Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane 1-13, St Marys/Renard 1-12
The final of the South Kerry Minor Football Championship was played on a lovely October evening on a fine Dromid pitch. Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane were playing a St Marys/Renard combination in a match which kept the spectators enthralled until the very last minute.
St Marys/Renard opened the scoring with a point from Tadhg O’Connor and they quickly followed up with a Muiris Fitzgerald pointed free. Timmy Murphy kicked Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane’s first score but the following attack saw a Tadhg O’Connor shot produce a great save from TSD goalie Dylan Van Daele. Points from Colin Crowley and Ruairi Burns had Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane in the lead by the tenth minute.
The match was to ebb and flow throughout the sixty minutes with both teams enjoying short periods of dominance before the opposition would come back into proceedings. St Marys/Renard notched a hat trick of points which was then cancelled by two quick points from frees by Ruairi Burns and Timmy McCarthy. Colin Crowley missed a goal opportunity when his shot scraped the upright, and the final point of the half was an impressive shot from out on the wing by Sean Teahan of St Marys/Renard while he was being fouled. This left St Marys leading at the interval on a score of Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane 0-06, St Marys/Renard 0-07.
If there was to be any advantage of the slight breeze, Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane would have it for the second half but St Marys/Renard had a great first five minutes as Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane struggled to clear the ball out of their defence. Robert Wharton and Sean Teahan kicked two scores in this period. Rurai Burns stopped the rot with a point from play. Soon after a crucial moment happened when a long range Colin Crowley point attempt spilled out from the goalie into the onrushing Timmy Murphy who was subsequently fouled for a penalty. Conor O’Brien dispatched the ball to the net for a goal for Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane and the next attack yielded a fine point from Colin Crowley. Liam Sugrue and Timmy Murphy swapped points, as did Tadhg O’Connor and Colin Crowley. Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane were holding a two point lead at this stage with ten minutes remaining.
Again both teams scored points but another turning point occurred when a Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane attack broke down and the ball was swept up the field to create a St Marys/Renard two on one situation which Tadhg O’Connor finished to the net.
The last five minutes were played at a frantic pace with both teams guilty of wasting possession and missing scores. A Jack Riney point for Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane levelled matters. A draw and extra time would probably have been a fair result but Timmy Murphy somehow managed to smuggle the ball through a forest of St Marys/Renard players to kick the winning score. St Marys/Renard still had time to find an equalizer but never worked an opportunity leaving Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane the South Kerry Minor Football Champions on a score of Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane 1-13, St Marys/Derrynane 1-12
Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane Scorers: Timmy Murphy 0-05, Colin Crowley 0-04, Conor O’Brien 1-00, Rurai Burns 0-03, Jack Riney 0-01
Templenoe/Sneem/Derrynane Team: Dylan Van Daele ©, Mark Looney, Michael O’Sullivan, Jack Riney, Sean O’Connor, Ciaran O’Sullivan, Dara O’Connor, Conor O’Brien, Daniel Crowley, Colin Crowley, Timmy Murphy, Rurai Burns, Mattie O’Sullivan;
Subs: Mark Casey, Jason O’Shea, Michael O’Sullivan, Hugh Granville, Simon O’Connor, Eoin O’Dwyer, Dylan Sugrue, Colm Van Assen, Damien Fitzgerald, Ewan Buckley
Templenoe Management: Brendan O’Sullivan, Kieran Burns, Eddie O’Sullivan, Michael O’Sullivan, Jimmy O’Brien
St Marys/Renard Scorers: Tadgh O’Connor 1-06, Sean Teahan 0-03, Muris Fitzgerald 0-01, Robert Wharton 0-01, Liam Sugrue 0-01
St Marys/Renard Team: Austin Murphy, Ian Moriarty, Ferdia Greaney, Jack Mahony, Brendan Kelly, Jack Kelly, Cian Esmonde, Muiris Fitzgerald ©, Robert Wharton, Liam Sugrue, Ronan Quinlan, Tadhg O’Connor, Sean Teahan
Subs: Donnagh Quinlan, Mark O’Leary, Niall McDaid, Rory O’Shea, Keelan McCarthy
