Action from last night’s championship tie between Laune Rangers and St Brendan’s.
Laune Rangers 1-15
St Brendan’s 0-12
ST BRENDAN’S were knocked out of the opening game in the County Championship yesterday in what was a miserable blustery evening in Killorglin.
Preparations hadn’t been ideal for St Brendan’s who draw their players from John Mitchels, Na Gaeil, Ardfert, St Pat’s and Churchill clubs, the divisional outfit having only met a few times for training prior to the game yesterday.
The pitch was in fine condition, although there was a stiff breeze which St Brendan’s had the favour of in the first half.
It was Rangers who got on the scoresheet first – that old Stalwart Mike Frank Russell tipping over a free after just a minute’s play.
The ex-county star added a 45 minutes later striking the ball beautifully in the process, a warning to the Brendan’s defence not to give away silly frees. Mike Frank was there to gobble them up.
On the sixth minute Brendan’s got on the board from the boot of Kieran Hurley, the St Pat’s man using every bit of the breeze to point from 45 yards out in front of goal.
There was a nice ebb and flow to the game at this point with St Brendan’s having slightly better of the exchanges.
Pa Joy for Rangers chipped over on 12 minutes with an impressive solo effort, the corner forward bursting past the Brendans defence to put his side 0-3 to 0-1 in the lead.
A couple of minutes later again Brendan’s gave away a free, this time from 35 metres out on the left hand side, Mike Frank looked to have skewed his shot but the breeze worked in his advantage and held the ball in the air to see it just curl inside the post.
Action from last night’s championship tie between Laune Rangers and St Brendan’s.
This would usher in St Brendan’s best period of the match. It was Hurley again who struck for them with a sweet effort far out on the left hand side, a minute later Na Gaeil’s Darragh Carmody got on the board from the same position though this time off the hands from a free.
With 2o minutes gone it was Carmody who pulled his side level with another free off the hands aided by the breeze, the scores now four apiece.
Na Gaeil and Kerry U21 Jack Barry shown very well during St Brendan’s dominance and it was his superb run through the centre that set up another free for Carmody to put Brendan’s in the lead.
Carmody had it dialled in, he added another score minutes later this time 45 metres out from play. His clubman Micheal Griffin was now getting in on the act. He kicked over two identical long range efforts to stretch his sides lead to four as the half began to close. The score now 0-4 to 0-8.
But Rangers finished the half with two scores to keep them well in touch. First another free from Mike Frank, then with the last kick of the half from Daniel Macbeth to leave the scores 0-6 to 0-8 at the break.
If the first half display was encouraging for Brendan’s, they were hit with a hammer blow right at the beginning of the second half. Rangers made their intentions known when they hit the net.
It was a scrappy finish in the end by wing forward Colm O’Shea, who got onto a pass from Mike Frank running through the center. It would be the springboard they needed and Brendan’s would never come back from.
Mike Frank, who was having an excellent day, chipped over another score two minutes later to put his side two points ahead, 1-7 to 0-8.
County star Peter Crowley was now really exerting his influence on the game, he pointed five minutes into the second half with his sides tails now firmly up.
Carmody added another free to show Brendan’s were still there though that was hard won. It wasn’t long before Crowley scored again for Rangers. This time the wing-back pointing a free 45 yards out in front of goal, a weapon in his arsenal that no doubt may be of use to Eamonn Fitzmaurices charges.
Pa Joy scored another point for Rangers and Brendan’s again answered back from another free by Carmody to leave the score 1-10 t0 0-10 with 15 minutes remaining.
This was as close as Brendan’s would get, as Rangers entered cruise control an air of inevitability swept across the ground as they notched over point after point which would put them seven ahead at one stage.
Carmody added one more free in the closing exchanges and John Mitchels Alan O’Donoghue pointed with the last kick of the game to leave the scores 1-15 to 0-12 at the finish.
The sum of the parts of Ardfert, John Mitchels, Na Gaeil, Churchill and St Pats should be more than a match for a struggling Division Two side, but you can’t beat the cohesion that comes with a team that are with each other week in week out. In the end that was the difference.
Laune Rangers: T Lyons, K Crowley, J Carey (c), Keith Sheehan, P Crowley (2f), J Sheehan, J Tyther (1), P Murphy, S Daly, D Macbeth (2), S McSweeney (1), C O’Shea (1-0), MF Russell (7)(5f), G O’Mahony, P Joy (2).
Subs: R Keane (S Daly), C Riorden (G O’Mahony), S O’Connor (MF Russell)
St Brendans: N O’Sullivan (Ardfert), S Moloney (John Mitchels), L Bastible (John Mitchels), R Horgan (Ardfert), L Milligan (St Pats), J Barry (Na Gaeil), M Brennan (Churchill), L O’Sullivan (c) (St Pats), D Griffin (Ardfert), J Dowling (Ardfert), A O’Donoghue (J Mitchels), B Poff (St Pats), D Carmody (Na Gaeil) (7) (6f), M Griffin (Na Gaeil) (2), K Hurley (St Pats)(3)
Subs: F Horgen (L Bastible), P McMahon Black Card (R Horgen), Andy Byrne
