Amber Galwey reports
Image: John Reidy
MID Kerry had a four-point win over St Kierans in round one of the Kerry SFC in Castleisland on Sunday afternoon with the game finising on a scoreline of Mid Kerry 2-14, St Kierans 2-10.
Mid Kerry were the better team and looked fitter throughout. They got off to a strong start and dominated play for the remainder of the game with Gavin O’Grady, Donnacha Walsh and Darran O’Sullivan giving formidable performances from the beginning.
St Kierans didn’t look as fresh as the opposition with most of the homes side’s first half scores coming from frees. St Kieran’s Barry Lynch was strong in defence and Aidan Breen looked impressive for his side.
The skill and experience of Mid Kerry could not be denied and they got two vital goals before the half time whistle which saw them take a seven point lead.
The second half reflected the first as St Kierans looked poor and lost possession several times to the dominant Mid Kerry side.
The visitors could have led by more but a strong wind forced many of their efforts wide during the second half.
As the half progressed St Kierans got a burst of energy and attempted to close the gap. Edmund Walsh was shown a black card minutes before the final whistle. His replacement, Daniel O’Shea, found the back of the Mid Kerry net, after some good play by Thomas Hickey, closing the gap to just three points.
However St Kieran’s determination came too late and they were unable to catch the visitors. It finished Mid Kerry 2-14, St Kierans 2-10.
St Kierans will take part in round two next weekend and the draw will be made on Monday night.
Scorers for St Kierans: Tom McGoldrick 0-5, Thomas Hickey 1-1, Daniel O’Shea 1-0, Edmund Walsh 0-2, Aidan Breen 0-1, Padraig Reidy 0-1.
