Daingean Uí Chúis (Kerry) 2-15 Mungret St Pauls (Limerick) 0-02
It was all too easy for Daingean Uí Chúis in this Munster football club championship semi-final against first-time Limerick champions Mungret St Pauls as the West Kerry club cruised to a 19-point victory.
It puts them back in the provincial final two years after they lost to Castlehaven in the decider on penalties.
Playing with a strong wind in Tralee's Austin Stack Park, Daingean Uí Chúis built up an 11-point lead by half-time, with Conor Geaney’s second-minute goal setting the terms of engagement early on.
By the short whistle the Dingle men led by 1-08 to no score, and it was more of the same in the second period as the Limerick champions were simply outclassed right across the pitch, unable to live with their opponents' collective power.
Having won the Kerry SFC title for the first time in 77 years last month (two years ago they qualified for Munster as Kerry’s senior cub championship winners), Daingean Uí Chúis's season has already peaked, but a provincial title would be a welcome early Christmas present for the West Kerry town.
Mungret St Pauls have also enjoyed a fairytale year, winning the Limerick SFC title for the first time, just two years after coming up from the intermediate ranks on Shannonside.
How realistic a target winning a Munster title was for them is anyone’s guess, but they ran into a Daingean Uí Chúis team that will, with some justification, believe they can go a long way beyond the province.
It says everything about the one-sided nature of this game that Mungret's first score – a tap-over free from Tom Lloyd – was greeted with an ironic cheer from the visiting supporters, and no little relief either.
After all, there were over 46 minutes gone by then, and the very real prospect that St Pauls might go the entire game without a score.
Their second came in the 59th minute – another free from sub Luke Walsh – by which time Daingean Uí Chúis had called ashore several of their heavy-hitters in anticipation of a Munster final in a fortnight.
Of their total, all but one of Daingean Uí Chúis's scores came from play, with Conor Geaney bagging 2-02, his brothers Niall and Dylan scoring four points and two points respectively, while their cousin Paul chipped in with three points.
Conor’s early goal was followed by four points from Niall Geaney, including the game’s only two-point score, and by the break Daingean Uí Chúis were 1-08 to no score ahead, with Mungret offering little threat.
Daingean Uí Chúis had played with a strong wind in that first half but they operated just as efficiently against it, going 1-11 to no score ahead before Conor Geaney crashed in his second goal on 40 minutes.
Needless to say, tougher tests await the Kerry champions.
Daingean Uí Chúis: Gavin H Curran; Brian O’Connor, Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Tom O’Sullivan 0-02; Aidan O’Connor, Conor Flannery, Patrick O’Connor; Mark O’Connor, Billy O’Connor; Tadhg de Brún, Paul Geaney 0-03, Conor Geaney 2-02, Matthew Flaherty 0-01, Dylan Geaney 0-02 (0-01f), Niall Geaney 0-04 (1tp).
Subs: Cathal Bambury 0-01 for M Flaherty (43), Ned Ryan for Billy O’Connor (48), Mikey Geaney for P Geaney (52), Ruadhan McCarthy for C Geaney (52), Darragh O’Sullivan for M O’Connor (56), Sean Óg Moran for C Flannery (temp, 59-ft)
Mungret St Pauls: Ronan McElligott, Conor Ó Longaigh, Robert Hegarty, Ciarán Uwatse, Liam Harrington, Oisín Moss, Tom Lloyd 0-01 (0-01f), Jack Somers, Jack McCarthy, James Killian, Darragh O’Sullivan, Killian Ryan, Shane Barry, John Hutton, Darragh Bridgeman.
Subs: Luke Walsh 0-01 (0-01f) for S Barry (ht), David Bridgeman for J Killian (48), Colin Rochford for L Harrington (48), Conor Mangan for J Hutton (52), Eoin B Ryan for J Somers (58)
Referee: Eoin Morrissey (Waterford)
