REPORT/PHOTOS: O'Rahillys Out Of Danger With Assured Victory Over Rangers

Gavin O’Connor on Kerins O’Rahillys survival after the Senior Football County Championship Relegation Playoff on Saturday…

Kerins O’Rahilly’s 1-12

Laune Rangers 0-9

Kerins Laune 9 — Tempers fray during the game on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean

KERINS O’RAHILLYS can rest easy after they secured their senior status next year beating Laune Rangers by six points in their relegation play-off played in Castleisland.

Jack Savage’s 46th minute goal set the blues up for a victory in a match where O’Rahillys always had a bit more quality than the Killorglin side.

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Speaking directly after the match, O’Rahilly’s manager Barry O’Shea was highly critical of the relegation format; “I feel sorry for Laune Rangers, I feel sorry for all the clubs involved. This whole competition is an absolute disgrace how it got this far I’ll never know,” said O’Shea.

“We’ve a scenario now where the county and Munster champions are still fighting for their life to stay in a competition they won 12 months ago, I just can’t see the logic in it,” he said.

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Kerins Laune 15 — Barry John Keane attempts to pass Peter Crowley during Saturday’s game. Photo by Dermot Crean

O’Rahillys had the benefit of a stiff breeze in the first half and they led at the break by 0-7 to 0-4. Jack Savage and Barry John Keane were impressing in the forward line, while Tommy Walsh, who was moved to midfield, was well on top in this area.

The Mid Kerry side gave themselves a fighting chance with the wind at their backs in the second half, but it was Strand Road who got the first two scores of the half from Jack Savage and David McLoughlin.

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Kerins Laune 8 — Con Barrett breaks through during the game yesterday. Photo by Dermot Crean

Rangers fought back with two scores of their own from Chris Riordan and the 38 year old Mike Frank Russell. But the key moment of the match came when Savage netted for Strand Road.

The Kerry U21, palmed the ball into the net after getting on the end of a Kieran O’Mahony pass that fizzed across the square.

Now six points down, Rangers mustered a mini-revival bringing it within a goal again with five minutes left on the clock.

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Kerins Laune 5 — Tommy Walsh tackles Peter Crowley during the game yesterday. Photo by Dermot Crean

But O’Rahilly’s saw the match out professionally with three scores from Savage, Barry John and substitute Declan Quill.

Safety then for the Blue side of town.

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Scorers

Kerins O’Rahilly’s: Jack Savage 1-6 (5f), Barry John Keane 0-3, Ross O’Callaghan, David McLoughlin, Declan Quill one point apiece

Laune Rangers: Mike Frank Russell 0-3 (2f), Ronan Sayers 0-2, John O’Shea 0-2, Shane McSweeney, Chris Riordan one point apiece

Teams

Kerins O’Rahilly’s: Gary Kissane, Danny O’Sullivan, Shane Brosnan, David Murphy, Gavin Duffy, Ross O’Callaghan, Con Barrett, Kevin Walshe, Barry John Keane, David McLoughlin, Jack Savage, Tommy Walsh, John Ferguson

Substitutions: Giles O’Grady for Kevin Walshe (Half Time), Kieran O’Mahony for John Ferguson (Half Time), Declan Quill for Gavin Duffy (55),

Laune Rangers: Tony Lyons, Keith Sheehan, Micheal O’Sullivan, Johnny Carey, Kieran Crowley, Peter Crowley, Ronan Sayers, John Sheehan, Maurice Foley, Ryan Keane, Shane McSweeney, John Tyther, David Costello, Michael F Russell, Pa Joy

Substitutions: John O’Shea for John Tyther (39), Chris Riordan for Michael O’Sullivan (39), Colm O’Shea for Peter Crowley (60)