County League Div.3
@ Waterville 15/08/2010
Waterville 1 - 10 V Dromid Pearses 0 - 07
In a resplendent Waterville Sportsfield Waterville overcame the challenge of local rivals Dromid Pearses by 6 points after a competitive and entertaining encounter played out in glorious summer sunshine. Having lost out to Firies in the previous encounter Waterville were keen to get back to winning ways and a final scoreline of 1-10 to 0-07 was very pleasing to the home supporters. The game also saw the very welcome return to duties of Paddy Curran. After enduring a nightmare couple of years Paddy was once again taking to the field in the red and white of Waterville and finally all the long hours in the physio rooms and gyms paid off.
Having elected to play with the mild breeze Waterville were keen to get off to a good start and this promptly happened with Alan O’Dwyer bursting onto a pass from Barry O’Dwyer to knock over the first point after just a minute of play. Five minutes later Barry got in on the act himself with a nicely taken point from 25 yards. Shortly after that Paddy Curran ran onto a pass from Haulie Courtney to kick a long range effort over the bar and stretch Watervilles lead to three points. But Dromid were trying hard to get into the game and following some poor wides Thomas Curran was bearing down on goal only to be denied by a superb block by Seamus O’Sullivan. From the rebound Niall O’Shea was on hand to score his sides first point of the game. Waterville responded immediately with a point from the lively Barry O’Dwyer after he received a pass from Gearóid O’Sullivan before turning his man and knocking over his second point. Alan O’Dwyer, who was performing impressively at wing forward, stretched out Watervilles lead after some great work by Alan O’Shea. Dromid were creating chances but were unable to convert any possession they had into further scores. Some poor shooting allied with some dogged defending by Waterville kept the Pearses men behind on the scoreboard. They were knocked back even further on 20 minutes when Barry O’Dwyer got on the end of a long pass from Greg Gibson and didn’t waste a second in rattling the bottom corner of the Dromid goal. This left the home side ahead by 1-05 to 0-01 and well on top. Minutes later Barry nearly did it again when going for an almost identical goal but this time the ball fizzed narrowly wide. With 5 minutes remaining in the half Paddy Curran beat his marker and from 40 yards kicked his teams final score of the half. Dromid managed two late points to give them a fighting chance when the wind was in their favour in the second half. First Kevin O’Sullivan then Niall O’Shea scoring from close range. With a half time lead of 1-06 to 0-03 Waterville were happy going into the half time break. Seamus O’Sullivan was having a storming game at midfield and was winning lots of possession to help maintain a supply of ball going into the forwards.
Facing into the breeze in the second half Waterville were keen to get an early score to keep ahead of their local rivals on the scoreboard. With just three minutes on the clock Seamus O’Sullivan was fouled on the 21 yard line and Gearóid was on hand to knock over the free for the opening score of the half. Shortly afterwards Alan O’Dwyer got on the end of some good play by Paddy Curran to kick his third point of the day. When Barry O’Dwyer pointed a free from a tight angle after 10 minutes it looked as if Waterville were going to win convincingly. They were playing well and were competing fiercely for every ball. But there is plenty heart in these Dromid men and they fought hard to get themselves back in contention. A Colm Connor point was followed by another from Cian Hallissey and there was a brief period when the visiting team controlled the game. However the Waterville defence stood firm and tight and didn’t give much away. Dromid were restricted to a couple of free kicks before man of the match Seamus O’Sullivan scored the point of the game with the outside of his boot having burst through the middle following some good patient passing from Seamus O’Shea, Barry O’Dwyer, Gearóid O’Sullivan and Haulie Courtney. This was the final score of a very fine competitive game which leaves Waterville in good form and looking forward to the challenge of a trip to face St. Pats, Blennerville in early September. Best for Waterville were Kevin O’Dwyer, Haulie Courtney and Niall Fitzgerald; the midfield pairing of Gearóid and Seamus O’Sullivan performed very well while up front Barry O’Dwyer, Alan O’Dwyer and Paddy Curran led the charge.
