KERRY: Footballers work oracle for Lixnaw
Monday October 17 2005
ABBEYDORNEY 0-6
Kerry SHC Final
IT may have taken a brave decision by Lixnaw management team to include their two Kerry senior footballers, Paul Galvin and Eamon Fitzmaurice, from the very start, but the end most definitely justified the means as both were the stars of this Kerry SHC final replay.
Fitzmaurice was the midfield powerhouse at Austin Stack Park, Tralee yesterday as he broke the stranglehold that Brian Donovan had in the drawn game when Galvin helped to snatch a replay.
This time around Galvin finished off the job as he became executioner-in-chief with a five-point haul along with his cousin Enda who added three. Ironically, Maurice Corridan, the player who got the goal that enabled Lixnaw to get a second chance, was stretchered off the pitch with a suspected leg break on the eve of a planned departure to Australia for 12 months.
Lixnaw raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after just 13 minutes before Corridan's injury halted their progress. Ivan McCarthy and Ian Maunsell closed the gap but Abbeydorney still trailed 0-7 to 0-4 at half time.
Lixnaw upped the tempo of their game in the second period with Eamon Fitzmaurice giving a powerful display at midfield and the Galvins running riot in the half-forward line.
They moved eight points clear and Abbeydorney's only reply was two points in that second period as a stronger, fitter Lixnaw reclaimed a title they last won 1999.
SCORERS - Lixnaw: P Galvin 0-5; E Galvin 0-3; J Flaherty 0-3f; F Fitzmaurice 0-2f; P Lyons 0-2; E Fitzmaurice, C Fitzmaurice 0-1 each. Abbeydorney: I Maunsell 0-4f; M Hannafin, I McCarthy 0-1 each.
LIXNAW - E Thornton; M Quilter, M Quilter, M McCarthy; P Corridan, P Lyons, T McKenna; M Corridan, E Fitzmaurice; J Griffin, P Galvin, E Galvin; F Fitzmaurice, J Flaherty, P O'Connell. Sub: C Fitzmaurice.
ABBEYDORNEY - T O'Halloran; R Murphy, T Maunsell, N O'Connell; N Roche, A Healy, K O'Connell; K Dineen, B O'Donovan; D Ryall, M Hannafin, I Maunsell; K Hannafin, T O'Connell, I McCarthy.
REF - M O'Connor (Limerick).
