Kerry SFC Final: The decider in Milltown saw them get the better of Keel 12 points to 1-6.
The Mid Kerry Senior Football Championship final, sponsored by Bunkers Bar & Restaurant Killorglin, has gone to Laune Rangers.
It took 7 minutes for the opening score to arrive, a Keel point. They quickly doubled that advantage before a 9th minute goal from
Keith Evans had them 5 clear. Laune Rangers responded with their first point of the occasion.
There were just 2 points over the next ten minutes, the sides swapping scores. That made it 1-3 to 0-2 in favour of Keel. A lengthy stoppage ensued after an injury to a player in the 22nd minute. Once the ambulance arrived and removed that player play resumed. At half time Keel led by 1-3 to 4 points.
Laune Rangers opened the second half scoring, a point to cut the deficit in half. Rangers equalised 6 minutes into the period; 0-6 to 1-3.
Keel then went two in front but back to back Laune Rangers points once more brought the Killorglin outfit level.
0-8 to 1-5 after 49 minutes. 3 points in 2 minutes propelled Laune Rangers into a 3 point advantage. Those scores coming from Fiachra Clifford Eoghan Hassett and John Burke.
That made it 11 points to 1-5 with 7 minutes to go. Keel pulled it back to 2 with a minute left of normal time. But a Laune Rangers point closed out the scoring.
East Kerry 0-15 Mid Kerry 2-10 LIVE recap as Luke Crowley scores crucial goal
It was a slow-moving game played in wet. Slippy conditions and match goers didn’t have much to shout about until Paudie Clifford’s goal to fire East Kerry into the lead right before half time with the side leading 1-06 to 0-05.
But the game’s quality increased tenfold in the second half. And there was just a point in it before Luke Crowley’s goal midway through the second half.
With East Kerry leading by five, it looked like a formality but their rivals did not go down without a fight.
Gavan O’Grady scored a point in what was a great goal chance. And Mid Kerry continued to chip away and had a great goal chance saved near the end of regulation time.
Mid-Kerry got the gap down to a single point and and nearly dispossessed their opponents in the final play of the game to earn a late equaliser but after the referee blew for a foul it was game over.
Kerry SFC Final: Hassett helps Laune Rangers to end 17-year wait for Mid Kerry success
A final-quarter cameo by Eoghan Hassett helped Laune Rangers end their 17-year wait to take the Michael O’Connor Memorial Cup back to Killorglin.
The Killorglin outfit showed the hunger needed to get the job done at last.
For Keel their wait continues, last winning the title back in 2009, in their first final meeting since 1985 against their local rivals. They started well but Laune Rangers finished the better.
Keel did take a 1-3 to 0-4 lead to the dressing room in a half. Which lasted over an hour due to a serious injury. From that stoppage in play Laune Rangers set the tempo. And while Keel did take the advantage again inside the second half. Hassett coming off the bench was the difference.
A game dictated by possession in the early stages. Keel defended well and at the other end struck the opening two scores to take the early momentum. Rangers, at fault from a wayward pass to gift the opening score, saw Keel cut through again seconds later for the second score.
From another error coming from the Laune Rangers defence playing out from the back Keel struck the opening goal. A kick-out going over the sideline and Keel ran the phases well before Keith Evans rolled the ball low into the back of the Laune Rangers net.
John Tyther got the Kilorglin men on the board after 11 minutes and two goal chances came. And went for Laune Rangers, by the quarter’s end they trailed 1-2 to 0-1.
Play was halted after 21 minutes of the opening half when Lachlan Griffin suffered a serious leg injury. An ambulance was needed to take the Keel player off the field. After a lengthy stoppage Laune Rangers finished the half well as Seán Cleary and Tyther both waved the white flag. Laune Rangers behind 1-3 to 0-4 at the break.
In the second half Laune Rangers continued to keep up their momentum. Tyther with a brace of points to level matters by the 39th minute.
Keel snatched the lead back as Paul Costello kicked his second free to end a wait since the 17th minute of the opening half for Keel to score. By the quarter’s end Keel remained ahead 1-4 to 0-6.
Costello did make it a two-point game but the final quarter belonged to Laune Rangers. Eoghan Hassett came off the bench to kick three points while Fiachra Clifford also waved the white flag, as Laune Rangers pulled ahead 0-10 to 1-5 after 55 minutes.
