Kerry 4-8 Wolfe Tones 2-15
Kerry and Wolfe Tones played a tremendusly exciting senior
football match, a game in which the Tones will be relieved to have come away
from with both points. The Tones seemed
to have had the game fairly safe on a few occasions, but Kerry hit with goals
to keep themselves in with a shout and the Tones supports anxious, to the very
end. For the second week in a row,
however, the Kingdom walked off the field wondering what might have been, while
the Tones had two points in their pocket.
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| Marty Farrell in action for Wolfe Tones |
Wolfe Tones motored well in the first half. From Mike “Frodo” O’Brien in the half back
line, though midfielders Jerry Troy and Danny O’Callaghan, and a well tuned
forward line, the Tones looked in synch for much of the first 30 minutes. Two goals were tallied, Neill Flynn at wing
forward netted the first and Dan McCabe the second following an exquisite pass
from fellow Down native Marty Farrell.
Gary Brilly worked hard in the full forward line, and supply was in
abundance as Kerry were on the back foot for long spells.
Kerry kept themselves in the game with a John O’Keefe goal,
the wing forward is proving to be a valuable asset for the Kerry men this
year. Robbie Croft and David Larkin kept
their side in touch with points, however, Kerry needed to make the most of
every possession to do so as it was their opponents who held the upper hand in
that department. McCabe, Flynn, Barry
McShea, and Danny O’Callaghan each found the space between the posts for the
Tones who led by a score of 2-5 to 1-4 at the break.
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| Darren Foley and Jerry Troy battle for this ball. |
About half way through the second period the teams were
level. The Tones looked to be getting a
firmer grip on affairs as Kerry started to look tired. The Tones chipped away at the points through
O’Callaghan, Hurley, McCabe, and Flynn but their Achilles heel was in their
penchant for opening the door to Kerry’s forwards for goals. Phil O’Sullivan stole in for a goal after the
Tones coughed up the ball coming out of defence, and O’Keefe had the teams on level
terms after forcing the ball over the line from inside the small square.
There were close calls at either end, Cathal Moriarty pulled
a ball off the line at one end, and Kerry keeper Stephen Enright was called on
to get low to save from O’Brien at the other as the game hung in the balance. Kerry attacked in waves for a brief period,
throwing the kitchen sink at their opponents in a huge effort to turn the
tables, however, the green and gold had nothing to show for it by the time the
Tones gathered themselves.
The Tones
punished Kerry with three quick points in as many minutes, almost drawing a
contrast between the fortunes of each side, to restore the gap. The insurance point came from Ciaran Hurley
to put four between the teams. It was
just as well from a Tones viewpoint as Croft fisted a high ball into the net
with 2 minutes left as Kerry still refused to accept defeat. Kerry, however, could not find that extra bit
to pull themselves ahead and the game ended with a relieved Wolfe Tones taking
both championship points back to South Boston.
Kerry: S. Enright, J. O’Keefe, J. Barry, J. O’Shea, S.
Driscoll, D. Larkin, D. Foley, L. Healy, J. Long, R. Driscoll, J. O’Keefe, P.
O’Sullivan, R. Croft. Tones: D. McDonnell, E. Powderly, B. McShea, M.
O’Brien, S. George, C. Moriarty, D. O’Callaghan, J. Troy, M. Farrell, D.
McCabe, N. Flynn, G. Brilly, C. Hurley.
By Rory O'Donnell
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