Urban League Final (Div 4)
Waterville 1 -10 V St. Michaels / Foilmore 1 - 08
n a very entertaining and competitive final of the Urban League Division Four in Con Keating Park last Friday, Waterville emerged victorious on a scoreline of 1-10 to 1-08. Played in good footballing conditions both sides served up a tough championship like encounter. Waterville made a bright start and were in determined mood, having lost to the same opposition in the opening round of this competition. Daniel O’Dwyer set the tone early on with a storming run from midfield to kick a superb score. The Waterville full forward line of Stephen O’Dwyer, Sean Cathal O’Sullivan and John D O’Shea were in good from and were able to capitalise on an excellent supply of ball from their midfielders. The three combined beautifully on 14 minutes to work an opening for John D to slot a goal and put his team in the driving seat, with a healthy four point lead. St. Michaels / Foilmore attacked with a determined attitude in the second half but the Waterville defence (containing four minors) stood firm and helped by the older heads of Mike O’Shea and Gary Galvin the young lads managed to win their individual battles and also defended well as a unit.
At midfield Paul Galvin and Daniel O’Dwyer got through a huge amount of work to ensure a good shield for the defence, while simultaneously ensuring a constant supply of ball into the forwards. Alan O’Shea was also working tirelessly on the ’40 and he also kicked a great point. But it was the full forward line that were doing most of the damage with John D in particular scoring a magnificent long-range effort to inspire Waterville. But Bally / Foilmore pressed hard and kept in touch through some good scoring from Max Thiemann and the industry of Padraig O’Sullivan.
Coming into time added on Waterville held sway by 5 points and were defending manfully. Sean O’Shea did manage a late consolation goal but it was not enough to deny the lakesiders, who won the day on a scoreline of 1-10 to 1-08.
The defence while superbly marshalled by veterans Mike O’Shea and Gary Galvin also saw great performances from Micheál Curran and Stephen Donnelly. Paul Galvin and Daniel O’Dwyer tilted the balance at midfield and up front Alan O’Shea and the entire full forward line performed excellently. Congratulations to all the players, team captain Mike O’Shea and management team Eugene Dennehy and John D O’Shea on a great win for the club.
County League Div.3
@ Waterville 27/06/2010
Waterville 0 - 08 V Beale 0 - 05
Waterville made rather hard work of overcoming a depleted Beale side
on Saturday last in Division Three of the County League. While also
without a few regular starters the home side should have run up a much
bigger score given that they enjoyed the lions share of possession and
were on top throughout the hour. The final score of 0-08 to 0-05
didn't do justice to the home side who should really have had a much
larger scoreline. But a win is a win and the selectors will be happy that the ship is back on course after the poor performance in Beaufort.
Playing into the wind in the first half Waterville were quickly out of
the blocks and were 0-04 to 0-00 to the good after 8 minutes. Donncha
Fenton got the show on the road with a superbly struck free kick from
30 yards into the wind after being fouled himself. Keith Moran soon
got in on the act with a nicely struck point following some good work
by the ageless John D O'Shea. Just a minute later another free from
Donncha stretched the lead, this time after John D was felled close to
goal. Alan O'Shea was getting on a lot of ball from his wing forward
position and it was from a high ball from him that the ball broke to
Keith Moran who flicked over his second point from 14 yards with his
right boot. Waterville were flying now and playing a lovely brand of
controlled, high tempo football. But from here they seemed to lose
focus and allowed the North Kerry man get back into the game. The previously dominant Waterville midfield began ceding more ball to their Beale counterparts and the breaks were being lost rather than
won. Declan Bambury began influencing the game from midfield for the
visitors and it was his score that got his team off the mark after 14
minutes. He followed that up with another point from long range and
when Beale kicked another score Waterville knew that they had left
their opponents back in the game. Another long range score from
Bambury leveled matters with about 5 minutes to go in the half. But
the Waterville midfield of Seamus O'Sullivan and Paul Galvin rolled up
their sleeves and again took over this sector to give the forwards a
supply of ball. John D O'Shea capitalised just before half time,
getting on the end of some great work by Alan O'Shea, Keith Moran and
Gearoid O'Sullivan to kick a lovely point from an acute angle. On the
face of it a one point lead, having played into a stiff breeze was a
decent return but in reality Waterville would have wanted to be
further ahead given the start they had made and the possession they
enjoyed. Still a half time of lead of 0-05 to 0-04 gave them something
to build on with the wind at their backs for the second half. The second half saw Waterville again dominating the game in every
facet of the game bar the scoreboard. Seamus O'Sullivan was having a
storming game, wining lots of ball in midfield but this dominance was
still not being converted into scores. some over hit passes and narrow
wides kept the scoreline close. Donncha Fenton did again show unerring
accuracy from the placed ball with a delightful 50 yard free kick
after Gearoid O'Sullivan had been chopped down. Minutes later Gearoid
found himself 21 yards out with only the keeper to beat. A deft lob
(was it a shot for point or goal???) was heading for the top corner
but the Beale Keeper made an outstanding save to flick it over the
bar. With 15 minutes left in the game another free from Donncha Fenton
was to be Watervilles final score of the game as Beale tried manfully
to get back into the game. The Waterville defence was playing very
well though and didn't give the visitors a sight of goal. Daniel O'Dwyer made a tremendous block to keep them out and they were restricted to one score in the entire half, a 14 yard free. At the
other end a few decent scoring opportunities were spurned but it's
encouraging that the lads were getting into these positions and a
slight tweaking of the radar should see the forward unit click and put
up some decent scoring returns. Man of The Match Seamus O'Sullivan was
excellent at midfield, fielding some great balls and getting involved
in the play a lot. Daniel O'Dwyer, Niall Fitzgerald and Mike O'Shea
lead the defensive line very well and Keith Moran Gearoid O'Sullivan
played well up front as did Donncha Fenton, showing great form from
placed balls. The final score from a windy Waterville was Waterville 0-08, Beale 0-05, leaving us two points off Kenmare at the top of the table.
