Club Football Championship review; next week's fixtures

Kerry Petroleum Kerry Petroleum Senior Football Club Championship Group A, Venue: Glenflesk, (Round 1), Spa Killarney 1-14 Templenoe 2-11

Kerry Petroleum Kerry Petroleum Senior Football Club Championship Group A, Venue: Fitzgerald Stadium, (Round 1), Rathmore 3-11 Kenmare Shamrocks 0-16

Kerry Petroleum Kerry Petroleum Senior Football Club Championship Group B, Venue: Austin Stack Park, (Round 1), Dr. Crokes 2-14 V Dingle 3-17

MATCH REPORT:
Dr. Crokes scored a goal from Mark Fitzgerald after about 5 minutes. Dingle levelled it with points from Cathal Bambury, Paul Geaney and Barry O’Sullivan after 10 minutes.

Dylan Geaney put Dingle ahead, but two points from Tony Brosnan gave the Crokes a point lead after 15 minutes.

Paul Geaney and David Shaw exchanged points. Then Dylan and Conor Geaney kicked a couple of points for Dingle. David Shaw levelled the game on 27 minutes. Paul Geaney scored Dingle's goal and followed with a point from play.

Tony Brosnan kicked a point from a free kick for the Crokes. Half time score Dingle 1-9 to 1-5 Dr. Crokes.

Dylan Geaney goaled for Dingle, Dingle 2-12 to 1-9 Dr Crokes.

Kieran O'Leary hit a goal for Crokes on 23 mins second half, Dingle 2-15 to 2-12 Crokes.

Dingle 2-17 to 2-13 Crokes, 30 mins gone

Penalty for Dingle, which Paul Geaney slotted home after 62 mins to finish the contest.

Kerry Petroleum Senior Football Club Championship Group B, Venue: Austin Stack Park, (Round 1), Milltown/Castlemaine 0-16 Na Gaeil 0-15

REPORT:
Milltown/Castlemaine took on Na Gaeil on Saturday evening as part of a double header at Austin Stack Park, Tralee in Round 1 of the Kerry Petroleum Senior Club Football Championship. Both teams have had difficult seasons thus far with Milltown/Castlemaine being relegated from Division 1 to Division 2 for next season and Na Gaeil being relegated from Division 2 to Division 3 for next season. Nevertheless, both sides were looking to turn a corner and make a positive start to the Senior Club Championship campaign with Milltown/Castlemaine returning to top tier football for the first time since 2016 following their Intermediate Club Championship success in 2023. Both sides were missing a number of players through injury, suspension and Na Gaeil also had a few players involved with Abbeydorney as they prepare for the Senior Hurling Championship Final. It would also prove to be an interesting match for current Milltown/Castlemaine manager Mark Bourke as two of his sons, Damien and Jack were on the starting team for Na Gaeil.

In what was a very open game of football played on an ideal surface at Austin Stack Park, Milltown/Castlemaine played with a strong breeze in their favour for the opening half. Na Gaeil, however, opened the scoring through corner forward Jack Bourke, however Gavin Horan who had the job of picking up Kerry player Diarmuid O'Connor on the evening replied in kind to leave it 0-1 to 0-1 after 3 minutes. Jonathan O'Sullivan edged the Mid Kerry men ahead on 4 minutes with a well taken point from play before Diarmuid O'Connor and Gavin Horan exchanged scores from play to leave it Milltown/Castlemaine leading 0-3 to 0-2 after 7 minutes. A flurry of exchanged scores continued to follow with Eanna O'Connor and Dan Goggin landing scores for either side followed by Cathal Moriarty and Jack Bourke and then Eanna O'Connor and Jack Bourke to leave it Milltown/Castlemaine ahead by one at 0-6 to 0-5 by the 16th minute. Eanna O'Connor who was Milltown/Castlemaine's top scorer on the day, amassing 0-6 in total stretched the lead out to two by the 21st minute with a 21 metre free but Na Gaeil didn't take long to respond and had the game back on level terms at 0-7 to 0-7 thanks to scores from Dara Devine (free) and Kieran O'Connor by the 24th minute. The Mid Kerry side would finish the half the stronger though with three of the final four scores through Eanna O'Connor (free), Cathal Moriarty and Jonathan O'Sullivan with an Oisin O'Brien point sandwiched in-between for the Tralee side to leave Milltown/Castlemaine carrying a two point lead into the half-time interval on a score of 0-10 to 0-08.

