Anú Hayes and Lauren Doody from Kerins O’ Rahilly’s Club up supporting Kerry last Saturday in the All Ireland replay.
Garvey’s Supervalu Co Senior Football Championship Round 1 Preview
Football supporters in the Kingdom will receive a quick antidote to the pain inflicted by the Dubs in Saturday’s replayed All Ireland final when the Co Senior Championship gets underway in earnest next weekend. O’Rahillys take the field in Austin Stack Park, Tralee at 3.30pm on Sunday 22nd next, where stern opposition is expected from Kenmare Shamrocks who will have Kerry stalwarts and All Star contenders Seanie O’Shea and Stephen O’Brien in their ranks.
However, the Blues boast their own Kerry contingent in key midfielder and expected All Star, David Moran, along with attacking colossus Tommy Walsh and the promising Gavin O’Brien.
O’Rahillys overcame the loss of these key players to remain in contention for a Co League final spot and their cause will be helped even further by the expected return of Jack Savage, although injury victim, Barry John Keane remains doubtful.
With O’Rahillys back to near full strength, the competition for places in the starting 15 will be fierce. Gary Kissane may start in goals, but Shane Foley is a very viable alternative.
David Murphy, Ross O’Callaghan and Seán Collins has been a settled full back line in the League, but Darragh McElligott could also come into the reckoning here, as could Cormac Coffey, depending on the match-ups. Coffey could also feature at half back, with Shane Brosnan, Ryan Carroll and Karl Mullins in the frame here also. Con Barrett may be favoured to partner David Moran at midfield, but Brosnan is a candidate here too.
In attack, Jack Savage will most likely return, where he will surely be joined by Tommy Walsh and Gavin O’Brien. On league form, Strand Road also have John Ferguson, Sean Walsh, Gearóid Dillane, and the youthful trio of Tom Hoare, Conor Hayes and Gearóid Savage vying for places in the starting line-up and their bench also looks strong if league perdformances are used as a yardstick. The Kenmare men are unlikely to be daunted though and a cracking encounter is expected. All support welcome.
Junior Town League Final
John Mitchels 4-11 Kerins O’Rahillys 0-11
Played last Friday night in near perfect conditions in Strand Road, it was the home side that started well and Gearóid Savage opened the scoring in the first minute when he pointed after good work from Kevin Johnson-Horgan.
Mitchels then had a period of dominance which stretched to the 12th minute, during which time they added three points to their tally. O’Rahillys almost regained the lead when Donagh O’Brien breached the defensive cover and found Rory O’Connor overlapping from his half back berth, but the shot just crept past the post. With Rory Molloy and Jason O’Leary prominent in midfield and Brian Scannell working hard in the attack, the gap was reduced to a point a minute later though when O’Brien combined with Savage and Aaron Roche finished off the move with a good score.
Roche then returned the favour by finding O’Brien who guided the ball between the sticks with the outside of his boot to level matters.
Roche put the home side ahead with a replica of O’Brien’s effort after a pass from O’Connor and Savage made it 0-5 to 0-3 with a beautiful score from out near the left sideline after good work by Johnson-Horgan. Savage then doubled the Blues advantage with another super score after Barry Foley and Gearóid Hartnett created the opening.
It was looking rosy at this stage, especially with O’Rahillys defence holding firm through the good work of Aidan Mangan and Jordan Foley and O’Brien increased the lead to four points after good combination play from Savage and Roche.
However, three key incidents in the last eight minutes of the half saw the game start to turn in Mitchels’ favour. Firstly, the away side sliced open the Strand Road defence and the ball was palmed home to reduce the deficit to one point. Then O’Rahillys lost Barry Foley to injury with Cillian Gallagher replacing him and Horgan-Johnson was also injured and was effectively a passenger until half time. In that period, Mitchels also added two points from play to lead by 1-5 to 0-7 at the interval.