County League Div.3
@ Waterville 15/05/2010
Waterville 3 - 08 V Sneem / Derrynane 1 - 11
Having overcome the challenge of Glenbeigh / Glencar the previous week Waterville needed another good performance at home to Sneem / Derrynane to try and build momentum towards a promotion push in the County League. On a bright and sunny evening in Waterville they provided just that, winning with three points to spare over a resilient visiting team. The final score line of 3-08 to 1-11 was due in no small part to the poaching skills of Barry O’Dwyer who bagged three fine goals to inspire his team to victory.
The visitors were the first to get on the scoreboard with a fine effort from Ronan Hussey but following good work from his brother Kevin, Barry O’Dwyer was shortly on hand to level matters. Very soon after that the Kerry Minor struck for the first of his goals, getting on the end of a long ball which was flicked down to him by Stephen O’Dwyer and calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net. Stephen himself got on the end of some good work by the Waterville backs to kick a point to give Waterville a 4 point lead, 1-02 to 0-01. But Sneem were playing with a lively breeze and began to gain an edge of superiority which Ronan Hussey and Joe Corridan were keen to exploit. 1-04 without reply from those two players left Sneem / Derrynane with a 3 point lead after 15 minutes. Under a lot of pressure in goal Ciaran Dennehy was having an excellent game, making some crucial saves and interceptions to keep his team in the mix. Keith Moran steadied the ship with a well-worked point and Denis Dwyer got on the end of an excellent move involving Keith and Barry to bring it back to a one-point game. Sneem / Derrynane had had a goal disallowed for a square infringement but Ronan Hussey kept his side with a bit of breathing space with a long range point from a free kick to leave his side ahead by two points at the break. With the breeze at their backs Waterville were hopeful of a good second half performance to win the two points.
Barry O’Dwyer got them off to a perfect start with a neat point almost immediately on the restart and when Greg Gibson knocked one over from 35 yards minutes later the sides were all square. The next score was going to be a decisive one as both teams were battling hard to gain the upper hand. When Mike O’Shea got out in front to win a great ball in defence it was kicked in long to Stephen O’Dwyer who instinctively knew where Barry would be and he flicked it down to him and Barry calmly rolled the ball into the corner of the net to put Waterville a goal ahead, 2-06 to 1-06, with 20 minutes remaining. Cormac O’Sullivan, deputising in the full back line, made a superb block down to keep the Waterville goal intact and when Denis Dwyer intercepted a Sneem line ball he spotted Barry free in front of goal with no defenders near him. An inch perfect ball left Barry in a position to round the keeper and slide the ball into the net for his, and his teams, third goal of the day. Ciaran Dennehy made another superb save a few minutes later and when another Sneem / Derrynane goal was disallowed the crowd would have started to think that the day was to belong to Waterville. The players certainly believed this and Seamus O’Sullivan, introduced at half time, was putting in a great 30 minutes, winning numerous balls in front of his goal to repel the visiting attacks. Gearóid O’Sullivan was also playing well in the second half and he got on the scoreboard with a superbly taken point after some great work by Fergal Cronin. With Waterville ahead by 7 points at this stage it was clear that the visiting team were going to need goals to get back into the game. Waterville were not in the mood to allow any late goals and, mindful of the late goal against Keel, began to defend quite deeply, restricting Sneem / Derrynane to long range efforts and free kicks. Ronan Hussey and Joe Corridan were again the scorers in chief for the visitors. With a couple of minutes to go Waterville captain Gearóid O’Sullivan again got on the end of some great work by Fergal Cronin to push his side further ahead and despite a few late points from Sneem / Derrynane Waterville hung on comfortably to win by three points, 3-08 to 1-11. The Beenbane livewire Barry O’Dwyer was Waterville’s star performer, bagging 3-02 in a superb display. He got some great support from Keith Moran, Daniel O’Dwyer and Oran Clifford in a good team display. Seamus O’Sullivan also gave a lot in his 30 minutes on the field.
