South Kerry Centenary Senior Football Championship Final

 Mary's show their class

St. Mary's (Holders)

0-12 Waterville 0-6

Teams     Pictures

A Maurice Fitzgerald inspired St. Mary's retained their South Kerry crown in Waterville on Saturday, much easier on the run of play than the final score line suggests.

Despite being the dominant force throughout the hour, St. Mary's could never move comfortably ahead of a Waterville team who were completely out of it in the opening half. However they redeemed themselves with a rousing final quarter at which stage they had the champions a very worried lot as they clung on to a three point lead.

Waterville went looking for the equalising goal, only for veteran St.

Mary's goalkeeper Seamus Fitzgerald to show all his coolness and class to pull out a string of timely saves. His younger brother Maurice, who was magnificent all through, finally finished off the Waterville challenge with the last two points of the game, both superb scores which only a player of Fitzgerald's silken skills could do.

On the day, St. Mary's carried the favourites mantle and from as early as the opening minutes you could see they were all geared up for victory. The breeze, blowing right across the pitch, presented problems to attackers and it had to be judged to perfection before the ball could be carried over the posts.

There was only one team winning all the play in the opening quarter, as the Caherciveen men were very fit and sharp. Sharp passing, strong, open football with Maurice Fitzgerald dictating the pattern of the game from midfield and movements were sweet with the points following.

Lead

It was Fitzgerald who kicked over the opening point from a 30 metre free in the third minute and Bernard O'Connor had number two three minutes later after hard working full-forward John Quirke provided the space.

St. Mary's were all over their rivals. John Alan O'Sullivan in the number 7 shirt was always ready to push forward (and he is some attacking half-back). He linked up to take a peach of a pass from Fitzgerald and split the uprights for an excellent score to leave it 0-3 to nil, while John Quirke fired wide across the face of the Waterville goals, which was certainly a let off.

Point number four for the holders was another delightful piece of Fitzgerald's unique style as he floated the leather straight over the bar from a most difficult angle on the left side of the pitch, judging the wind to perfection. This put the winners 0-4 to nil up and Waterville were played out of the game, such was the all-round team work by St. Mary's.

A four point lead should have been much more for St. Mary's and it took all of 14 minutes for the home team to mount their first serious attack, which resulted in their first wide from Denis O'Dwyer.

Siege

With the ball now down in the other end of the pitch, Waterville raised the siege a little and broke St. Mary's dominance. Keith Moran after a good build up was put clean through but agonisingly for the huge local support he shot harmlessly wide.

From the resultant kick-out they were back in attack and excellent full-forward John D. O'Shea was hauled down going through. He duly pointed from the close-in free to open Waterville's account after 17 minutes.

This score seemed to have shaken Waterville out of their slumber and they were now playing the kind of football which had brought them to the decider. However they hadn't the same scoring strength as St. Mary's up front, with only two points from play over the hour. Their finishing was poor with wides at crucial stages and lobbing shots into the safe arms of Seamus Fitzgerald.

However, for the final 17 minutes of the half, Waterville kept St. Mary's to only one point, a good score by Daniel O'Sullivan and when Denis O'Dwyer pointed a 30 metre free in first half added time, there was still only a kick of the ball between the teams, 0-5 to 0-2. After St. Mary's being the better team for long stages, Waterville were still well in it on the scoreboard.

Dour

The second period turned out to be a very close, tough and hard dour struggle. St. Mary's were under pressure to protect their three point cushion, Waterville performed admirably with their game now on par with their opponents.

The tricky cross-field wind was still causing its problems. The half was only 30 seconds old when St Mary's Bryan Sheehan, put through by John Quirke, fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

Both teams enjoyed lively action, though it didn't yield a score until the ninth minute when Austin Constable, who came storming into the game, sent over a beauty after collecting a tap down ball by Fitzgerald.

