Kilcummin off to winning start as they overcome intermediate debutants Firies

Irish Examiner

3 days ago

It was a rather low key start to the Kerry Club Football Championships over the Bank Holiday Weekend in the wake of the county's All-Ireland SFC title win the previous Sunday.
No matches involving players on the Kerry senior panel took place as only one Intermediate match went ahead that being the meeting of East Kerry sides Kilcummin and Firies on Saturday evening in Fitzgerald Stadium. Firies were making their Intermediate debut as last year's Junior Premier winners in the county and made a good start in going into a 0-6 to 0-3 lead after 10 minutes. Firies missed a scoreable free to go further ahead though as Kilcummin got motoring in the second quarter through Paul O'Shea.
The Division 1 side took a 0-12 to 0-9 lead at half-time as the score that gave them eventual control of the game was a 38th minute goal from Kevin Gorman as he was let with a far too simple finish to the net in putting his side 1-15 to 0-10 in front. Kilcummin would go on to win by 1-18 to 0-14 in the finish as they wait to see the result of the Clifford brothers' first outing for the year with Fossa next Saturday night against John Mitchels in learning who their Round 2 opponents will be.
The Junior Premier Competition saw only three games played with the most dramatic being an encounter between the last two winners of the fourth tier Junior Championship Reenard and Duagh. After not featuring with the Kerry U20's this year due to injury, Cormac Dillon has returned to action with Duagh in recent months and scored a personal total of 0-14 on a night his side conceded five goals. Reenard actually led by 3-2 to 0-5 at half-time with Sean Teahan, Fintan O'Sullivan (penalty) and Aodhan O'Neill getting their goals.
Teahan added a further two for himself in the second period to finish with 3-3 on the day but his side lost out after Joey Maher and substitute Joe O'Connell goals in the second period for Duagh as the North Kerry side ran out 2-20 to 5-7 victors at the end of a crazy encounter in Killarney. Ballymacelligott meanwhile overcame a 0-9 to 0-7 deficit to Castlegregory at half-time in their game in Keel to win by 2-14 to 0-15 after Daire Keane and Vinny Horan goals for them in the second period Annascaul and Brosna were involved in a cracker in Connolly Park but the game lacked quality and despite Annascaul emerging 0-18 to 1-13 winners it was too close for comfort.
Annascaul can thank their sharp shooters in Jason Hickson who scored 0-7 from placed balls including a two pointer from a free Jason Hickson who scored 0-7 from placed balls including a two pointer from a free while Killian Falvey kicked six points from play.
In fact, Brosna might have stolen the game at the death when Kieran O'Donnell got a deft flick to a floater from out the field, but James Hannifin was the hero for his side when he plucked the ball off the line and cleared the danger.
Brosna's main man was very much Adam Barry and he finished with 0-6, with two pointers from play and frees, a one point free and another point from play.
The first half was truly forgettable with Jason Hickson and Danny Moriarty traded scores, before the last act of the half fell to Hickson as he pointed a handy free after Brosna breached the three up rule to see the blues take a 0-7 to 0-4 lead in at the half time break. Sean Kennedy punched over a beauty with the outside of his right to push his side four ahead early in the second but Brosna enjoyed purple patch as Conor Lane from an acute free, Adam Barry with a beautiful two pointer and Maurice Lane got on the scoresheet to level matters five minutes into the second half.
It was score for score with Annascaul just one ahead but Timmy Finnegan equalised for Brosna in the 56th minute and the game really was in the melting pot. Annascaul went on another scoring burst with Flahive punching over and a Hickson free. Brosna almost stole it through O'Donnell, but in the end they just about survived to claim the spoils.
The Senior Club and Intermediate events get going in earnest next weekend with the rest of the Round 1 fixtures as all bar one of the Round 1 games in the Junior Club Championship were played last weekend with runners-up of the last two years Tarbert narrowly avoiding defeat to Sneem/Derrynane in their first Group game in winning by a single point at 0-12 to 1-8.