AIB Munster Club SFC: Dingle cruise to victory

AIB Munster Club SFC Semi-Final

Dingle 2-15 Mungret St Paul's 0-2

By Paul Brennan at Austin Stack Park

Dingle are back in the Munster Club final, two years after their last appearance in the provincial decider, and their passage to same was considerably easier this time around, as they saw off Mungret St Paul's by 19 points.

Playing with a strong wind at ‘home’ in Tralee’s Austin Stack Park, Dingle 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 Kerry club led by 1-8 to 0-0, 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 Dingle’s collective power of individual class of several Kerry players within.

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 Club Championship winners), Dingle’s season has already peaked, but a provincial title would be a welcome early Christmas present for the West Kerry town.

Mungret St Paul's have also enjoyed a fairytale year, winning the Limerick SFC title for the first time, and just two years after coming up from the intermediate ranks on Shannonside. How realistic a target reaching or winning a Munster title was for them is anyone’s guess, but they ran into a Dingle 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 Paul's might go the entire game without a score.

Their second came in the 59th minute – another free from sub Luke Walsh – by which time Dingle had called ashore several of their heavy-hitters in anticipation of a Munster final in a fortnight.

Of their total, all but one of Dingle’s scores came from play, with Conor Geaney bagging 2-2, his brothers Niall scoring four points, and Dylan two points, 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 Dingle were 1-8 to no score ahead, with Mungret offering little threat.

Dingle had played with a strong wind in that first half, but they played just as efficiently against it, going 1-11 to no score ahead before Conor Geaney crashed in his second goal on 40 minutes.

Tougher tests await the Kerry champions.

Scorers for Dingle: Conor Geaney 2-2, Niall Geaney 0-4 (1 tp), Paul Geaney 0-3, Tom O’Sullivan 0-2, Dylan Geaney 0-2 (1f), Matthew Flaherty 0-1, Cathal Bambury 0-1

Scorers for Mungret St Pauls: Tom Lloyd 0-1 (f), Luke Walsh 0-1 (f).

Dingle: Gavin H Curran; Brian O’Connor, Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Tom O’Sullivan; Aidan O’Connor, Conor Flannery, Patrick O’Connor; Mark O’Connor, Billy O’Connor; Tadhg de Brún, Paul Geaney, Conor Geaney, Matthew Flaherty, Dylan Geaney, Niall Geaney.

Subs: Cathal Bambury 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 Paul's: Ronan McElligott, Conor Ó Longaigh, Robert Hegarty, Ciarán Uwatse, Liam Harrington, Oisín Moss, Tom Lloyd, Jack Somers, Jack McCarthy, James Killian, Darragh O’Sullivan, Killian Ryan, Shane Barry, John Hutton, Darragh Bridgeman.

Subs: Luke Walsh 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)