Maurice Corridon receives the congratulations of Kerry County Board Chairman Pat O’Sullivan on Lixnaw’s victory in the Kerry Senior Hurling Championship replay at Austin Stack Park on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Our hurling expert, Mike O’Halloran, on the Garvey’s Supervalu Kerry Senior Hurling Championship Final replay on Saturday at Austin Stack Park…
Lixnaw 1-12
Kilmoyley 0-12
Lixnaw completed the double in Kerry Hurling finals when they added the senior title to the minor title they won last week.
I played in the championship final in 1984, when both Ballyduff and Causeway failed to score in a half each with Causeway failing to score in the first half and Ballyduff failing to score in the second and like Ballyduff that day, Lixnaw performed the same feat on Saturday when they went without scoring in the second half.
The cliche of a game of two halves was on everybody’s lips and so it was.
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Kilmoyley opened the brighter with points from Tommy Maunsell and Sean Godley before Ricky Heffernan pointed a free for Lixnaw on seven minutes.
Kilmoyley had another point on eight minutes with Lixnaw adding adding one point. Then up stepped James Flaherty to stick the slioter in the net to lead 1-2 to 0-3 points on ten minutes.
Kilmoyley retreated to defensive mode and Lixnaw capitalised on that to shoot over seven points without reply, from Paul Galvin (1) Ricky Heffernan (2) John Buckley (1) and three points from the ageless one, Enda Galvin.
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We are the champions…Lixnaw after their victory on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
During that sixteen minute period Kilmoyley were unable to register a score until the 25th minute when Dan Collins pointed for them.
Lixnaw added three points before the end of the half to leave the halftime score Lixnaw 1-12 Kilmoyley 0-4 points.
Lixnaw home and hosed says I at half time. No way back for Kilmoyley says I.
Lixnaw must have thought the same and when Kilmoyley were pretty tardy coming out for the second half, a wag below me on the terrace was heard to say “maybe they won’t bother coming out”.
Bother they did and whatever elixir they imbibed at halftime, it worked the oracle and they rose Pheonix-like from the ashes of the first half to put Lixnaw to the pin of their collar to hold on.
Led from the back from my man of the match Tom Murnane, and driven forward by Adrian Royle and Dan Collins, Kilmoyley drove at Lixnaw and completely out gunned them scoring eight points without reply.
Their points came from Sean Maunsell (2) Adrian Royle (2) and four from Daniel Collins.
Lixnaw can point to the injury to Paul Galvin as one of the reasons for their near demise in the second half. Galvin’s influence on Lixnaw’s performance this year has been immense, and was certainly in line for man of the match today.
Kilmoyley will regret the injury to Paudie O’Connor, the thirteen wides they amassed, the sixteen minutes they went without scoring in the first half, but I think they will agree that they were beaten by a better team.
Lixnaw went about winning this championship the hard way and that will make it all the sweeter.
The celebrations will be long and I’m sure the other clubs will fear that Lixnaw could be celebrating for a few more years, given the host of young talent they have in the pipeline.
It will be interesting to see how many of the players on display today will make the Kerry Hurling All Stars when they are announced on December 6.
Scroll down for action photos…
Ricky Heffernan who received the Garveys Supervalu Man of the Match award. Also included is Chairman of the Kerry County Board, Pat O’Sullivan and Kevin McCarthy of Supervalu.
Hands up…action from the game on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Paul Galvin is congratulated after the game on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Tense times during the closing stages of the match on Saturday.
Maurice and Karen Corridon after the game on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
