Fenor are no match for impressive Firies and four-goal star Horgan
Fenor's Sean Mackey is tackled by Firies Sean Cooper during their Munster Club Junior Football Championship match played at Fraher Field on Saturday last. Photos: Maurice Hennebry.
With Kerry teams having won nineteen of the twenty one Munster titles contested in this grade the odds were stacked against Fenor from the start here and that was just how things played out in Walsh Park on Saturday last though the 21 point margin between the sides at the final whistle did less than justice to the efforts of a Fenor side that battled all the way to the final whistle.
The feature of the game was the performance of Firies centre forward James Horgan who accounted for no less than 4-8 of his sides total with his fourth goal in added time a score of sheer class and his tally might have been greater but for the brilliance of Fenor net minder Michael Mooney.
The surface in Walsh Park was wet and greasy as a result of the morning drizzle as Firies wasted no time in setting out their stall with Padraig De Bruin gaining possession from the start and breaking forward to shoot his side into a one point lead after just ten seconds. Fenor competed strongly for possession on the kick out and it was no surprise when Richard Lynch placed Mikey Nichols for the equalising point after two minutes. Darragh Murphy had a chance to give Fenor an early lead but referee Regan served early notice of his intention to penalise over carrying and remained consistent in that regard throughout the game.
James Horgan opened his account with a point in the 5th minute but Fenor were holding their own in terms of possession in those early stages as midfielder Charlie Binions was forced off injured temporarily to be replaced by Eoin Nolan. Further Horgan points followed from a free and play before he finished to the net for his first goal in the 15th minute. Binions returned to action and won possession from the kick out. He was racing clear along the left wing when forced to pull up with what looked a hamstring injury that forced his withdrawal again to be replaced by Nolan.
Fenor continued to produce some good passages of play resulting in Richard Lynch’s first point in the 21st minute but Firies were now taking control in the middle third and seemed intent on scoring goals with points for the taking. They were not finding the Fenor defence compliant as Michael Mooney saved brilliantly from Daly and Like Middleton and Jim Hally were giving little away cheaply. The closing minutes of the half saw Fenor holding their own with Richard Lynch (F and Daithi Purcell replying to Firies points from Darragh Donohue and James Horgan (F) to leave the halftime score at Firies 1-6 Fenor 0-4.
It had been a creditable first half performance by Fenor but the third quarter saw the Kerry champions coning on really strong. Michael Mooney was in early action, saving brilliantly from Palmer and between the 34th and 41st minutes three points from Horgan (2Fs) and one from Cian Doe opened up a nine point lead and when Horgan gained possession from the Fenor kick out in the 42nd minute there was only going to be one outcome as he raced through for his second goal.
The Fenor attack had seen little or no ball in the third quarter but in a snap move Mikey Nichols sent Sean Mackey through on goal only for Brian McCarthy to somehow get the slightest touch to a screamer of a shot and deflect it off the goalpost. It was a brilliant save and a minute later the ball was in the net at the other end when Horgan was on hand to field a centre in front of goal and, swivelling, scored from close range.
Leading by 3-10 to 0-4 Firies decided it was time to clear their bench between the 46th and 49th minutes. Fenor continued to take the game to their opponents over the closing ten minutes with Richard Lynch adding three points to Firies’ two with Mooney having again saved brilliantly from Horgan at the expense of a converted ‘45’. The Fenor goalie could do nothing however, to stop Michael Daly’s 58th minute strike and, after De Bruin had added a point, Horgan had the final say with a brilliantly struck shot to the far corner of Mooney’s net in the final seconds of added time.
The result was never going to be in doubt here but Fenor can be proud of the manner in which they battled to the very end against a very good side. It will be interesting to see just how far this Kerry side will go and perhaps in James Horgan we have seen a player with a big future.
For Fenor Michael Mooney was again immense in goal while Richard Lynch stood out in attack backed up by Mikey Nichols and youngsters Sean Mackey and Darragh Murphy.
James Horgan 4-8 (0-4Fs), Michael Daly 1-1, Padraig De Bruin, 0-3, Cian Doe 0-1.
Richard Lynch – 0-5 (1F), Mikey Nichols and Daithi Purcell 0-1 each.
Brian McCarthy, Chris Palmer, Diarmuid Brosnan, Brian O’Leary, Niall Donohue,, Diarmuid O’Mahony, Tomas Clifford, Padraig De Bruin, Jake Flynn, Cian Doe, James Horgan, Darragh Donohue, Michael Daly, Darragh Brosnan, Stephen Palmer.
Danny Brosnan for D. Donohue (46), Pat Daly for Clifford, Sean Cooper for Flynn and Conall O’Mahony for O’Leary (all 49), Peter Cosgrave for S. Palmer (53).
Michael Mooney, Luke Middleton, Jim Halley, Richard Cullinane, Fintan Walsh, John Flynn, Ollie Buck, Charlie Binnions, Eoin O’Connor, Mikey Nichols, Sean Mackey, Richard Lynch, James Hayden, Darragh Murphy, Daithi Purcell.
Eoin O’Connor for Binnions (16), Iarla Hennessy for Purcell (46), Paul Condon for Halley (49).
James Regan (Cork).