The Blues took the field without Savage for the second half with Liam Kissane deputising and it didn’t take Mitchels long to take advantage when they goaled from their first attack. They added another goal two minutes later and also tagged on two more points in the third quarter to carve out a nine-point lead, with O’Rahillys’ best effort in that period being an O’Brien shot which beat the keeper but was cleared off the line by a covering defender. Gearóid Dillane did reply with a point in the 15th minute, but Mitchels converted a penalty two minutes later and added another brace of points before Roche picked out O’Brien with a crossfield pass and the half forward slotted over. Roche pointed a free three minutes later and O’Brien fired over the bar after Dillane’s shot came back off the upright. Mitchels weren’t to be denied though and they lofted over the last two points of the game and but for gallant defending from Tom McGrath and a brilliant double-save from Rob O’Connor, the margin of this deserved victory for Mitchels would have been wider.
Kerins O’Rahillys: Rob O’Connor; Barry Foley, Tom McGrath, Jordan Foley; Aidan Mangan, Rory O’Connor, Gearoid Hartnett; Jason O’Leary, Rory Molloy; Donagh O’Brien (0-4), Aaron Roche (0-3,1f), Kevin Johnson-Horgan; Gearóid Dillane (0-1), Brian Scannell, Gearóid Savage (0-3): Cillian Gallagher, Liam Kissane.
LADIES NOTES
U10 GIRLS
Next Saturday, September 21st we will be playing in the Carmel O’ Connor Memorial Garda Blitz. This will be on in Na Gaeil Pitch. More details to follow during the week.
U12 GIRLS
In Round 1 we were beaten by Mitchels in the Town League. In Round 2 we are away to Churchill. Best of luck to the girls and their mentors.
U13 District
This competition will be starting in the next few weeks. More details to follow.
U14 GIRLS
In round 2 of the North Kerry League we are away to Austin Stacks on Tuesday 17th next.
U16 GIRLS
We are away to Finuge/ St. Senans in round 2 of the North Kerry League this week and we are home the week after, on the 27th to Castleisland Desmonds. In the final round we are away to Na Gaeil on October 4th.
U17 CHAMPIONSHIP
The new dates will be decided this week for this competition.
SENIOR LADIES
Congrats to Carrie Anne Boylan (now Mrs. Clifford) on her big day last Saturday. Wishing yourself and Gearóid a lifetime of happiness together.
We don’t have a date yet for our next game. As soon as we know everyone will be informed.
CÚINNE NA NÓG
Well done to David, Tommy and Gavin from everyone in the juvenile club. What a year ye have given us and everyone in the club is so proud of ye and honoured to have ye representing Strand Rd on the Kerry team. Also best of luck to the senior team in the Championship next weekend.
U8 and U10 boys will take part in the Mitchels’ Blitz next Saturday. All details will be sent by text once I have full confirmation of times etc.
U10 boys will train again next Thursday from 6.15pm to 7.30pm.
U16 Town League will begin next Sunday. We haven’t been given fixtures etc but should have them over the next few days.
Our thanks to Paula O’Sullivan and Denis Hanafin for taking some of our very lucky juveniles to the replay on Saturday. It was greatly appreciated by all the parents.
Some of our Academy were to go to Sandy Feet Farm on Sunday next, but we will cancel it as the seniors are in action in the championship next Sunday. So, Academy training as normal for the U6 boys and girls and the U8 & U10 girls only next Sunday. The U8 & U10 boys will not train next Sunday due to their participation in the Mitchels’ Blitz the day before.
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SNIPPETS from “top of the right”
· Hard luck to our clubmen, David Moran and Tommy Walsh who just fell short in their bid to help Kerry stop Dublin’s “drive for five” in the All Ireland Senior Football final replay on Saturday last in Croke Park.
· Gavin O’Brien is surely one to watch in 2020 and the looming Co Championship games will tell us more.
· The club would again like to thank Billy Thompson and his team of Tom Begley, Tony Corridan, Haulie Kerins and Mike Mangan for their work in distributing the club’s allocation of tickets for the All Ireland final replay. Special thanks again to Billy for co-ordinating this difficult task in an effort to ensure fairness to all concerned.
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