The next outing is a home game against Keel, this coming Saturday in the Intermediate Shield, a competition which Waterville were victorious in last year.
Urban League
16/ 05 2010 @ Waterville
The Waterville B team got their 2010 campaign underway with a home tie agauinst a very strong Bally / Foilmore team on sunday. They came up just short in the finish but put in a very spirited display and were level with 5 minutes remaining and just didnt get the luck or the bounce of the ball required. A few spurned goal chances were key as, had they been converted, Waterville might have gone on to win this game. The final score line was St. Michaels / Foilmore 3-11,
Waterville 1-12. Watervilles goal came from a superbly struck penalty by John D O'Shea who put in a good display, as did Cormac O'Sullivan and newly announced team captain Mike O'Shea. Odhran O'Mahony, making his first senior start for the club also performed very well in the half back line.
County League
Glenbeigh / Glencar 0 - 09 ... Waterville 1 - 13
Waterville continued their County League Division Three campaign on Sunday evening with an away trip to face Glenbeigh / Glencar in round three. Throw in was at 5.00pm and the team were well supported. This victory was very welcome boost to the team's confidence. Full report soon. .
Intermediate Championship
1st Round @ Gneeveguilla Sat. 24th April 2010
Gneeveguilla 2 - 22 .................... Waterville 0 - 07.
It was a long journey home from East Kerry on Saturday night as Waterville’s senior team nursed their wounds after being on the end of an unmerciful drubbing from an outstanding Gneeveguilla side who will have serious designs on going all the way in this competition. Following two good performances in the county league there was positive feelings about Waterville’s chances but these were soon forgotten as the home side were superior in every department and swatted away the challenge with style and panache.
A noticeable aspect of the home sides play was their fitness and physicality. They overpowered the Waterville challenge from the start and within 13 minutes had amassed an eight-point lead, 1-05 to no score. The quality of score taking from the home side was very impressive. The goal came from the primary danger man, Liam Murphy who got on the end of a fine team move to flick the ball into the net from close range. At this point Waterville were being overrun but to their credit they stuck to their guns and actually managed to get a slight foothold in the game for the middle period of the first half. Seamus O’Sullivan knocked over a decent point from a tight angle and Haulie Courtney quickly followed this up with a free after a foul on Barry O’Dwyer. Another Haulie Courtney free cancelled out a superb effort from the Gneeveguilla men and Gearóid O’Sullivan followed this up to reduce the arrears to 5 points with 5 minutes remaining in the half. This gave Waterville some hope and if the lead had been brought back to 3 or 4 there would have been the possibility of a second half revival. Instead it was the home side who kicked over three quick points to turn the task facing Waterville back into a mountain. Gneeveguilla lead by eight points at the break, 1-09 to 0-04.
A good start to the second half was crucial for Waterville’s chances of a revival but alas it never materialised. Instead Gneeveguilla upped through the gears and buried the Waterville challenge within 10 minutes, by which time they had scored another 1-05 without reply to turn it into a rout. Liam Murphy was again the architect in chief of Waterville’s misery, scoring the goal having once again gotten on the end of a sweeping move to flick the ball into the net. The Gneeveguilla points were coming from all over the field and Waterville were helpless in trying to repel the wave after wave of attacks from the home side. Seamus O’Sullivan kicked Waterville’s first score of the half at the end of a surging run. Denis Dwyer followed from 40 yards and Barry O’Dwyer kicked over from 25 yards to give Waterville a faint hope of pulling back the lead to make the scoreboard a little more respectable. But Gneeveguilla were in determined mood and kicked on to notch the final 7 points of the game to leave it as an absolute rout 2-22 to 0-07. Waterville have no complaints, they were out played, out classed and outfought, second best in every facet of the game. Next on the agenda is to pick the players up and push on in the county league. It is evident that playing at a higher level would prepare the lads more for this type of encounter and that has to be the aim for the next five months, to get up to division two. As for Gneeveguilla they are a serious outfit and will take some stopping in this competition. We would like to wish them the best of luck for the remainder of it. The final score was Gneeveguilla 2-22, Waterville 0-07.
