AIB All-Ireland Club Junior Football Championship Semi-Final – Fuerty (Roscommon) 0-10 Keel (Kerry) 0-9

Fuerty (Roscommon) defeated Keel (Kerry) by 0-10 to 0-9 in the AIB All-Ireland Club Junior Football Championship Semi-Final on Saturday February 1st at Rathkeale.

Inspirational Kelehan helps Fuerty claim spot in final

Fuerty 0-10 Keel 0-9

Report from the Irish Independent newspaper

All-Ireland club jfc semi-final

THIS game should probably never have been played at the Rathkeale venue, considering there was no stand or press box, so no shelter for spectators from the gale-force winds and driving rain that turned this match-up into a lottery. Fuerty, from Roscommon, just about deserved to edge out Kerry champions Keel by a point, but it could have gone either way, and the playing conditions were as close to impossible as it gets.

Keel won the toss and opted to play against the gale (in hindsight, it possibly cost them) as they spent the opening half on the back foot. Fuerty – inspired by midfielder Fran Hanlon and the work rate of Eamon Bannon, Robbie Fallon and Niall Kilroy – camped in the Kerry side’s half, but were reliant on Gearoid Ennis, who kicked three frees, and Niall Kilroy who posted two points (one free) as they led 0-7 to 0-1 at half-time, with Gary Sayers kicking Keel’s solitary score.

The second half saw Keel take the game to Fuerty, with Thomas Ladden a colossus at midfield, but they were over reliant on two forwards with Gary Sayers kicking three from play with Liam Sheehan also kicking three, his 56th-minute effort from play closing the gap to 0-9 to 0-8.

With extra-time looking a possibility, Fuerty rallied and Ennis kicked a free in injury-time to put his side two clear (0-10 to 0-8). Despite a late Sheehan free, Keel just could not grab the kick out and they came up just short as Fuerty and their inspirational full-back Peter Kelehan advanced to the final next weekend.

Scorers – Fuerty: G Ennis 0-6fs, N Kilroy 0-2 (1f), R Fallon, E Bannon 0-1 each. Keel: G Sayers 0-4 (1f), L Sheehan 0-3 (1f), T O Sullivan, M Burke 0-1 each.

Fuerty – J Fallon; D Flaherty, P Kelehan, A Moore; P Neilan, T Bannon, S Melia; E Bannon, F Hanlon; R Fallon, N Kilroy, N Keenan; G Ennis, G Fallon, P Leahy. Subs: M Keaveney for P Leahy (h-t), D Delaney for S Melia (37), C Kelly for E Bannon (BC, 40), N Connolly for D Flaherty (55).

Keel – S Cahillane; E Ashe, G Nagle, B Murphy; G Evans, E O’Connor, J Nagle; T Ladden, M Burke; G Sayers, L Sheehan, E O’Neill; L O’Shea, T O’Sullivan, A Cahillane. Subs: K Foley for L O’Shea (42), M O’Connor for T O’Sullivan (48).

REF – N Mooney (Cavan)