27th August 2006 - South Kerry U12 League Final in Pairc Peile Piarsaigh na Dromoda

St. Mary's 3-08 V 5-08 Templenoe

The South Kerry Championship winners came a cropper when it came to the League final on Sunday evening last against Templenoe in Dromid. In a cracking game of football which saw Templenoe lead at the break by 2 points 2-5 to 3-4 with first half goals from Liam Stapleton (2), St. Mary’s, and Bryan Crowley, Cian Hallissey and the outstanding Michelle O’Connor, Templenoe. A nail biting second half saw the holders of the South Kerry U14 League, in which they also beat St. Mary’s, hold onto their lead and add 2-4 to their tally and run out victors by 6 points to the dismay of a Mary’s team that ran out of legs in the finish.

 The ever brilliant Megan O’Connell gave a helping hand in opening the scoring when she won a fantastic battle with Templenoe captain Denis O’Neill and then released Liam Stapleton with a fine pass and he duly converted, the Mary’s lead only lasted a minute when after a foul on Bryan Crowley, Michelle O’Connor pointed a close free. After 5 minutes the opening goal of the evening came when Crowley took off on a great run and nestled the ball past Ronan McCarthy in the Mary’s net to take the advantage. Michelle added another point before Megan O’Connell and Conor O’Shea combined for a Liam Stapleton goal after 7 minutes, but the value of Stapleton to the team at full forward was about to double when a sideline ball dropped at the back post and on hand again was Stapleton to punch to the ball to the net past Richard Palmer to give his side a 2 point lead. Conor O’Shea and Liam Stapleton, St. Mary’s, exchanged points with Bryan Crowley, Templenoe, before the dominant Michelle O’Connor ran straight through a fragile defence to rattle home her second goal of the night, but goals were in abundance when midfielder Cian Hallissey took the same approach as O’Connor and netted to give his side a lead in which they didn’t surrender for the rest of the game. Megan O’Connell from 21m and Aidan O’Connor with a punched point added to the Mary’s tally before the break while Hallissey had the last say of the half after an assist from Denis O’Neill to leave the score at the short whistle Templenoe 3-4 St. Mary’s 2-5.

Templenoe got off to the best possible start of the second half when subsitute Cillian Spillane played the ball off to Michelle O’Connor and she grabbed her second goal of the evening. Crowley and Joseph O’Sullivan both added unanswered points for their sides before Liam Stapleton picked up his third point of the game when he kicked over a fantastic left legged strike from long range. St. Mary’s then introduced young Jack O’Connor, although Templenoe had two points, from Hallissey and a Michelle O’Connor free up on the board before Jack O’Connor had a clear cut chance he made up for it after 33 minutes with a close range goal at second time of asking to cut the margin to 5 points. Conor O’Shea added a close free while Denis Daly pointed a 45 to round the Mary’s tally to 3-8 but Templenoe increased their advantage with 3 minutes remaining with a Denis O’Neill goal and leave the final score in Pairc Peile Piarsaigh na Dromada Templénoé 5-08 Naomh Mhuire 3-08.

Teams & Scorers

Templenoe – Richard Palmer, John Rice, Clare O’Sullivan, Gavin Crowley, Cian Hallissey (1-2), Aidan Spillane, Bryan Crowley (1-2), Denis O’Neill(c) (1-0), Michelle O’Connor (2-3,2f). Subs Used – Cillian Spillane, Joseph O’Sullivan (0-1). Subs – Jonathan Egan, Patrick Clifford, Elizabeth Moriarty, Ricky Moriarty.

St. Mary’s – Ronan McCarthy, Gaberial Dennehy, Megan O’Connell (0-1), Amy Fitzgerald, Denis Daly(c) (0-1,1f), Daragh Stack, Conor O’Shea (0-2,2f), Liam Stapleton (2-3), Aidan O’Connor (0-1). Subs Used – Jack O’Connor (1-0). Subs – Kerri Dowling, Jonathan Coffey, Patrick Cournane and Robert O’Shea.

Referee – Michael Curran (Piarsaigh na Dromoda)