Na Gaeil’s second half surge blows Firies away

16-07-2016

Firies                                                   1-05

Na Gaeil                                              2-13

With a dominant second half performance Na Gaeil preserved their one hundred percent record in the division while also cementing their promotion push for next year.

Played in a constant drizzle and with slippery underfoot conditions, the visitors restricted the home side to a solitary score in the second half with Dan O’Connor’s goal in the last ten minutes killing off any hope of a Firies comeback.

Firies had to line out without Jack Sherwood due to injury and his influence was sorely missed in the second half when the tide began to turn against his team.  Na Gaeil were workmanlike throughout with Seamie O’Neill, Ian McCarthy and sub Ger O’Connor particularly to the fore.

The game started slowly with unforced errors on both sides before Na Gaeil hit a purple patch, kicking five unanswered scores by the 11^th minute and looking in full control.  The home team needed to respond and after Na Gaeil keeper Timmy Culloty pulled off a point plank save they were not to be denied in the 15^th minute when Edward Kerrisk fisted across goal and James O’Donoghue side footed to the net.

Firies were beginning to get a foothold in the middle of the park now and the incisiveness of the Na Gaeil play in the early stages was now starting to wane.  Midfielder Padraig de Bruin, with driving runs, kicked two curling efforts to reduce the deficit to the minimum by the 24^th minute.

Kerrisk levelled and then put Firies ahead to leave the Na Gaeil supporters scratching their heads as to how their team had now lost all their momentum.  It looked like the sides would go in level at the break but Na Gaeil countered at speed and Diarmaid Herlihy was on hand to hammer the ball to the net to give visitors a major shot in the arm.

And the Tralee men dominated from start to finish in the second half with Firies restricted to speculative shots at goal.  Corner forward O’Neill pushed the lead out to six by the 43^rd minute before Conal Murphy responded for Firies which turned out to be the home sides last score of the game.

Eoin Walsh and sub Ger O’Connor added further scores from play before midfielder Dan O’Connor’s goal finished off a very clinical second half performance by the visitors.

Firies must now pick themselves up for what is probably a make or break game in their push for promotion away to Ballymacelligott next weekend while hoping that Na Gaeil do them a favour at home to Skellig Rangers. 

Teams & Scorers:

Firies: B. O’Rourke, D. Shea, J. O’Mahoney, A. Courtney, D. Kerrisk, J. Donoghue (1-0), P. Browne(c), D. O’Connor, P. De Bruin (0-2), E. Kerrisk (0-2, 1f), I. Crowley, W. Courtney, C. Murphy (0-1), C. O’Shea, S. Burke

Substitutes: N. McCarthy, S. Flynn, E. O’Rourke

Na Gaeil: T. Culloty, P. Daly, D. Brazil, D. Sheehy, E. Sheehy, D. Culloty (0-1)(c), C. Lyons, D. O’Connor (1-0) E. O’Neill, E. Walsh (0-1), I. McCarthy(0-2, 2f), D. Seymour(0-2), D. Herlihy (1-1), J. Lohan, S. O’Neill (0-4)

Substitutes: G. O’Connor (0-2), O. Doody

Referee: Martin Boyle, Milltown/Castlemaine