SPORTS DIGEST/Gaelic Games: Tadgh Kennelly, who is playing with the Sydney Swans, will want to return to Australia as it cannot be as tough as the North Kerry Senior Football Championship final which saw Listowel beat the Paul Galvin-led Finuge 0-12 to 0-5 at Bob Stack Park Ballybunion on St Stephen's Day.
Finuge, who last week won the Munster Junior championship, were hoping to beat division side Listowel for the first time in a final but despite being on level terms five minutes into the second half, they never had the fire-power up front.
Galvin was well shackled by his Kerry team-mate Brendan Guiney while Liam Keane was in command at the edge of the square. Stephen Stack, who won an All-Ireland with Kerry in 1997, made his last club game a winning one at wing back.
Finuge tried every thing at the back where Pat Corridan, Enda Galvin and Eamon Fitzmaurice took the best Listowel could throw at them, while Eamon Breen stuck close to Kennelly who managed one point from play.
Listowel started the better and had raced 0-4 to no-score in front by the end of the opening quarter. Maurice Corridan was the only Finuge forward to threaten and he opened his side's tally in the 18th minute. Two frees from Conor Galvin closed the gap to a point before Derek Galvin shredded the Finuge defence for another point and Listowel led 0-5 to 0-3 at the interval.
Finuge were on level terms within five minutes of the restart as Conor Galvin took over at midfield and points from himself and another from Paul Galvin gave their supporters hope.
However, two things helped changed the game in favour of Listowel. Firstly a full-scale fracas near the touch line where Stephen Stack appeared to take a blow, saw punches being exchanged.
Secondly Noel Kennelly kicked two frees, his brother Tadgh scored another and Galvin pointed for a fourth time before he missed an open goal in the 47th minute.
Finuge could not get going up front and were relying only on Fitzmaurice, Breen and Conor Galvin to break through and they failed to score in the final 25 minutes.
Scorers: Listowel (D Galvin 0-4, N Kennelly 0-4 frees, M Whelan 0-2, T Kennelly and B Scanlon 0-1 each); Finuge (C Galvin 0-3 frees, P Galvin and M Corridan 0-1each).
MOTOR SPORT: Rally drivers Austin McHale, Kenny McKinstry and triple national champion Niall Maguire top the 140-strong entry for the Carlow Car Club's Christmas Rallysprint at Mondello Park today, writes Brian Foley. Also listed in the line up of World Rally Car drivers are Kevin Barrett, Gareth McHale, and Martin O'Connell.
Also today the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland stage racing at Kirkistown, Co Down, featuring Formula Ford 1600. The race promises to be a real battle between George McAlpin, Victor Gibson and Brian Edgar.
Meanwhile, Emily O'Mahony has been awarded the annual Fisher Foundation Young Rally Driver award.
HOCKEY: Before the start of yesterday's Neville Cup final at Serpentine Avenue, a minute's silence was observed in memory of Graham Moffett, a stalwart of Pembroke Wanderers, who died on Wednesday. A leading club member and a former honorary treasurer, he was a first XI captain and a much respected right-half, writes Dermot Ashmore.
Among many successes in the Pembroke colours, he won an Irish Senior Cup medal in 1973. A serene, convivial figure, he will be sadly missed.
He is survived by his wife Jennifer, son Derek and daughter Wendy, to whom deepest sympathy will be extended in hockey circles.
