Cup Semi-Finals
Mid Kerry 3-16 North Kerry 1-16
What a difference a week makes.... atrocious weather conditions forced the postponement of this game the previous Sunday but no such issues last weekend as conditions were perfect in Churchill for the Cup Semi-Final. Big Mid-Kerry full forward, Dara Clifford, pointed from play in the opening minute and Oisin Healy replied for North Kerry two minutes later. Mid Kerry were more clinical and they notched 1-03 in a four minute spell through excellent corner forward Daire Hogan (0-1), Dara Clifford(0-1) and Niall O' Brien (1-01) to put daylight between the sides at the first water break, 1-04 to 0-01. Mid Kerry added two further points from Daire Hogan and Gearoid Evans and it seemed they were heading out of sight but North Kerry showed great fighting spirit to score 0-5 without reply to bring themselves back into the game. The excellent Darragh O'Keeffe was showing great leadership when it was badly needed, scoring four of those points (2f), and Conor Sweeney notched a lovely score from play. Niall O' Brien pointed a free for the Mid Kerry men before O' Keeffe again struck from play to leave the half time score at Mid Kerry 1-07 North Kerry 0-07.
On the resumption O' Keeffe and Hogan traded frees when lightning corner forward for Mid Kerry, Stephen Gannon goaled to put 0-6 between the sides. Darragh O' Keeffe and impressive midfielder Evan Boyle cut the deficit to 4, Niall O' Brien replied with a free before Oisin Healy scored his second point. Two converted frees from Daire Hogan followed by another from O'Keeffe brought us to the second water break with a 5 lead for Mid Kerry, 2-11 to 0-12. North Kerry needed a goal and the impressive Luke Sheridan provided it to cut the gap to 2. It was tit for tat for the ensuing 10 mins as both sides raised white flags as the game flowed up and down the pitch. Darragh O'Keeffe scored his ninth point of the game, Luke Rochford and Boyle again scored for North Kerry while Daire Hogan impressively hit 0-3 and Dara Clifford white flagged for Mid Kerry to leave 3 between them with 3 mins to play. North Kerry threw all they had at their opponents but they defended resolutely and when man of the match Daire Hogan goaled on the stroke of full time, it was clear it was going to be Mid Kerry's day.
Tralee District 2-12 Eoghan Ruadh 2-11
Tralee District had a one point win over Eoghan Ruadh with the last kick of the game from Thomas Deregee in a high scoring game in Cordal. The game was very tight in the first half with Tralee dominating possession and Paddy Lane with a point from play and a 45m free. Paddy McMahon got on the end of a Tralee move to get the first of his two goals after seven minutes. However Eoghan Ruadh did get a free from James Doyle and Shane Daly finished a fine goal after being set up by Callum Cronin. At the water break there was just one point between the sides 1.02 to 1.01. Tralee dominated the second quarter and had three goal chances. Pierce Moynihan was on hand to save from Thomas Kennedy in the 22nd minute. The goal for Tralee did arrive through McMahon again with an efficient finish. Eoghan Ruadh did reply through points from corner forwards Shane Daly and James Doyle. Oisin Lynch did fire a fine long range point to put one point between the sides at half time. Tralee 2.02 v Eoghan Ruadh 1.04
Shane Daly scored a brilliant goal with a volley to the right corner of the net after good work from his partners in the full forward line Callum Cronin and James Doyle. There was a big battle in mid field between Daniel Kirby and David Lucid for Tralee and Padraig Moynihan and Keelan O’Shea from the east Kerry side. The Tralee side hit four points in a row with some long range points from Thomas Kennedy (two), Paddy Lane and wing back Sean Corkery to go two points up by the eleventh minute. Eoghan Ruadh sprang into life and hit five points to go three points up at the water break 2.09 v 2.06-Sean Dolan and James Doyle got two each while Conor Moyinhan got the other. Tralee were three points down but hit the next five to go back in front by two points. Paddy Lane got the first two with the two midfielders Kirby and Lucid sharing the other three points. Eoghan Ruadh midfielder Padraig Moynihan kicked a free to narrow the gap, but received a harsh second yellow to end his involvement in the game. James Doyle kicked the equalizer with the game in injury time. Eoghan Ruadh might have had a close in free after a challenge on Callum Cronin, however it was not to be and Tralee swept up the field to score the winner through Deregee and book their place in the County Final.
Shield Semi-Finals
Castleisland District 2-17 South Kerry 3-11
Castleisland looked the better side for a lot of this game, playing some superb football, but the one thing South Kerry have never lacked and their players showed that once again, three late goals by them really putting the fat sizzling on the fire, but Castleisland held out to book their place in the semi-final. Ruairi Brosnan in midfield for Castleisl;and was man of the match with an awesome display that included 0-4, while Jack O'Donoghue and (1-4) and Cian Downey (0-5) always had South Kerry on the back foot.
The first half was a closely fought affair, but goals by O'Donoghue and Maurice Lane gave Castleisland a 2-7 to 0-6 lead that perhaps didn't quite do justice to South Kerry's battling qualities, especially from midfielders Tadhg O'Sullivan and Donagh Sugrue, while David Kennedy and sharpshooter Shane Goggin (0-6) always looked dangerous up front. Ruairí Brosnan, Killian Dennehy, and Killian Reidy were excellent for Castleisland, though, and they dominated the third quarter. Points from Gerard Costello, Owen Shire, and Dennehy supplemented their lead and it looked like it was going to be a tame ending. It most certainly wasn't – South Kerry pushed hard and suddenly lightning struck three times through Tadhg O'Sullivan, Aidan O'Sullivan, and another forced home in a scramble. Suddenly it was a one score game, but Castleisland held their nerve and their three point lead to set up a Shield Final spot.
St. Brendans 6-15 Kenmare District 3-7
Ultimately greater firepower won the day. Liam Cooper was absolutely superb in that regard, confidently slotting home 1-7 from play and frees and looking dangerous every time the ball came near him. His first half penalty set Brendans on their way, but Kenmare weren't without a sharpshooter of their own in Neil O'Shea, who scored two first half goals and had a hand in a third as his team trailed by 1-9 to 3-2 at half-time.
Young Cooper wasn't the only threat, though, with St. Brendans always able to get goals through fellow midfielder Harry Wallace (1-1), Tiernan O'Sullivan, Ruairí Hanafin, Tom Flaherty, and Liam Cooper. Dara Corridan (0-2), Keelan Best (0-2), Hugh Lenihan (0-2), and Jack Costello got St. Brendans' other scores.
