Southern Gaels just came up short

Munster senior Ladies Football Club Final Played in Feenagh, Co
Limerick

Inch Rovers 1-12 Southern Gaels 1-11

Southern Gaels just came up short in their bid to land the Munster
Senior Club title to their impressive haul of silverware this
year. Undoubtedly they are the most progressive club in Kerry
as they have carefully nutured their underage talent in recent
years and will be extremely disappointed that they didn’t take
a landmark title at the weekend. The Southerners have won four
underage Feile All Ireland titles in the past nine years and several
of those girls lined out against a highly fancied Cork outfit
Inch Rovers. The East Cork side had captured their first senior
football Cork county championship, along the way seeing off the
all conquering Donaghamore.

The Gaels backed by a first half breeze went ahead through the
hugely impressive Kacey O’Driscoll and further points from Maura
Curran and Michelle O’Sullivan as they opened up a 0-3 to 0-1
lead inside the first quarter. The Kerry minor goalkeeper Deirdre
Murphy kept her side in the game throughout the course of the
hour pulling off a string of fine saves. Further scores from Sarah
O’Connor and Marie Curran sent the Kerry champions in at half
time 0-6 to 0-4 ahead.The Cork girls started the second period
with intent as they hit 1-3 without reply in the first ten minutes
of the half with Cork inter county star Amy O’Shea providing the
goal. Former All star Kacey O’Driscoll then took the game by the
scruff of the neck as she dragging back her side into proceedings
by grabbing her side’s only goal in the 42nd minute.Linda Curran,
Sarah O’Connor and Maura Curran all added further points to give
Southern Gaels a 1-9 to 1-8 lead entering the closing stages.

Inch Rovers though settled the issue as they hit four unanswered
points nearing full time. Sarah O’Connor who did so much to get
the Kerry champions to this stage of the competition had two late
points as her side looked set to send the match into extra time.
However, the equalising score proved elusive as a second Kerry
side retreated from Feenagh, Co Limerick without a trophy to show
for an hour’s hard labour. Still, the Kerry champions will have
fond memories of the year past as they captured both the League
and championship titles in Kerry and this experience will stand
to them in the coming years ahead as they show the way forward
for club football in Kerry.

Southern Gaels: Deirdre Murphy, Maura O’Connor, Deirdre Fenton,
Sinead Sheehan, Bernie Cronin, Caroline Kelly, Thelma O’Sullivan,
Sinead O’Sullivan, Sinead O’Sullivan, Elaine O’Sullivan, Linda
Cronin (0-1), Maura Curran (0-3), Kacey O’Driscoll (1-1), Michele
O’Sullivan (0-2), Sarah O’Connor (0-4, 2f) Subs: Katie O’Connell
for Thelma O’Sullivan, Mary Cronin for Elaine O’Sullivan, Deirdre
O’Sullivan for Sinead O’Sullivan