Waterville team and scorers: Bernard Murphy, Kevin O’Dwyer, Gary Galvin, Niall Fitzgerald, Oran Clifford, Haulie Courtney (0-02, 2f), Alan O’Dwyer, Greg Gibson, Seamus O’Sullivan (0-02), Keith Moran, Gearóid O’Sullivan (0-01), Donncha Fenton, Barry O’Dwyer (0-01), Denis Dwyer (0-01), Fergal Cronin.
Subs used: Mike O’Shea, Paul Galvin, Seamus O’Shea, John Cronin, Cathal Keating
Senior County League
@ Keel, Saturday April 17th
Keel 2 - 15 ......... Waterville 3 - 10
For an example of how cruel our game of Gaelic Football can one needed to travel no farther than Keel on Saturday night. In the 7th minute of injury time a long ball into the Waterville square was scrambled into the net to give the home side a very fortuitous victory over a brave and determined Waterville side. The uneven referring display left the sizeable crowd who traveled from Waterville disappointed but solace can be taken from a fiery and committed display which augurs well for the rest of the year. The final score on a perfect evening for football was Keel 2-15, Waterville 3-10 and this high scoring was indicative of an excellent game of football.
From the start the challenges were full blooded and the pace fast and furious. The home side opened the scoring in the first minute when midfielder Thomas Ladden was allowed waltz through the Waterville rearguard. Donncha Fenton immediately leveled proceedings with a point from 35 yards after some great dogged work from Niall Fitzgerald. The excellent Gary Sayers kicked a fine point to put his side in the lead once again before Keith Moran knocked over with his left leg, having been set up by the hardworking Fergal Cronin. Sayers again nudged his side in front and Waterville would have been farther behind were it not for a superb block down in front of goal by Gary Galvin. Barry O'Dwyer took advantage of that to tap over a 14 yard free having been fouled himself. Once again Sayers was proving a thorn in Waterville’s side and he kicked a point which was followed by a score from Keel full forward Mike Connor. Fergal Cronin was showing well and had the beating of his man, which he duly did by running through the heart of the defence to give Greg Gibson the opportunity to kick a point. Two quick points from the home side opened up a 3 point lead but again Fergal Cronin was on hand to win a vital break and feed Oran Clifford who duly kicked over to keep Waterville in touch. It was turning out to be a very competitive game with an almost championship-like fervour to it. Both sides were fully committed and determined to earn the two points. Following two frees for the home side Barry O'Dwyer underlined this determination to get on the end of a break off a long Greg Gibson pass, round his man and drive the ball into the bottom corner for the games opening goal on the 26th minute of the half. The effervescent Gary Sayers kicked the final score of the half to give his side a two point half time lead, 0-10 to 1-05. Waterville were rather lucky in truth to be that close having put in a very committed but somewhat disjointed 30 minutes work.
The selectors were looking for an increase in the effort and application in the second half and in fairness to the Waterville men they certainly responded, despite the fact that the first score of the half went to the home side, a goal when corner forward Liam Sheehan got on the end of a long ball into the square and tapped in. But Waterville were undeterred and two well taken frees from Donncha Fenton preceded an absolutely tremendous goal from Barry O'Dwyer who ran onto a pass from uncle Denis to nonchalantly flick the ball into the bottom corner with the outside of his left leg for his and his teams second goal. This left the sides level after 9 minutes of the half and minutes later the visiting team were a goal up. The increase in workload, and the better fluency in teh play, led to a great team move involving Mike Curran Denis Dwyer, Keith Moran and Barry O'Dwyer who was going for his hat trick but was blocked. Fergal Cronin was on hand to rattle home teh rebound which was just reward for him as he put in a great, hard-working performance over the course of the hour.
But there is good heart in the Keel men too and they fought their way back into the game with a string of very well taken points from David Flaherty, Thomas Ladden and Gary Sayers. Just as in the John Mitchels game Waterville's veteran forward Denis Dwyer began using his considerable experience to begin exerting his influence on the game. He rose well to win a long ball and when he was fouled the ever reliable Donncha Fenton was on hand to convert the free from 30 yards.