It didn't take Na Gaeil long to restore parity in the second half as early scores from Dara Devine (free) and Jack Bourke (free) ensured it was 0-10 apiece by the 33rd minute. Eanna O'Connor and the aforementioned Jack Bourke exchanged scores to leave it 0-11 to 0-11 after 36 minutes. All the momentum seemed to be swinging in the Tralee sides favour, however, at this stage and they also had the elements in their favour and they assumed the lead for the first time since the very beginning on the 43rd minute when wing-back Jack Doyle landed a super score from an acute angle to put Na Gaeil into the lead at 0-12 to 0-11. Eanna O'Connor (free) and Dara Devine exchanged scores before Cathal Moriarty and Dara Devine (free) did similar soon after to leave Na Gaeil nursing a one point advantage at 0-14 to 0-13 by the 56th minute. Centre-back David Roche landed an inspirational score for Milltown/Castlemaine in the 57th minute to tie up the contest once more but Dara Devine looked to have steered Na Gaeil home with a well taken free which was converted in the 59th minute to give the Tralee side a one point lead again, at 0-15 to 0-14. Milltown/Castlemaine showed great determination, character and ultimately composure in injury time however as first Cathal Moriarty levelled matters with a well worked team score in the 60th minute from play off his left leg before youngster Dara Hogan saved the best until last with a wonderful point in the 62nd minute after a weaving run through the heart of the Na Gaeil rearguard to put the Mid Kerry side on the cusp of a big win at 0-16 to 0-15. Na Gaeil did have two chances to level the game, first Diarmuid O'Connor seen an effort from play just go the wrong side of the post and then O'Connor had a long distance free from the sideline hit the upright and fall into the grateful arms of Milltown/Castlemaine defender Jonathan O'Connor before referee Evan Horan blew the final whistle and Milltown/Castlemaine carried home a hard earned win in Tralee. Cathal Moriarty also received a second yellow card for Milltown/Castlemaine in injury time to see them reduced to 14 men for the last few seconds. Milltown/Castlemaine are away to Dr. Crokes next weekend in Lewis Road, Killarney whilst Dingle are at home to Na Gaeil.

Final Score: Milltown/Castlemaine 0-16 Na Gaeil 0-15

Milltown/Castlemaine Scorers:
Eanna O'Connor 0-6
Cathal Moriarty 0-4
Gavin Horan 0-2
Jonathan O'Sullivan 0-2
Dara Hogan 0-1
David Roche 0-1

Na Gaeil Scorers:
Jack Bourke 0-5
Dara Devine 0-5
Dan Goggin 0-1
Jack Doyle 0-1
Oisin O'Brien 0-1
Diarmuid O'Connor 0-1
Kieran O'Connor 0-1

Teams: Milltown/Castlemaine
Cormac Leane, Anthony Kelliher, Pa Wren, Gavin McKenna, Stephen Roche, David Roche, Killian Kerins, Donal Dennehy, Gavin Horan, Dara Hogan, Eanna O'Connor, Brendan Casey, Jonathan O'Sullivan, Cathal Moriarty, Sean Hogan.
Subs Used: Jonathan O'Connor, Oisin Spring, John Dennehy, Conor Spillane and Jerome Flynn

Na Gaeil:
Jack Rodgers, Ryan O'Neill, Damien Bourke, Sean Barrett, Oisin O'Brien, Andrew Barry, Jack Doyle, Diarmuid O'Connor, Enda O'Connor, Peter Doyle, Kieran O'Connor, Kieran O'Donovan, Jack Bourke, Dara Devine, Dan Goggin.