Kerins O'Rahilly's pip Éire Óg to reach Munster decider

Kerins O'Rahilly's 1-09 Éire Óg Ennis 1-08

Kerins O'Rahillys are back in a Munster club SFC final for the first time since 2009, but they had to do it the hard way after having their Kerry star David Moran was sent off after just 22 minutes.

The Kerry representatives took the lead after just 12 seconds and they were never behind to Clare champions Éire Óg, but O’Rahillys had to fight might and mane to survive a strong challenge from the Ennis-based club who will be hugely disappointed that they could not make their numerical advantage count in the end.

Indeed, Éire Óg will be livid with themselves that they didn’t at least take this game into extra-time when they turned over the ball in the 58th minute and worked the ball to Philip Talty, but the corner forward completely fluffed his shot from 15 metres in front of goal, dropping the ball short into the grateful arms of an O’Rahillys defender.

The Kerry senior club champions – though not the county senior football champions - enjoyed the perfect start at a wet and windy Austin Stack Park when Jack Savage pointed after 12 seconds and Tommy Walsh crashed in a goal three minutes later.

That suggested the Tralee men had rediscovered the form that had delivered them that Senior Club title and their ticket to represent Kerry in Munster, but Éire Óg settled into their work thereafter and points from Gavin Cooney (2) and Mark McInerney had them to within a point of O'Rahillys after 12 minutes.

Jack Savage scored his second point but then hit the post with a very scorable free by his standards as the game remained scrappy in testing weather conditions, with referee Sean Lonergan issuing a couple of yellow cards.

One of those was to Moran after 21 minutes for a fairly innocuous challenge