A free for the home side brought proceedings to level pegging once more with less than 10 minutes remaining. At this stage Michael Curran was beginning to really drive his team on from the half back line and was desperately unfortunate to pick up a leg injury which necessitated his replacement. Keel nudged themselves ahead through a point from Mike Connor but Denis Dwyer again used his strength and experience to win a free 21 yards out and Barry stepped up to level the scores again with only 5 minutes remaining. It appeared that the next score would be crucial and Waterville hearts were lifted when Denis Dwyer won a ball from Gearóid O'Sullivan and blasted the ball between the uprights to put Waterville ahead. Waterville defended manfully with some great covering, blocking and harassing denying the Keel men scoring opportunities but their luck ran out when a long ball deep deep into added time was finished to the net, and the referee immediately brought the game to an end leaving the Waterville players and supporters distraught. A very spirited and determined performance deserved more, but we can take solace from the effort and application of the players and can go up to Gneeveguilla in confident form ahead of the first round of the Intermediate Championship game next Saturday. In a tremendous team performance it would be unfair to single out individuals as every player gave his all for the team.
Team and Scorers: Bernard Murphy, Kevin O'Dwyer, Gary Galvin, Niall Fitzgerald, Michael Curran, Haulie Courtney, Alan O'Dwyer, Greg Gibson (0-01), Gearóid O'Sullivan, Oran Clifford (0-01), Keith Moran (0-01), Donncha Fenton (0-04, 3f), Barry O'Dwyer (2-02, 2f), Denis Dwyer (0-01), Fergal Cronin (1-00).
Sub used. Mike Shea.
Senior County League
@ Derrynane on Sun 4th April 2010
Waterville 0 - 17 ........ John Mitchels 0 - 11
Waterville made a very encouraging start to this years County League Campaign with a six point win over John Mitchels in Derrynane on Sunday. The men in red earned their Easter Eggs by putting in a very controlled, high tempo performance to come out winners on a scoreline of 0-17 to 0-11.
Playing with a slight breeze in the first half Waterville quickly got into their stride and knocked over some excellent points after Alan O’Donoghue had given the Tralee men an early lead. Donncha Fenton levelled matters immediately with a deft flick of his left leg having won a break and running through the Mitchels defence. Straight from the kick out the ball found its way to Oran Clifford who calmly slotted over to push Waterville ahead. On 4 minutes a long ball from Seamus O’Sullivan was won by Gearóid who turned 30 yards from goal and kicked a great point which was followed immediately by a free from 45 yards by Haulie Courtney. The lead was increased again just minutes later when Kevin O’Dwyer found Oran Clifford with a long ball into the corner and when he was fouled Donncha Fenton knocked the free over from a difficult angle.
So with less than 10 minutes gone Waterville were ahead on a scoreline of 0-05 to 0-01 and playing some wonderful football. But the Tralee men were dangerous and with the speedy Paul O’Donoghue at midfield were always a potential threat. This threat almost lead to a goal but Bernard Murphy was alert to the danger and pulled off a wonderful save and when the resultant ’45 was kicked short Waterville worked their way downfield and managed to get Keith Moran into a position where he was fouled and Donncha Fenton made no mistake from the placed ball. Minutes later Denis Dwyer slipped Gearóid O’Sullivan in and there was a brief threat of a goal but having weighed up his options Gearóid wisely decided to take the point from 14 yards. Three points on the trot from the Tralee men pointed to the possibility of a revival but Keith Moran got things going again with a nice 30 yard point having received a pass from Fergal Cronin. Alan O’Dwyer got in on the act then getting on the end of a tremendous move up the left wing started by himself and involving Keith Moran, Donncha Fenton and Seamus O’Sullivan. A Paul O’Donoghue free for the Mitchels was quickly cancelled out when Donncha Fenton kicked another free of his own, after he was fouled himself. This was the finals score of the half and Waterville went into the dressing rooms in an ebullient mood with a healthy 5-point lead and having played the best football of the year so far. The half time score was Waterville 0-10, John Mitchels 0-05.