As the darkness was falling in Milltown, John Burke and Hassett found the mark as Laune Rangers further pulled away.
17 years is a long time of a wait to land silverware and in the finish the Kilorglin men just had that extra bit of hunger to claim the silverware on offer.
Scorers for Laune Rangers: Eoghan Hassett (0-4), J Tyther (0-4, 3fs), F Clifford (0-2,1f), S Cleary, J Burke (0-1 each)
Scorers for Keel: K Evans (1-0), P Costello (0-3fs), S Evans, G Murphy, S Corcoran (0-1 each)
LAUNE RANGERS: P Ahern; R Diggin, S Arthurs, S Cleary; E Clifford, P Carey, D Mangan; R O’Connor, S Daly; F Clifford, J Tyther, S Sealy; D Cleary, E O’Sullivan, G Hassett.
Subs: E Hassett for E O’Sullivan (43), J Burke for R O’Connor (48), P Daly for D Cleary (52), C Moriarty (53), M Leslie for J Tyther (60+2) KEEL: S Cahillane; G Evans, G Prendiville, A Cahillane; D Ashe, S Corcoran, S Prendiville; T Ladden, L Evans; S Evans, K Evans, G Murphy; D Prendergast, T Buckley, P Costello.
Subs: F Griffin for L Griffin (23), E Murphy for G Murphy (56)
REFEREE: T Corbett (Milltown/Castlemaine)
Kerry SFC Final: Laune Rangers end 17-year wait to reclaim the Michael O’Connor Cup after seeing off Keel
Kerry SFC Final: MID KERRY SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINALLaune Rangers ended 17 years of hurt when they claimed the Michael O’Connor Cup after a superb performance against a brave Keel outfit who gave it everything, but just came off second best at a well laid out Paddy Burke Memorial Park in Milltown.
It is remarkable that a club of the stature of Laune Rangers took so long to reclaim local bragging rights, and having lost three of the four finals prior to this one, the hunger was there to finally bring the prestigious silverware back to Killorglin.
The game was delayed for 38 minutes following an unfortunate ankle injury to Lachlan Griffin in the 22nd minute, with the player having to be taken from the pitch in an ambulance
The introduction of super sub Eoghan Hassett in the 43rd minute was inspired as he struck for four excellent point, whilst another substitute John Burke also slotted over a point, showing the strength that Laune Rangers have in their squad.
It wasn’t Laune Rangers first win of the season of course, having claimed the the County League Division Two title earlier in the year, but with their neighbours Milltown/Castlemaine the standard bearers in the county intermediate grade, it was important that Liam Hassett’s charges laid down a marker in their local championship.
Strangely enough it was Laune Rangers who led the possession percentage at the early stages but with Keel getting plenty of bodies back they found it difficult to put any mark on the scoreboard.
The last time these sides met in a Mid Kerry SFC final in 1985 so there was no real recent history there when it came to a title decider, but Keel, playing with the aid of a very strong breeze, made the dream when they had 1-2 on the board after nine minutes.
Paul Costello got the ball rolling for Keel with a seventh minute free kick and a minute later Shane Evans slotted a super point from far out as Keel hit the Rangers on the break.
The Keel goal came a minute later and what a beauty it was. Keith Evans gained possession on the left hand side about 30 metres from goal and putting the head down he slalomed through the Laune Rangers defence before slotting brilliantly past Padraig Ahern.
See Also :
- Tyrone GAA hit out: streaming revenues hit by piracy
- Haleon workers pay deal: Haleon workers vote to accept new pay deal
- Mark Cuban : Next to gamble after sale of Dallas Mavericks stake
- Defamation Case: Kerry Stokes to Pay Costs of Ben Roberts-Smith’s
- New Doritos Liquor Dare To Dive Into Booze Business, Introduce Nacho Cheese-Flavored Liquor
- Delta flight: passengers left stranded in barracks from Amsterdam to Detroit diverted to Canada
- Inflation in Argentina set to spike to 12% as Milei era begins
- Over lack of Autopilot safeguards: Tesla recalls nearly all vehicles on US roads
- David Moyes message: David Moyes sends heartfelt message to returning West Ham hero Craig Dawson ahead of Wolves clash
Sources