continued his rich vein of form for Kenmare with their first score of the second half. But Templenoe remained focused and determined hitting back with two scores on the trot courtesy of Brian Crowley and Aidan Crowley. Templenoe successfully managed to keep Kenmare at arm’s length right up to the end of the third quarter answering every Kenmare score with a score of their own, with points from Mark Casey and Killian Spillane (2), cancelling out scores from Seanie O’Shea, Eoghan McCarthy and Donal O’Sullivan (2) to leave the score at 1-13 to 1-10 and thus maintain the three points advantage the hosts built up at the interval.
However, this game was far from finished especially with Kenmare’s record of pulling so many of these local derby games out of the fire in years gone by, could they strike again? – Veteran Paul O’Connor was called upon to add experience to their attack for the crucial last quarter. Jack O’Sullivan briefly reduced the deficit to two points, but Templenoe upped the ante again with Brian Crowley, Killian Spillane and Mark Casey all chipping in to put Templenoe five points to the good only nine minutes remaining. There was no one leaving this game early. Paul O’Conor exchanged points with Pat Spillane, before Stephen O’Brien who was also sprung from the bench reduced the arrears to four points with five minutes of normal time remaining. Then came the turning point, when Donal O’Sullivan set up Tom Murnane who made a burst forward to riffle the ball to the net for his and Kenmare’s second goal. Suddenly there was only one point in it. Buoyed by their goal Kenmare Shamrocks pushed on to equalize through the boot of Seanie O’Shea before Stephen O’Brien put Kenmare back in front at just the right time. Try as they might Templenoe just couldn’t manufacture a score when they needed to most at the end hitting three wides in a row. Paul O’Connor finished the game in style for the visitors to seal victory with the last two scores of the game.
Hard luck to our senior footballers who all gave it everything and nearly did it. Well done to Kenmare Shamrocks.
Final Score: Templenoe 1-17, Kenmare Shamrocks 2-17.
Scorers:
Templenoe: Killian Spillane 0-07 (4f), Gavin Crowley 1-01, Brian Crowley 0-03, Mark Casey 0-02, Pat Spillane 0-02, Aidan Crowley 0-02 (1 45).
Kenmare Shamrocks: Tom Murnane 2-00, Sean O’Shea 0-04 (2f), Paul O’Connor 0-03, Jimmy Lehane 0-02, Jack O’Sullivan 0-02, Stephen O’Brien 0-02, Donal O’Sullivan 0-02, Zack O’Shea 0-01, Eoghan McCarthy 0-01.
Wides:
Templenoe: 5
Kenmare Shamrocks 8
Teams:
Templenoe: Mark Looney, Martin O’Reilly, Tadhg Morley, Kieran O’Neill, Sean Sheehan, Gavin Crowley, Mark Casey, Adrian Spillane, Colin Crowley, Stephen O’Sullivan, Killian Spillane, Patrick Clifford, Aidan Crowley, Brian Crowley, Pat Spillane.
Subs Used: Ciaran Crowley, Josh Crowley Holland, John Spillane.
Kenmare Shamrocks: Kieran Fitzgibbon, Liam O’Sullivan, Dara O’Shea, Tommy Cronin, Zack O’Shea, Darragh O’Connor, Jimmy Lehane, James McCarthy, David Ciuciu, Kevin O’Sullivan, Sean O’Shea, Jack O’Sullivan, Eoghan Mcarthy, Donal O’Sullivan, Tom Murnane.
Subs used: David Hallissey, Stephen O’Brien, Paul O’Connor, Cian O’Sullivan.
Referee: Evan Horan
Match Report - The Kerryman - Kerry Senior Club FC: Kenmare Shamrocks snatch derby win in Templenoe to qualify for play-offs | Irish Independent
