By John Fogarty
South Kerry 1-13 Killarney Legion 1-12
After 140 minutes-plus of football and in the gloom, South Kerry claimed their first senior county since 2009 with a splendid show of resilience.
Seven points down in the early stages of the second half, John Sugrue’s side recovered to force additional time and it was Aidan Walsh with his third point of the game that secured them the victory.
There were no scores in the first half of extra-time but corner-back Padraig O’Connor pushed Legion one up after the turnaround only for Darren Daly to level the matter again with a free. It was Walsh, though, who was the difference when he showed a remarkable turn of pace to sprint from close to midfield before fisting a point in the eighth minute of the second half.
There was déjà vu for both teams as South Kerry prospered in the second half of normal time just like they did in the drawn game 14 days’ previous. Up 1-7 to 0-6 at half-time, Legion had opened up a seven-point lead five minutes after the break but failed to score between the 35th and 53rd minutes.
In that time, South Kerry were resurgent and Bryan Sheehan a colossus. His goal in the 39th minute made it a three-point game after the divisional side’s attack had arrested Legion’s attempt to clear their lines.
Sheehan had to make an angle for himself and beat the cover but he manoeuvred well and his strike was good.
An O’Donoghue free for Legion put them two points up but South Kerry substitute Daniel Daly then fired over an effort before Killian Young swung over a mighty left-footer in the 54th minute to level the game for the first time since the 17th minute. Both sides had chances from deadball and play towards the end but the deadlock wasn’t broken, the score-line reading 1-11 apiece.
The game took a while to get going, 11 of the 14 scores in the first half coming in the final 14 minutes of action. Sheehan had arrowed over two points from distance prior to Legion midfielder Jamie O’Sullivan finding the net in the 18th minute.
Conor Keane, effective from frees in the opening period, turned playmaker and dinked a ball into the path of an on-running, untracked midfielder O’Sullivan who shrugged off some late-arriving close attention to goal.
Legion made the most of the initiative change and rattled off four further points in as many minutes. O’Donoghue wasn’t among the scorers but had his paws on the ball in the build-up to a couple of them as three of his fellow forwards found their range.
South Kerry rallied with three on the bounce and Sheehan was at the forefront of the charge, scoring two of them and setting up Walsh for the other.
But it was Legion marksman Keane who finished off the scoring with a fourth free in injury-time to give Legion an appealing four-point lead at the break.
Scorers for South Kerry: B Sheehan (1-5, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘45); A Walsh (0-3); D Daly (0-2, 1 free); P O’Donoghue, C O’Shea, K Young (0-1 each).
Scorers for Legion: J O’Sullivan (1-0); C Keane (0-5, 4 frees); J O’Donoghue (0-3, frees); P O’Connor (0-2); T Moriarty, B McGuire (0-1 each).
SOUTH KERRY: B O’Connor (Valentia); Paul O’Sullivan (Valentia), B Sugrue (Renard), K Young (do); D Daly (St Mary’s), B Walsh (Skellig Rangers), Padraig O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses); B Sheehan (St Mary’s), B O’Sullivan (Valentia); C O’Shea (St Mary’s), P O’Connor (Valentia), A Walsh (St Mary’s); I Galvin (Sneem/Derrynane), P O’Donoghue (St Mary’s), D O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses).
Subs for South Kerry: R Wharton for P O’Connor (36); G Gibson for B O’Sullivan (36); D Daly for I Galvin (43); B O’Sullivan for B Sheehan (black, 63); A Shine O’Sullivan for B Sugrue (74); O Clifford for P O’Sullivan (79).
LEGION: B Kelly; P O’Connor, D Sheahan, C Davies; D O’Doherty, Damien O’Sullivan, C Sheehan; S Keane, J O’Sullivan; D Lyne, C Keane, B McGuire; J O’Donoghue, J Lyne, T Moriarty.
Subs for Legion: K Breen for D Lyne (50); J O’Neill for B McGuire (55); S Sheahan for T Moriarty (58); A O’Sullivan for C Sheahan (black, 59); David O’Sullivan for J O’Donoghue (inj 66); J O’Donoghue for D Sheahan (72); T Slattery for S Keane (78); K Breen (black card, 80+1).
Referee: P Hayes (Bishopstown)
