Southern Gael Blows Champions apart

Kirby’s Brogue Inn County Senior Football Championship
Final Lewis Road, Killarney on Sunday By Kevin Casey

Southern Gales 3-17 St Pats 2-11
Southern Gaels impressive season continued in free flowing style
as they added the county championship to their earlier league
summer success. In do so they delivered a vastly improved display
on their semi-final showing as they simply out fought the defending
champions in all the key battles. Caroline Kelly was deployed
at centre back this time out and mopped up an amount of loose
ball as did Deirdre Fenton and Sinead O’Sullivan. Maura Curran
put in an eye catching performance and Linda Cronin also made
a big contribution to her side’s win.. Their full forward line
once again delivered in emphatic style notching 3-15 between them.
Kacey O’Driscoll pulled the strings for her side as her footballing
brain is second to none, as time and time again she brought her
colleagues into the play. Michelle O’Sullivan helped herself to
1-3 and her points were all top draw scores. That leads us on
nicely to Southern Gaels No 15, Sarah O’Connor. The current Kerry
captain’s rollercoaster year has been well documented but the
Portmagee All star was back to her prolific best on Sunday with
a player of the game performance. Her finishing was clinical and
her silken skills were a joy to watch on a glorious Autumn’s day
as she treated the crowd at Lewis road to an exhibition of top
class finishing. Her two goals were crucial coming at the start
and finish of the opening half but the quality of her final point
was fantastic as she sold two defenders dummies before guiding
a sweetly struck point off her left boot inside the upright from
35 yards out for a gem of a score.

St Pats will be disappointed that their bid for
4-in-a-row came up short. Too many of their players weren’t at
the pitch of the game and only goalkeeper Ciara O’Connor, Mairead
Finnegan, Anna Marie O’Donoghue, Sarah Houlihan and Patrice Dennehy
emerged with their reputations intact from the game.

Southern Gaels wanted it more and it showed right from the start
as Sarah O’Connor’s goal on three minutes set them on their way.
O’Connor stole in behind the St Pats defence to finish to the
net after Ciara O’Connor saved her initial effort. The fare in
the opening half was of good quality and Sarah Houlihan’s trio
of points kept the losers in the game for much of that period.
The county players for the Gaels were spraying the ball about
as O’Connor had 1-3 on the board and O’Driscoll three points of
her own as Southern Gaels stretched out to a 1-8 to 0-6 lead.
Patrice Dennehy’s frees also kept St Pats in touch and a rasper
from her from the penalty spot dragged it back to a two point
game approaching half time. Just when it seemed Southern Gaels
might be in a spot of bother they swept up field and though keeper
O’Connor parried a Kacey O’Driscoll piledriver Sarah O’Connor
reacted quickest to rifle high to the net.

Southern Gaels had the winds at their back for the second half
as they looked to build on their 2-9 to 1-7 half-time lead. They
poured forward at will and St Pats were dealt an early second
half blow as Sarah Jane Joy retired injured with a suspected broken
wrist. The reigning champions couldn’t get a foothold in the middle
of the park and Southern Gaels inside trio kept the scoreboard
ticking over as they stretched away to double scores 2-16 to 1-8.
There was brief hope of a grandstand finish when the tiresome
work of Patrice Dennehy was rewarded with a super goal as she
side stepped Kerry goalie Laoise O’Driscoll for a tonic three
pointer in the 13th minute. But this day was all about Southern
Gaels team spirit and Michelle O’Sullivan neatly worked goal ten
minutes from time ensured the Southerners would be back on top
of the pile of Kerry Ladies football for the first time since
2003.

Southern Gaels: Laoise O’Driscoll, Sinead O’Sullivan, Maura O’Connor,
Sinead Sheehan, Deirdre Fenton, Bernie Cronin, Sinead O’Sullivan,
Caroline Kelly, Deirdre O’Sullivan, Linda Cronin (0-2), Maura
Curran, Elaine O’Sullivan, Michelle O’Sullivan (1-3), Kacey O’Driscoll
(0-6, 2 frees), Sarah O’Connor (2-6, 1 free). Subs: Thelma O’Sullivan
for E O’Sullivan, Roseleen O’Connell for S O’Sullivan.

St Pats: Ciara O’Connor, Jody O’Sullivan, Jenny Johnston, Mairead
Finnegan, Cassandra Buckley (captain), Jacinta Murphy, Aoife O’Sullivan,
Sarah Jane Joy (0-1), Bernie Breen, Edel Murphy, Amanda Bronson,
Anna Marie O’Donoghue (0-2, 1 free), Sarah Houlihan (0-3), Patrice
Dennehy (2-3, 1 pen, 3 frees), Stephanie Corkery (0-1). Subs:
Sinead O’Connor for Joy (inj), Anne Marie Healy (0-1) for E Murphy,
Amy Foley for Aoife O’Sullivan, Kerry O’Sullivan for J Murphy
and Laura Buckley for Corkery.

Referee: Mike O’Connor (Na Piarsaigh) Limerick