St Brendan’s Ardfert end long wait for Kerry SHC title

St Brendan's, Ardfert, 0-11 Lixnaw 0-8: St Brendan's, Ardfert, ended a 23-year famine, when they deservedly beat 14 man Lixnaw, to capture their seventh county senior title in this disappointing Kerry SHC final replay at Austin Stack Park yesterday.

It was Lixnaw's third final losing in four years, and they were architects of their own downfall in many ways, shooting 12 wides. And once defender Maurice Corridan was red carded in the 26th minute, it was always going to be an uphill struggle.

Four late unanswered points followed from John Egan, Eoin McCarthy, Darren Wallace and a Dineen last minute penalty, were enough to win a poor quality game for St Brendan's.

Lixnaw had the wind in the opening half, but failed to take advantage, shooting eight first-half wides, as they led 0-5 to 0-3 at the interval. Two points from James Flaherty, one from Cillian Fitzmaurice and two frees from Brendan Brosnan was Lixnaw's meagre return, while John Egan accounted for all of St Brendan's total.

Lixnaw began the second half in explosive fashion, with two Brosnan frees, but as the half wore on, they visibly tired, and two Egan frees, combined with points from Cian Hussey and Tom Moloney tied the game at 0-7 apiece. However once man of the match Darren Dineen raced upfield to point St Brendan's into the lead, they finished them off in style.

ST BRENDAN'S: D Delaney; F Horgan, C Flaherty, K Orpen; K Hannafin, E Corridan, R Horgan; D Dineen (0-2, 0-1 pen), D Moriarty, T Moloney (0-1), O McCarthy (0-1), T Hannafin, C Hussey (0-1), J Galvin (0-1), J Egan (0-6, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65). Subs: S Griffin for McCarthy (20 mins), D Griffin for Horgan (half-time), O McCarthy for Griffin (33 mins), K Fitzgerald for T Hannafin (48 mins), D Wallace (0-1) for Galvin (52 mins).
LIXNAW: M Stackpoole; D McCarthy, T McKenna, P Corridan; J Silles, M Corridan, D Shanahan; J Griffin, B Brosnan (0-5, all frees); C O'Brien, S Power, Cillian Fitzmaurice (0-1); E Galvin , R Heffernan, J Flaherty (0-2). Subs: J Wallace for E Galvin (half-time), R Galvin for Cillian Fitzmaurice (54 mins), Conor Fitzmaurice for C O'Brien (56 mins).
Referee: John Sexton (Cork).