A rampaging Na Gaeil produced a thundering second-half performance to recover from four points down against the strong wind to stun Rathmore by the bare minimum in an intriguing Kerry senior club FC semi-final at the Dr Crokes GAA grounds in Killarney.
Having failed to make the most of the elements in the opening 30 minutes, the Tralee side conceded two goals in the space of five minutes as their opponents dug in resolutely and led by a single point at the interval (2-2 to 0-7).
The always dangerous Ciaran Collins buried Rathmore’s first goal in the 13th minute, after Andrew Moynihan created the opening, and then, just four minutes later, Brian Friel provided the assist for John Moynihan, soccer-style, to find the net to give his side a second huge fillip.
When Alan Dineen launched over a two-pointer, and Collins added another point, early on the resumption, Rathmore were four to the good (2-5 to 0-7), and Na Gaeil were staring down the barrel of elimination at the last-four stage.
The collective response from Donal Rooney’s charges was simply heroic. With the three Barry brothers, Stefan Okunbor, Diarmuid O’Connor and OisÃn Maunsell providing serious leadership, the pendulum of the contest soon began to change.
By the 48th minute, a sublime two-point free, off the ground, by goalkeeper Conor Bohane, had brought Na Gaeil to parity, and they were soon in front after substitute Darragh Reen, and Kerry star O’Connor, added to the Killeen men’s tally.
Amazingly, considering the wind at their backs, Rathmore would go 17 minutes without a second-half score, but it was Kingdom net-minder Shane Ryan who finally ended their barren spell with an excellent placed ball, and an orange flag, to level matters again (0-14 to 2-8).
The destination of the spoils was really in the melting pot now heading into the last five minutes and, after inter-county team-mates O’Connor and Paul Murphy exchanged points, it was left to corner-forward Jack Sheehan to fire over what proved to be the winner for Na Gaeil.
Rathmore did their level best to rescue the situation in the time that remained, but Cathal Ryan and Brendan O’Keeffe were both off target with late efforts for the equalizer. Circling the wagons, Na Gaeil held out, deservedly so, in an evening of guts and glory for the underdogs.
Scorers for Na Gaeil: D O’Connor 0-4 (0-1f), D Devine 0-3 (fs), J Barry 0-3 (1tpf), J Sheehan 0-2, C Bohane 0-2 (tpf), T Ó hAiniféin, D Reen 0-1 each.
Scorers for Rathmore: C Collins 1-3 (0-1f), J Moynihan 1-0, A Dineen 0-2 (tp), S Ryan 0-2 (tpf), F Murphy, P Murphy 0-1 each.
NA GAEIL: C Bohane; N O’Mahoney, S Okunbor, E O’Connor; J Doyle, A Barry, F Barry; J Barry, D O’Connor; J O’Connor, O Maunsell, T Ó hAiniféin; P Doyle, D Devine, J Sheehan.
Subs: D Reen for Devine (ht), K O’Connor for P Doyle (40), S O’Connor for J O’Connor (40), E Doody for O’Mahoney (52), R Ó hAiniféin for Sheehan (59).
RATHMORE: S Ryan; T O’Doherty, D Murphy, C Dineen; A Dineen, B O’Keeffe, F Holohan; A Moynihan, C Ryan; B Friel, P Murphy, D Rahilly; F Murphy, C Collins, J Moynihan.
Subs: M Reen for J Moynihan, inj (30), M Ryan for Rahilly (42), C O’Connor for O’Doherty (44), P Moynihan for Friel (48).
Referee: S Joy (Laune Rangers).