Our hurling analyst, Mike O’Halloran, looks at the weekend’s Garvey’s Supervalu Kerry SHC semi-finals…
Kilmoyley 0-13
Ballyduff 0-10
Kilmoyley powered their way to their first Kerry Senior Hurling Final since 2009, when the completely overwhelmed a timid Ballyduff challenge in Austin Stack Park on Friday night.
Ballyduff went into this game as clear favourites by almost everybody including myself.
Kilmoyley went about dismantling the Ballyduff challenge with a highly charged, high energy all action attack on all lines of attack and defence, allowing no time on the ball for any of their opponents.
Kilmoyley led by five points at half-time and it was believed that Ballyduff with the aid of the wind would grind out a win.
The grinding was done by the young defiant Kilmoyley boys, led by Daniel Collins and Tom Murnane. Kilmoyley restricted all Ballyduff forwards apart from Bobby O’Sullivan who scored all The Cashensiders scores; 0-9 from frees and only one from play.
This was one of the most impressive displays of a team/panel victory I have seen in a long time.
Kilmoyley will have to wait a week or two to find out who they will play in the final as once again Lixnaw and St Brendans could not be separated.
Lixnaw 0-9
St Brendan’s 0-9
Paul Galvin who came on for Lixnaw in the semi final on Sunday.
Lixnaw and St Brendans played out yet another draw in the second semi-final on Sunday at the Austin Stack Park venue.
This game was a low-scoring affair with the sides only mustering 0-9 points each, St Brendans led at halftime by 0-6 points to 0-4.
All of St Brendan’s points, bar one, coming from the stick of the county man John Egan. Ricky Heffernan and James Flaherty provided Lixnaw’s four points.
Lixnaw had the wind for the second half and also introduced the gale force that is Paul Galvin.
Galvin’s influence in the first 15 minutes resulted in the winning of two important frees and a point from play by the great man.
Lixnaw missed a number of scrabble chances, both from play and frees, but still led by two points on 21 minutes 0-9 points to 0-7.
Five minutes later the sides were level from the stick of Egan. The St Brendan’s comeback was led largely by their centre back Darren Dineen.
Both sides had a free to win it at the death but were missed by Egan for St Brendan’s and Ricky Heffernan for Lixnaw.
A fair result in the end I guess.