The visitors were always going to try and come back strong for the second period and a couple of free kicks early in the half from Paul and Alan O’Donoghue gave them some hope but a superbly converted free kick from the unerring Donncha Fenton, after a foul on Fergal Cronin right out in the corner got Waterville going again and Greg Gibson, having a fine hour at midfield, kicked possibly the score of the game after a surging run up the right wing. Oran Clifford, who was tremendous at wing forward throughout, slotted over from a very tight angle to increase the lead to 6 points. A serious question was then asked of the Waterville team when they had a man sent off for a second booking. But to a man they put their shoulder to the wheel and increased the work rate and intensity to ensure the two points were to remain in South Kerry. Paul O’Donoghue began edging his side closer to Waterville on the scoreboard with a couple of free kicks and then Bernard Murphy stood up for the second time in the game to deny O’Donoghue a certain goal with a flying save which resulted in a point for Mitchels and the gap was now just three points. Waterville needed a score now to steady things and it arrived through the reliable boot of Donncha Fenton when Keith Moran was fouled. With Waterville’s attack now short a man after the re alignment of players following the sending off, Denis Dywer began to use his experience to keep Waterville ticking over on the scoreboard. He won a long ball from Gearóid O’Sullivan before feeding Donncha Fenton who had an easy score from 14 yards. Paul O’Donoghue then kicked yet another free to leave the score at 0-15 to 0-11 and keep his side in the hunt. But the game was closed out over the final 5 minutes and Denis O’Dwyer pointed a free from 21 yards after Donncha Fenton was fouled. Denis was then fouled himself 30 yards out and Haulie Courtney trotted up to kick the final score of the game. Having had a few bad results in a row this was a real tonic for the lads and will have them in good fettle coming into the next game, away to Keel, in two weeks time. It was an excellent performance form 1 to 15. Bernard Murphy made two crucial interventions which kept his side in the driving seat. Niall Fitzgerald snuffed out the threat of Alan O’Donoghue in the corner and Haulie Courtney performed well in a sweeping role at centre back. The midfield of Seamus O’Sullivan and Greg Gibson performed very well in winning the aerial and possession battles and up front Keith Moran, the accurate Donncha Fenton and Gearóid O’Sullivan showed good form alongside man of the match Oran Clifford who covered every blade of grass, scoring two fine points, and slotted back into defence too when needed. The final score was 0-17 to 0-11 in favour of Waterville.
Waterville team and scorers: Bernard Murphy, Kevin O’Dwyer, Gary Galvin, Alan O’Dwyer (0-01), Michael Curran, Haulie Courtney (0-02, 2f), Niall Fitzgerald, Greg Gibson (0-01), Seamus O’Sullivan, Donncha Fenton (0-07, 5f), Keith Moran (0-01), Oran Clifford (0-02), Fergal Cronin, Gearóid O’Sullivan (0-02), Denis Dwyer (0-01, 1f). No subs used.
COUNTY MINOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Waterville/Dromod 5 - 04 .......... Listowel Emmets 2 - 15
It was important for the Waterville/Dromid combination to make their mark in this third round of the league and they were first on the
scoreboard in the third minute with a point from the very lively Barry
O’ Dwyer. However, it wasn’t long before the home side equalised with a point from their accurate free-taker Connor Cox who went on to score all of their eight points in the first half with the exception of a 45 taken by mid-fielder David Enright. However, goals from Barry O’ Dwyer and Gearoid O’ Sullivan kept our lads within a point of the home side at half time, the score being 2.01 to 0.08.
The second half saw a a more determined Emmets put the ball in the
back of the net within a minute and they added a number of points
before a point was added by Chris Farley. The game took a turn for the better when two goals followed in quick succession by the Dwyer brothers which gave us a lead for a good period of the second half. Points were added by Gearoid O Sullivan and Barry O’ Dwyer and a well taken goal by Eoin O’ Sullivan. However, the Emmets scored their second goal late in the second half to equalise. Chris Farley was unlucky not to score a sixth goal in the last few minutes of the game as the hosts finished off with two additional points to give them a win. .
Best for Waterville / Dromid: Barry O’ Dwyer, O. Clifford, G. O’
Sullivan, P. O’ Sullivan, C. Farley
South Kerry League @ Templenoe (20/02/2010)
Waterville 1- 15 .....V...... Templenoe 1 - 05
After a narrow one point win over Renard the previous week Waterville made the trip east to Templenoe on Saturday hoping to secure a win and with it a place in this years South Kerry League Semi Finals. A composed and commanding performance made sure of this and the final score of Waterville 1-15, Templenoe 1-05 was a fair reflection on the game, which was played in perfect conditions on a top quality playing surface.
