GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 29 – July 4, 2015 | Page 19

Fr. Tom Burkes. Photo: Rory O’Donnell.

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2015
SENIOR FOOTBALL
SHANNON BLUES
BOSTON KERRY

2-15
4-09

Kerry finally came away with reward for their efforts after
a tremendously exciting game of senior football. Conditions
were poor following a night and morning of heavy rain, however the teams coped well and there was some great football
and scores, with the lead changing hands and momentum
swinging from one side to the other over the course of the
60 minutes. Kerry could have won it with some chances for
an insurance score in injury time, however the Blues took
advantage of the opportunity and Denis McElligott put the
levelling point over the bar with the final kick of the game.
By the end of the first half, Kerry led by five points. Three
goals, one each from Robbie Croft, Shane O’Callaghan, and
Phil O’Sullivan, put Kerry in the driver’s seat after the Blues
had rattled off two quick points to open the game. The Blues

responded with a penalty conversion by Trevor Wallace and
was followed by Darrage Roche with a second Blues goal.
Kerry countered with added points, the pick of which was a
Maurice Fitzgeraldesque effort from Croft from the sideline.
O’Sullivan’s goal, Kerry’s third, restored the Kerry advantage
to see them into half time on top.
The Blues picked it up in the second half with Greg Horan
key in the middle of the field. Kerry were unable to cope
with the Austin Stacks man and the Blues enjoyed the vast
majority of possession. The Blues forwards made hay and
outscored Kerry by 10 points to one over the first 17 minutes of the second period. Roche put a couple of beautiful
efforts over the bar, Denis McElligott two from the wing,
and Padraig O’Shea from wing back also got his name on the
scoresheet.
Kerry were struggling to move the ball and resorted to short
kick-outs to try and find a way past what was like a solid
Blues wall. The Kingdom eventually had some success; a
Croft free and a point from play following a botched short
kick-out brought Boston Kerry within two points. A fourth

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