June 11 - Senior Football: Kerry v Galway

Kerry 0-13 Galway 0-9



The Kerry Squad: Kerry handed Galway their third loss of the season.

 With each side seeking their first points of the season, Kerry pulled away from Galway in the second half and earned a five point win. It was Ian Galvin doing the damage in the first half for Kerry, while in the second Eanna O’Connor led the forward line with seven points. It was a scrappy game played in difficult drizzly conditions which neither side came to grips with in the first half, but Kerry got it together in the second while Galway continued to struggle.

Stephen O’Brien opened the scoring with a free earned by Ian Galvin who fielded excellently on the edge of the penalty area. The diminutive corner forward was giving his marker a torrid time, full of running both on and off the ball. Galway strung three points together in the early going. Stephen Walsh and Peter Nolan found the mark, O’Brien’s second was the result of a well crafted move. Kerry drew level with a lovely O’Brien point followed by another from his corner forward partner, Galvin. O’Brien then put Kerry ahead with a nice score, though he did get away with two hops before shooting. Eanna O’Connor put a free over from 45 yards out to extend Kerry’s lead to two points. Tom Walsh pointed for Galway following a jinky Peter Nolan run and that was it for scoring for the half. Both sides missed several chances, Galway would have been the guiltier party in that department. Galway 0-4 to Kerry’s 0-5 at the break.

Kerry took over in the second half. Eanna O’Connor came into his own at center forward, while Kerry’s midfield pairing of Sean Fogerty and Padraig Doyle put their stamp on the game. The scrappy nature of the game persisted however, and neither side really got into any kind of flow. After Fogerty added to Kerry’s lead with a point, the midfielder almost added a goal only for Mattie O’Donnell to save from close range. O’Connor settled for a point from the rebound. Declan Walsh played well at corner back for Galway, the Ian Galvin threat was neutralized. Kerry had more than Galvin for Galway to worry about however. After O’Brien pointed again for Kerry, O’Connor scored the final six points for the Kingdom, two from play and four from dead balls. Danny Reddin, Nolan, Eamonn Doherty and Stephen Walsh tallied scores for Galway, but the game was slipping away from them as time wore on. Galway kept the difference within two points until midway through the second half, Kerry outscored Galway five points to two in the final 15 minutes to close the game. Not a pretty win, but one that Kerry will take. Galway still looking for a win to get off the starting blocks in the championship.

Kerry: P. Bailey, M. Griffin, D. O’Sullivan, M. Godley, T. Dennehy, K. Moore, S. Fogerty (0-1), P. Doyle, I. Whelan, E. O’Connor (0-8), M. Foley, I. Galvin (0-1), S. O’Brien (0-4). Galway: M. O’Donnell, D. Walsh, S. Gallagher, P. Cummins, G. Dunphy, J. Kehoe, T. Walsh (0-1), E. Doherty (0-1), D. Reddin (0-1), P. Nolan (0-2), S. Walsh (0-3), G. O’Connor, N. Farragher.


By Rory O'Donnell