Waterville went on the attack immediately from kick off and within a minute Haulie Courtney was converting a 35-yard free for a foul on Gearóid O’Sullivan. From the start Waterville got to grips with affairs around the middle and began setting up wave after wave of attack on the Templenoe goal. Greg Gibson meandered forward from his midfield berth in search of a goal and was unlucky to see his shot cannon off an upright after about 4 minutes. A few minutes later Gearóid O’Sullivan did stretch the lead with a fine point from a tight angle, having received a lovely pass from all action wing back Alan O’Dwyer. Almost immediately afterwards brother Seamus got in on the act, storming forward to receive a hand pass from Gearóid and knock over a 35 yarder. The goal was at the mercy of the Waterville team from the kick out as they forwards were bearing down on masse on the Templenoe goal but a wayward pass put a stop to their gallop. From the kick out the ball was sent straight back in to Gearóid who won a free, which Haulie Courtney trotted up to convert. Two minutes later Fergal Cronin got on the end of a decent ball over the heads of the defence and superbly converted over the keeper’s head and into the corner of the net. This left the score at 1-05 to 0-00. Waterville were rampant at this stage with all the forwards making good runs and midfield dominant in the air. Greg Gibson was covering a lot of ground and getting on a lot of ball. The one downside was, yet again, the poor return from breaks in the middle given the amount of possession they were enjoying. It was from a breaking ball that Templenoe got down the field and won a free, which Shane Cremin converted. This seemed to give the home side hope as they launched another attack, which Kevin O’Dwyer dealt with coolly and snuffed out the danger. Waterville worked the ball back up the field again, through good work form Cormac O’Sullivan and Greg Gibson and Keith Moran was on hand to kick over the bar to extend the lead once more. Seamus O’Sullivan made another powerful run forward and having once again received a pass from Gearóid kicked a fine point from distance. Padraig O’Sullivan got one back for the home side before an excellent long free by Haulie Courtney found Seamus O’Sullivan who fed Gearóid to kick a nice 30 yard score. A Templenoe free right on the stroke of half time finished proceedings for the half. Leaving the score at Waterville 1-07, Templenoe 0-03. The Waterville management were happy with the performance but were expecting more improvement in the breaks and winning of dirty ball around the middle.
The second half started much as the first, with Haulie Courtney knocking over a free after a foul on Gearóid O’Sullivan. Minutes later Gearóid himself was on hand to knock over a free and just after that came the score of the game. A fine team movement involving Micheál Curran, Seamus O’Sullivan, Keith Moran and Greg Gibson left Cormac O’Sullivan in the right place to knock over a sweet point to put Waterville ahead by 10 points. Credit to Templenoe they didn’t lie down though. A fine point was followed by a goal which put them right back in the mix. The goal was finished of by Tommy Spillane after a period of some confusion in the Waterville square and he finished off from the 14 yard line. This set us up for a potentially exciting finish but instead the game got a bit niggly and scrappy and it petered out somewhat, with a couple of lengthy stoppages for treatment of injuries to Waterville men. Thankfully both men were not too badly hurt. Gearóid O’Sullivan kicked a close range point after receiving a pass from the returning John Cronin, who is making his 14th comeback from retirement. Denis Dwyer kicked a free with a few minutes remaining on the clock to open up an eight point lead. This was immediately cancelled out by Sean Sheehan before Denis again got on the score sheet, this time with a lovely curling effort with his left leg. Fergal Cronin capitalised on a foul on Gearóid O’Sullivan to tap over a 14 yard free with the game in stoppage time. But the lengthy breaks to treat Waterville’s injuries meant that there was a lot of stoppage time, enough to allow John Cronin finish the scoring having received a long cross field pass from Denis Dwyer. This left the final score at Waterville 1-15 to Templenoe 1-05. It was a fine game for early in the season, in almost perfect playing conditions, and a marked improvement from the previous weeks performance against Renard.
It will require a much bigger improvement from the lads in next weeks outing against St. Mary’s, which is the promotion play off from last seasons Division Three of the county league. This is a vital game which will go a long way to deciding what kind of year lies ahead for the team.
Best on the day for Waterville were Micheál Curran and Mike O’Shea in defence, Greg Gibson and Seamus O’Sullivan at midfield and up front Gearóid O’Sullivan and Fergal Cronin led the line well. Man of the match was Greg Gibson.
Waterville team and scorers: Bernard Murphy, Mike Shea, Daniel O’Dwyer, Kevin O’Dwyer, Micheál Curran, Haulie Courtney (0-03, 3f), Alan O’Dwyer, Seamus O’Sullivan (0-02), Greg Gibson, Keith Moran (0-01), Cormac O’Sullivan (0-01), Shane Curran, Fergal Cronin (1-01, 1f), Gearóid O’Sullivan (0-04, 1f), Denis Dwyer (0-02, 1f).
Subs used: Alan O’Shea, John Cronin (0-01), Micheál Cronin.
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