Waterville were improving all the time, with John D. O'Shea causing St. Mary's Stephen Curran huge problems at number 14 and he won a free to tap over his team's third point. St. Mary's again regained the initiative to push five clear with Austin Constable sending a '45 clean over the sticks and straight from the kickout Maurice Fitzgerald won possession and lofted over the crossbar a mighty point, 0-8 to 0-3, now into the final quarter.

Fair play to Waterville, they got stuck into the task and they fought doggedly to keep their hopes alive. John D. O'Shea won a free which he converted and Keith Moran kicked another fine angled point. It was still in the balance.

Eoin Moriarty, Buddy O'Shea, Garry Galvin, Robbie O'Dwyer and the high fielding Seamus O'Sullivan in the middle of the park were launching Waterville forward, while Denis O'Dwyer, Keith Moran and the brilliant John D. O'Shea were doing solid work up front. Daniel O'Sullivan and John D. O'Shea both traded terrific points to leave it 0-9 to 0-6 at the 20th minute stage.

Exchanges

A South Kerry final is never easily won and St. Mary's knew they had some game on their hands to stay champions. The exchanges were tense and electrifying and the crowd were on their feet waiting for the vital twist that could sway the outcome. The tackling was bone shackling, every ball was fought for with renewed vigour, team mentors were calling the shots, running up and down the touchlines.

It was into the 24th minute when John Quirke's long effort went over the bar for St Mary's. This put the score 0-10 to 0-6. The minutes ticking over and Waterville fired everything at St. Mary's.

They had two chances of finding the net, the first when Gary Galvin burst up field, but his finish let him down when he flashed the ball outside the right upright. The challengers still dug deep looking for the much needed goal to give them a lifeline and just when it seemed Keith Moran would score as he latched on to a through ball, Seamus Fitzgerald came dashing off his line to dive and smother the ball to avert the imminent danger.

To add further to Waterville's tale of woe John D. O'Shea had a miss from a scorable 22 metre free kick. St. Mary's were relieved and with Waterville's chances fading, Maurice Fitzgerald capped another one of his most wonderful displays with two points. The first from came from a hand taken free, out near the dugout on the left side from all of 80 metres. It was a masterful score which curled in clean as a whistle between the uprights.

A lovely piece of action by a football genius and he was not finished yet. When the ball was delivered outfield he popped up again to lift another terrific score over the posts, not alone to seal St. Mary's 31st title but to show what a prince of footballers he certainly is.

0-12 to 0-6, it was that sort of a final. St. Mary's should have put it away early on. They had to withstand Waterville's amazing revival in which they lived dangerously and had Seamus Fitzgerald the busiest keeper.

In the end it was the marvellous performance of Maurice Fitzgerald which finally won the day, though it would have made it a lot more interesting if Waterville had scored a goal, but St. Mary's always had that extra cutting edge in attack which told at the long whistle.

Teams & Scorers - St. Mary's: Seamus Fitzgerald (Gls), Liam Corcoran, Stephen Curran, Gearoid O'Driscoll, Mark O'Shea (Capt.), Paul O'Mahoney, John Alan O'Sullivan 0-1, John Golden, Maurice Fitzgerald 0-5 (0-3F), Austin Constable 0-2 (0-1 '45'), Ray Keane, Bryan Sheehan, Daniel O'Sullivan 0-2, John Quirke 0-1, Bernard O'Connor 0-1.

Substitutes: James Fitzgerald for O'Connor, Niall O'Driscoll for Sheehan.

Waterville: Bernard Murphy (Gls), Michael O'Shea, Dan Fitzpatrick, Eoin Moriarty, Buddy O'Shea, Gary Galvin, Haulie Courtney, Robbie O'Dwyer, Seamus O'Sullivan, Keith Moran (Capt.) 0-1, Denis O'Dwyer 0-1F, Alan O'Shea, Denis O'Carroll, John D. O'Shea 0-4 (0-3F), Darby Clifford.

Substitutes: John B. O'Shea for Courtney, Niall Moran for O'Carroll.

Referee: Tommy Sugrue (St. Pat's, Blennerville).