Quill pens happy ending for Kerins O'Rahillys
Monday November 23 2009
A goal from Kerins O'Rahillys ace attacker Declan Quill was enough to kill off a tremendous second-half fightback by Moyle Rovers in this absorbing clash at a rain-lashed Austin Stack Park, in Tralee yesterday.
The Kerry side -- without their St Kilda's pair Tommy Walsh and David Moran -- had to dig deep to finally see off the challenge of a hard-working Moyle Rovers side that drew level midway through the second half, but never hit the front.
Niall Fitzgerald, Paul Johnson, Sean Carey and Diarmuid Foley had big games for Rovers but their main man Declan Browne, though scoring five points, all from placed balls, was well shackled by former Kerry defender Barry O'Shea in a game where defenders were on top, and conditions militated against fast moving forwards.
O'Rahillys welcomed back giant midfielder and their captain Micheal Quirke and he had a massive second half as he lifted his side with some superb fielding in atrocious weather.
However, many will contend that Moyle Rovers would now be celebrating a famous win but for a stunning save by O'Rahillys keeper David Hennessy in the opening minute of the second half when he advanced to save a Brian Mulvihill pile driver from point-blank range.
That save from Hennessy and Quill's 53rd-minute goal was essentially the difference between winning and losing as O'Rahilly's only managed two scores in the second period against the gale.
O'Rahillys opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, when Quill's high centre was brilliantly fielded by Timmy O'Sullivan who turned and split the posts.
Quill and Barry John Walsh added points in the 6th and the 9th minutes but they were wasting vital possession as Moyle Rovers opened their account in the 10th minute in only their second attack, when Browne converted a close in free.
Barry John Keane then burst through in the 11th minute and kicked a fine point for the Kerry side and then John O'Connor made it 0-5 to 0-1 from O'Rahillys only converted free of the day at the end of the opening quarter.
O'Rahillys kicked three bad wides in a row as Niall Fitzgerald sent a beautiful pass over the top to attacking wing back Sean Keating who kicked a superb point.
Quirke brought O'Rahillys tally of sides to six, but Keane and Quill had O'Rahillys leading 0-7 to 0-3 at half time.
Rovers pulled points back and levelled the contest in the 45th minute, Browne converting a free, that saw the sides deadlocked at 0-7 apiece.
Soon after came the decisive goal, Keane raced down the right flank and tried for a point, but the ball got caught in the wind and Quill went highest to catch the ball and blasted the ball into the roof of the Moyle Rovers net.
Scorers -- Kerins O'Rahillys: D Quill 1-2, B J Walsh and B J Keane 0-2 each, J O'Connor (0-1f), T O'Sullivan 0-1 each. Moyle Rovers: D Browne 0-5 (0-4 f, 0-1 '45), S Keating, S Carey, P Acheson and J Williams 0-1 each.
Kerins O'Rahillys -- D Hennessy, P Begley, M O'Shea, B O'Shea, J Kelly, B Moran, R O'Callaghan, G Duffy, M Quirke, T O'Sullivan, J O'Connor, R Molloy, D Quill, B J Walsh, B J Keane. Subs: B Quill for R Molloy (45), R Molloy for B Moran (inj) (55).
Moyle Rovers -- C Kenrick, R Desmond, R Power, L Cronin, S Keating, N Fitzgerald, D Dwyer, M Dunne, P Johnson, B Mulvihill, S Carey, P Acheson, D Foley, P Foley, D Browne Subs: J Shanahan for P Foley (ht), J Williams for S Keating (51), D Lyne for P Acheson (60).
Ref -- R Hickey (Clare).
Irish Independent
