NFL Division One: Galway 2-19 Kerry 3-24
Even by the standards of Allianz Football League denouements, this one stands out. By the time the dust settled on Sunday, the teams that had started the day in fourth and fifth position in Division One were in the final.
In Pearse Stadium, Kerry rolled out impressive ordnance for a score of 3-24 and brought their running total to 5-45 in two matches and no two-pointers. It was enough to subdue a fitful Galway, who nonetheless mustered 2-19 – enough to win most matches, as manager Pádraic Joyce ruefully observed afterwards.
His counterpart Jack O’Connor accepted that the new rules suited his team as an attacking force.
“I think so. Sure, it’s very exciting. You can see from the scores that have been racked up. What did we finish? 3-21? 3-24? That’s a hurling score. We’ve put up a lot of big scores, 5-15 above in Derry.”
Sixteen goals in the campaign to date before next week’s final against Mayo is played.
“That’s good going in seven games. We conceded two today, so I’d have more of a beef with that than anything else. Look, I’m delighted. A couple of weeks ago we were staring relegation in the face before the Armagh game. It’s a big turnaround, that’s all I say.”
Galway actually started quite well, leading by four in the opening minutes, including a two-pointer from Kieran Molloy. But Kerry raided for scores to restore parity and then inexorably pull away even by half-time, when they led 2-11 to 1-10.
The match settled down after a riot of early goals. Kerry captain Gavin White stole up the field in the sixth minute to take a pass from Paul Geaney, who had cleverly held up the ball. It was an all but point-blank shot and got Kerry off the mark, nearly wiping out Galway’s early four-point lead.
Four minutes later, it was Dylan Geaney who applied a terrific finish to put his team 2-1 to 0-5 ahead. Within two minutes, Paul Conroy’s attempt at a two-pointer fell short but Shane Murphy dropped the ball and Rob Finnerty was on hand to convert the chance.
Twelve minutes, and the score was 1-5 to 2-1. More goals followed in the second half and Galway briefly took the match back into the balance when between the 41st and 46th minutes they cut a seven-point deficit to the minimum with an unanswered 1-3.
The goal was a thing of beauty as Paul Conroy played a great lofted ball into the excellent Matthew Tierney, who caught it and rifled to the net.
At 2-13 to 2-14, the crowd of around 8,000 tensed in anticipation of a thrilling race down the final straight. But Galway simply balked at the challenge, fumbled a couple of good chances to pile the pressure on the visitors. Kerry didn’t need it in writing to re-establish a three-point gap, stretch it to five and then apply the coup de grace when replacement Damien Bourke was in support to slap to the net.
The goal signed off on a riposte of 1-5 to 0-2 in little over 10 minutes and with it the match.
For all their earlier travails, Kerry have used the new rules to great effect. Having the three forwards up allows them take on defenders and the scoring totals have manifested the results.
Here, their early raids down the left wing exposed Galway for both of the first-half goals. David Clifford bounced around, playing more of a creative role – he scored only two points from play and was diligently tracked by Johnny McGrath but his probing set up others.
When he is on the ball, defences are drawn in his direction and with a range of shooters all around him that makes space for others.
Joyce was downbeat after losing his unbeaten run in the last two fixtures and having to swallow substantial defeats.
“If you look at the stats of the game, it’s very basic that we conceded 1-5 from our own kick-out and we conceded 1-8 on turnovers. That’s 2-13 we basically handed Kerry.
“So, it’s very hard when you’re playing against that the whole time. There’s times you should have got the ball. We carried it in trouble, gave it away, got dispossessed a few times and this time of the year, that’s disappointing.”
Galway head to New York the weekend after next to get their championship up and running. Shane Walsh didn’t play because of a “minor procedure” on his back and according to his manager, will be fit to play.
All Star centrefielder John Maher had to leave the pitch injured but he too is expected to be available and Damien Comer’s return to play got the requisite minutes.
Reaching a league final after a day which started with his team still in the vicinity of the relegation trapdoor was a brilliant coup for O’Connor. He has yet to lose a league final and yet to fail to add the All-Ireland a few months later,
Kerry are back in the loop.
GALWAY: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Mulkerrin, D O’Flaherty; K Molloy (0-1-1), L Silke, S Kelly (capt); P Conroy (0-1-0), J Maher; M Tierney (1-0-3), C McDaid (0-0-1), F Ó Laoi (0-0-1); C Ó Curraoin (0-0-1, f), D Comer (0-0-1), R Finnerty (1-0-6, 5f).
Subs: C Darcy for Maher (32 mins); C Sweeney for Ó Curraoin (33); J Heaney (0-0-1) for Comer (43); J O’Neill for O’Flaherty (52); C Hernon for McDaid (57),
KERRY: S Murphy; P Murphy, J Foley, D Casey (0-0-1); G White (capt; 1-0-0), M Breen, B Ó Beaglaoich (0-0-1); J O’Connor, S O’Brien; M Burns, P Clifford (0-0-2), G O’Sullivan; D Clifford (0-0-3, 1f), P Geaney (0-0-7, 6f), D Geaney (1-0-2).
Subs: BD O’Sullivan (0-0-2) for O’Brien (47 mins); T Brosnan (0-0-2) for Burns (50); K Spillane (0-0-1) for G O’Sullivan (54); D Bourke (1-0-0) for Murphy (57); C Geaney (0-2) for D Geaney (62).
Referee: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary).
