Kerry County Senior Hurling Championship Final – St Brendan’s 0-13 Lixnaw 1-10

Egan saves Saints with dramatic late equaliser

By Murt Murphy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Lixnaw 1-10 St Brendan’s Ardfert 0-13

It took two wonderful John Egan points to rescue St Brendan’s in this gripping Kerry SHC final at Austin Stack Park, Tralee yesterday. Lixnaw led by five points with 12 minutes remaining but couldn’t withstand the late Egan-inspired heroics which forced a replay, likely to be Sunday week, October 27th in Tralee. Despite the low scoring, it was entertaining throughout, with St Brendan’s, who were trying to end a 23-year famine, marginally the better side in the opening half, thanks to the outstanding performances from their three Kerry senior players — Darran Dineen, Rory Horgan and the mercurial Egan.

Enda Galvin on the edge of the square was Lixnaw’s chief scoring threat while James Flaherty and Brendan Brosnan also chipped in with scores. Brendan’s led 0-8 to 0-6 at the interval, with Egan contributing four, while points from young Cian Hussey, Tim Hannafin, Rory Horgan and Denis Moriarty, saw St Brendan’s retire the happier side.

However, the game swung their way in the 41st minute when Stephen Power found Ricky Heffernan alone in front of goal, and he blasted to the St Brendan’s net. Three more points, two from Brosnan followed, and Lixnaw were five clear and coasting. Then, inexplicably, the game changed when Lixnaw took off a tiring Enda Galvin.

Cian Hussey thundered into the game for St Brendan’s and when he raced through in the 50th minute, he blasted a ball destined for the top corner, but somehow Lixnaw keeper Martin Stackpoole made a miracle save to tip it over the bar. Eoin McCarthy then closed the gap to a goal, before St Brendan’s were awarded a penalty, that Darran Dineen took, but John Griffin saved and cleared the danger. Still St Brendan’s refused to give up and after Stackpoole again denied Hussey a goal from point-blank range, points from Hussey and Egan (2) meant the pair will have another day out.

Scorers for Lixnaw: B Brosnan 0-4 (3f), R Heffernan 1-0, E Galvin and J Flaherty 0-2 each, J Griffin and C Fitzmaurice 0-1 each

Scorers for St Brendan’s: J Egan 0-6 (2f), C Hussey 0-3, R Horgan, D Moriarty, O McCarthy and T Hannafin 0-1 each

LIXNAW: M Stackpoole, D McCarthy, T McKenna, P Corridan, J Silles, M Corridan, C Fitzmaurice, J Griffin, B Brosnan, C O’Brien, S Power, R Galvin, E Galvin , R Heffernan, J Flaherty

Subs: J Wallace for R Galvin (h-t), C Fitzmaurice for E Galvin (46), D Shanahan for C Fitzmaurice (56), F Fitzmaurice for C O’Brien (58)

ST BRENDAN’S: D Delaney, F Horgan, C Flaherty, K Orpen, K Hannafin, E Corridan, R Horgan, D Dineen, D Moriarty, D Wallace, O McCarthy, T Hannafin, C Hussey, J Galvin, J Egan.

Subs: A Dineen for J Galvin (40), D Griffin for D Wallace (43), J P Leen for T Hannafin (60)

Referee: Cathal McAllister (Cork)