Mike O’Halloran watched a tough Garvey’s SuperValu Kerry SHC first round match in Kilmoyley last night…

Causeway 2-8

Lixnaw 0-12

Causeway – who lined out without their star man Colum Harty, who hasn’t played since the game against Westmeath in the league – made a winning start to this years Garvey’s SuperValu Kerry senior hurling championship when they defeated Lixnaw in a tough encounter in Kilmoyley.

Lixnaw made the early running and were three points to one up before Alan Whyte drilled the ball to the net for Causeway to put them ahead by one.

Continued below…

Mike Conway levelled for Lixnaw.

Shane Conway put Lixnaw ahead on 20 minutes and they held that lead until halftime with the scores  Lixnaw 0-7 Causeway 1-2. Causeway had two goal chances in the first half but were guilty of over playing the ball and taking that extra pass.

Keith Carmody goaled for Causeway almost from the throw-in to put them ahead only for Shane  Conway, who the subject of some very hefty challenges to draw Lixnaw back level.

Colin Sheehy put them ahead and it was tit for tat to the end until the Murphy’s – Stephen and Bryan – both pointed and got Causeway over the line.

One aspect of this game that surprised me was the reluctance of the referee to punish some very serious foul play, letting the game flow is fine but players must be protected.

Causeway

Jamie McGrath, Fergus Carroll, Kieran Leahy, Billy Lyons, Keith Carmody ( 1.03) Bryan Murphy (1pt) Jason Diggins, Anthony Fealy, Jason Leahy, Brandon Barrett, Tommy Casey, Paul McGrath (2 pts) Adam Whyte ( Joseph Diggins)  Stephen Murphy (1pt ) Alan Whyte (1g.1pt)

Lixnaw

Martin Stackpoole, Willie O’Connor, Pat Corridon, Declan McCarthy, John Buckley, Gerard Stackpoole, Stephen Power, (C) John Griffin, Brendan Brosnan (1 pt), Shane Conway (2 pts), Ricky Heffernan (2 pts), Jeremy McKenna, Jason Wallace (Conor Fitzmaurice), Mike Conway (6 pts), James Flaherty (Colin Sheehy 1pt)