With St. Brendans taking the Plate title after a cracking final over a young West Kerry outfit last week, the last game remaining was the Cup Final between Mid Kerry and Feale Rangers and it turned out to be the best game of all in what has been a brilliant championship this year.
Eoghan Hassett quickly had Mid Kerry off the mark. A very impressive Keltyn Molloy was unlucky to hit the post at the other end but Mid Kerry added points from Mikey Moriarty and Conor Spillane before Molloy set up Cormac Dillon for Feale Rangers’ first score. A minute later they were ahead, a superb fetch and clinical finish by Moilloy making it 1-1 to 0-3. Cormac Dillon added a free and Molly scored a real beauty. Molloy almost got another goal with a deft flick, but Jack O’Keeffe cleared it off the goal-line. A foul on Dara Conway saw Jack O’Sullivan pull one back before Mikey Moriarty set up Charlie Foley for a superb goal. Half-time Mid Kerry 1-4 Feale Rangers 1-4
Eoghan Hassett took the game by the scruff of the neck on the resumption. He sliced in for a magnificent goal, quickly added a free, and won another for Jack O’Sullivan to convert. Conor Spillane made it 2-7 to 1-4 from distance and Feale Rangers had a mountain to climb. And no bother to them – these lads had already defied the odds and seen off a few favourites to reach the final; they were never going to falter now. Keltyn Molly won a free for Cormac Dillon to convert. Another free wasn’t dealt with decisively by the defence and Molloy pounced like a hungry hawk. Before adding a point 2-7 to 2-6. Feale Rangers were exerting brilliant pressure now and it was paying off, Dara Conway swooping in for a cracking goal to put them in front. 2-7 to 3-6. Mid Kerry responded to trouble by raising their game. Darragh O’Grady scored a great goal. Jack O’Sullivan was fouled, Eoghan Hassett swung it over. Charlie Foley added a point. 3-9 to 3-6. Still plenty of drama to come. Keltyn Molloy, man of the match, yet again had the class to score a great goal. Level pegging, all on the line. Eogahn Hassett cut in superbly and unleashed a thunderbolt….off the underside of the Feale Rangers crossbar and out to safety! Supersub Darragh O’Grady came up trumps for Mid Kerry with two late points, just enough to see off a brilliant Feale Rangers challenge.
Well done to both teams, mentors, and supporters, and mile buiochas to referee Paul Hayes and his team and Austin Stack Park for helping make such a great atmosphere for such a great game.
