Walsh strike seals Feale’s fate

Thursday May 17 2007

MID KERRY 2-12 FEALE RANGERS 1-7

WITH one sweeping strike of his right foot, Donnacha Walsh propelled Mid Kerry to the third round of this year’s AIB county senior football championship.

When the emerging Kerry star finished off a flowing move, instigated by Darren O’Sullivan, with Liam Sheehan the link man, 13 minutes into the second half, it transformed the divisional match-up between Mid Kerry and Feale Rangers, and not to the latter’s liking.

Two points for Feale Rangers had levelled the game early in the second half but Walsh’s close-range finish pushed James Sheehan’s men 1-8 to 1-5 in front, and they never looked back after.

As divisional match-ups go, this game, as per the usual theme of first round district team clashes, was like a wet fire-lighter failing to ignite for a part but, as the game wore on, Mid Kerry improved considerably as Rangers just wilted.

There was no denying that Mid Kerry deserved the win, and their club like mentality saw them through in the second half as they outscored the North Kerry men 2-5 to 0-3 in the last quarter of the game, played in Killorglin on Sunday afternoon.

Even though they had looked the more polished side, despite the scoreboard declaring otherwise for a large part, Mid Kerry had struggled to make their superiority show against a dogged Feale Rangers.

But after Walsh’s goal, the floodgates opened, and as Sean O’Sullivan came more into the game, Mid Kerry attacked in waves, picking off scores almost at will.

This was a complete transformation from the side that laboured so much in the opening half, and that was stung by Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s penalty with the game just 60 seconds old.

Rangers’ impressive full forward, Patrick Curtin, also a Kerry minor, was hauled down as he made a beeline for Mid Kerry’s goal.

It was an ideal start for Rangers and for the neutrals as it meant that it wasn’t going to be all one-way traffic.

Liam Sheehan points kept Mid Kerry in touch but Rangers were still that goal ahead after seven minutes, 1-2 to 0-2, thanks to two Noel Kennelly frees.

Then, the game changed. With Feale Rangers not scoring again until eight minutes into the second half, Mid Kerry imposed their class on the game with Walsh and Raymond O’Connor to the fore.

Scoring five unanswered points during the rest of the half - Kevin O’Brien, Aidan O’Sheehan, two Sheehan frees and a Walsh score - Mid Kerry went for three points in arrears to two ahead at the break, 0-7 to 1-2.

After 31 point-less minutes, Rangers finally found their scoring boots again early in the second half as points from Kennelly and Curtin levelled the game, 0-7 to 1-4.

But then came Walsh’s goal followed by a Raymond O’Connor point but, more importantly, Sean O’Sullivan came more into the game, scoring two points while setting up more.

And when substitute, Stephen Caulfield, added Mid Kerry’s second goal, the game was already over. Garry Sayers finished the scoring with a sublime out-side of the right foot effort as Mid Kerry sailed into round three on the back of a 2-11 to 1-7 win.

Mid Kerry: M Moriarty; A Cahillane, F Griffin, J O’Shea; J McGillycuddy, T O’Hagan, J Nagle; D Walsh (1-1), R O’Connor (0-1); D O’Sullivan, K O’Brien (0-1), S O’Sullivan (0-2); G Sayers (0-1), A O’Shea (0-1), L Sheehan (0-4, 0-2 frees). Subs used: S Caulfield (1-0) for K O’Brien; J O’Reilly for J O’Shea; T O’Sullivan for L Sheehan; R McGrath for D Walsh.

Feale Rangers: S Quinn; F Reen, L Keane, K Quirke; B Guiney, E Fitzmaurice (1-0 pen), J McCarthy; B Whelan, D Griffin; A Fitzgearald, N Kennelly (0-4 frees), M Corridan; B Scanlon, P Curtin (0-2), D Galvin (0-1).

Subs used: B O’Connell for D Galvin.

Referee: A Mangan (Austin Stacks).