Geaney Leads Daingean Uí Cúis to Victory After 77 Years
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Daingean Uí Chúis Claim Kerry SFC Title, Ending 77-Year Wait
Cometh the moment, cometh the man, as Paul Geaney struck for two late goals to help deliver the Kerry county SFC title to Daingean Uí Chúis (Dingle). The victory bridges a gap of 77 years as Daingean Uí Chúis’ last county title win in 1948, and also denied Austin Stacks the chance to join Dr Crokes at the top of the roll of honor with a 14th senior title.
The victory also helps Daingean Uí Chúis ease the pain of losing last year’s county final to Dr Crokes, and two other deciders as 2012. This win represents a significant turning point for the club,overcoming a history of near misses in recent years.
Having trailed the game for most of it, Daingean Uí Chúis needed a late smash-and-grab to wrestle the win from Stacks, and who else but Paul Geaney delivered the coup de grace of two goals that will only embellish the legend of this county final – and Geaney’s reputation – over time.
For Austin Stacks this was a tough defeat, having led from the second minute to the 52nd only to see it all snatched from them by Daingean Uí Chúis’ resilience and Geaney’s lethal eye for goal.
Geaney’s Kerry team mate Tom O’Sullivan played his part to, sending in the two long balls that geaney so brilliantly capitalised on, while the defender also scored two points in that devastating period when Daingean Uí Chúis’ feasted on 1-04 without reply to go from 0-11 to 0-9 behind to take a five-point lead in the 56th minute.
Stacks then won and scored a goal from the penalty spot – Cian Purcell coolly slot