Walsh and Moran sign off with a bang for O'Rahillys
Monday November 09 2009
Kerry stars Tommy Walsh and David Moran were given the best possible send off before their departures to Melbourne on Wednesday when Kerins O'Rahillys beat Cork champions Clonakilty at Austin Stack Park yesterday afternoon.
Walsh gave an awesome first-half performance as he proved the key that unlocked the Clonakilty defence -- the ideal target man on the edge of the square.
The quality of ball that was being sent in by the O'Rahillys midfield pairing of David Moran and Gavin Duffy (deputising for the suspended Mike Quirke) made it easy for Walsh, St Kilda's latest Irish recruit, as he set up his brother Barry John and Declan Quill for a succession of scores.
lifeline
Clonakilty never really got going and did not score a point from play until the 47th minute (they managed only two in total, both from full-forward Conor McManus).
They did almost grab a lifeline in the 50th minute, when Colin O'Donovan was through one-on-one with O'Rahillys 'keeper David Hennessy but he shot hopelessly wide.
O'Rahillys won the toss and chose to play with the aid of a stiff breeze as David Moran and his midfield partner Duffy grabbed the early advantage.
Duffy fed Barry John Keane in the third minute and his route-one ball was fielded by Tommy Walsh, who posted the opening point.
Moran was guilty of two bad wides before O'Rahillys struck for a sixth-minute goal that seemed to rip the very heart from the Clonakilty challenge. It was again the ploy that has served O'Rahillys -- and indeed Kerry -- so well in recent years, as Moran sent in a long delivery that Tommy Walsh caught and passed to his brother Barry John. The younger Walsh then steered the ball wide of 'keeper Eamon Harte for the game's only goal.
Clonakilty did try hard to get back in the game but the O'Rahillys defence -- particularly the O'Shea brothers, Morgan and Barry, and centre-back Brian Moran -- were rock solid, as the Cork champions only managed two pointed frees from Colin O'Donovan and Colum Callanan in the opening quarter.
O'Rahillys took over completely in the second quarter as Tommy Walsh continued to dominate on the edge of the square and unanswered points followed from Declan Quill (two), Barry John Walsh (two) and another from Quill left O'Rahillys seven points clear at the interval 1-7 to 0-3.
Clonakilty, to be fair, upped their game in the second half with Sean Nagle, Denis Murphy and McManus driving them forward but Morgan O'Shea and his fellow defenders were not allowing Clonakilty a shot on goal.
In fact at the end of the third quarter, a hard-working O'Rahillys side had outscored the Cork champions with points from wing-back Ross O'Callaghan, a free from Keane and a sublime point from play by Barry John Walsh.
All Clonakilty had to show for their efforts were two frees from Colin O'Donovan as O'Rahillys looked home and hosed leading 1-10 to 0-5.
However Clonakilty refused to give up and two quick points from play by Conor McManus and O'Donovan's goal chance that went a begging afforded a glimmer of hope as Callanan converted three late frees. However, Quill kicked the insurance point for O'Rahillys, who eased to a semi-final meeting with Moyle Rovers in Tralee in two weeks' time.
Scorers -- Kerins O'Rahillys: BJ Walsh 1-3, D Quill 0-4 (1f), T Walsh 0-2, B J Keane (f), R O'Callaghan 0-1 each. Clonakilty: C O'Donovan (4f), C Callanan (4f) 0-4 each, C McManus 0-2.
Kerins O'Rahillys -- D Hennessy, P Begley, M O'Shea, B O'Shea, G O'Grady, B Moran, R O'Callaghan, D Moran, G Duffy, T O'Sullivan, J O'Connor, B J Keane, D Quill, T Walsh, BJ Walsh Subs: R Molloy for T O'Sullivan (55)
Clonakilty -- E Harte, T O'Sullivan, Tony Anglin, D O'Brien, D Murphy, N Griffin, D O'Regan, S Nagle, T Anglin, D Lyons, M O'Brien, C O'Donovan, C Callanan, C McManus, P Griffin. Subs: H Kenny for D O'Regan (ht), S Quirke for M O'Brien (51)
Ref -- Maurice Condon (Waterford)
Irish Independent
