Gavin O’Connor reports on the Kerins O’Rahillys v Feale Rangers Garveys Supervalu County Senior Football championship match at Austin Stack Park on Saturday…

Kerins O’Rahillys 3-11 (20)

Feale Rangers 1-11 (14)

SIX points was the margin of victory for Kerins O’Rahillys against Feale Rangers in a match where The Blues never looked likely of being turned over.

The victory puts Strand Road into the Round 3 of the County Championship. The draw for who they will face in the next round takes place tomorrow evening after all County Championship matches have concluded.

Continued below…

Barry John Keane kicked five points from play, most of them dispatched superbly over the bar from around the 30 metre line. The Kerry forward did however have to be substituted late on in the game due to an injury that saw him limp off the pitch.

Tommy Walsh’s decision to quit the Kerry panel looks to be paying off. He was in explosive form once again, scoring one and setting up another goal.

The match lacked the tightness and intensity you would expect from a knock out championship encounter. Feale Rangers were comprised mostly of players from Listowel Emmets and St Senans and the North Kerry’s side main source of resistance came in the form of Conor Cox, who kicked 0-8 in total, three of which from play.

O’Rahilly’s first goal came in the ninth minute. After winning a Rangers kick out, David Moran, laid a pass off to Tommy Walsh who charged at the goal running 30 metres with no defender coming near him and crashing the ball to the net from ten metres out.

The goal put Strand Road 1-2 to 0-1 in front.

Feale Rangers responded with a free from Cox. Two exquisite points from thirty metres out by Barry John Keane and fantastic solo run point from Cormac Coffey followed.

Rangers replied with two points from Cox and a score by Padraig Quille, the scores now 1-5 to 0-5 after 20 minutes.

Barry John Keane hit two more points from play and with the half nearly over Strand Road concocted the move of the match and made a Feale Rangers comeback look unlikely.

Jack Savage gave in a perfect diagonal ball outside the square to Tommy Walsh how rose high and showed quick hands to pass to Kevin Walshe who anticipated the run off the big man.

Walsh, who has been making a habit of scoring goals lately, coolly finished the ball passed the Rangers keeper.

The scores now 2-7 to 0-5 at the end of the first half. Strand Road with a comfortable eight point lead.

Feale Rangers gave a better account of themselves in the second half, but really that could be attributed to O’Rahillys taking their foot off the gas a bit.

Bryan Murphy’s goal on 37 minutes was the catalyst for a bit of a fight back. The Emmets full-forward taking advantage of a high ball into the square that was not adequately dealt with by the O’Rahillys defence.

Rangers would bring it to within four points at one stage, but with the game petering out, a goal setup by Barry John Keane and finished by David Moran finally put the game to bed and Strand Road into an eight point lead.

Conor Cox hit the two final scores of the night and put a small bit more respectability on the scoreline. Scroll down for more photos…

Scorers 

Kerins O’Rahillys: Barry John Keane 0-5, Jack Savage 0-5 (5f) Tommy Walsh 1-0, Kevin Walshe 1-0, David Moran 1-0

Feale Rangers: Conor Cox 0-8 (5f), Bryan Murphy 1-0, Donal Leahy and Padraig Quille one point apiece

Kerins O’Rahillys

1. Gary Kissane

2. David Murphy
3. Danny O’Sullivan (Capt)
4. Tommy Begley

5. Cormac Coffey
6. Shane Brosnan
7. Cian Sayers

8. John C. O’Connor
9. David Moran

10. David McLaughlin
11. Barry John Keane
12. Kevin Walshe

13. Jack Savage
14. Tommy Walsh
18. Kieran O’Mahony

Substitutes

Giles O’Grady for Tommy Begley (49min)
Greg O’Connell for Kieran O’Mahony (54min)
Gearoid Savage for Barry John Keane (58min)
Gavin O’Brien for Kevin Walshe (60min)

Feale Rangers

1. Brendan Galvin (Moyvane)

2. Neil Collins (Emmets)
3. Jack McGuire (Emmets)
4. Shane Stack (Moyvane)

5. Sean T Dillion (St. Senans)
21. Eoin Stack (Moyvane)
7. Sean Weir (St. Senans)

8. Damien Somers (St. Senans)
9. Donal Leahy (Moyvane)

10. Cormac Mulvihill (Emmets)
11. Tom McCarthy (Emmets)
12. David Foran (St. Senans)

13. Conor Cox (Emmets)
14. Bryan Murphy (Emmets)
18. Padraig Quille (St. Senans)

Substitute

David Sheehy (Emmets) for David Foran (St. Senans) (31min)