A PLUCKY THIRTEEN
Dubs dig deep to equal Kerry in more ways than one
PAUL MANNION kicked an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time to earn Dublin a dramatic draw as they equalled Kerry’s all-time unbeaten record. The Dubs looked set to fall to their first defeat in League or Championship in two years when trailing by two points in injury time but, after Dean Rock’s free halved the deficit, sub Mannion popped up to deny Kerry victory in front of 11,858 at Austin Stack Park in Tralee. The result means that Dublin are now 34 games unbeaten, equalling a run set by Kerry way back in 1933. It was a hugely physical encounter right from the off. By half-time, referee Sean Hurson had issued seven yellow cards, four for Kerry, and at that stage it appeared an inevitability that at least one of the sides wouldn’t finish with the full complement.
As it was, the yellow card count reached 12 with Dublin’s Ciaran Kilkenny walking for a second bookable offence late on.
Kerry, despite naming an understrength side, made it clear that they were going to throw everything at Dublin and were the better side in the opening 35 minutes, even if the sides retired at 0-5 each at the break.
All bar one of Dublin’s scores came from Rock frees in the first half as they struggled to break down a stubborn Kerry defence, whose indiscipline allowed their opponents to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
With three relative novices in their attack, much of Kerry’s best work went through Paul Geaney and he kicked an outstanding point in the 10th minute off his left foot as the home crowd warmed to their team’s efforts.
Kerry’s interplay was slicker than Dublin’s and they created more clear openings, the best of which saw Stephen Cluxton palm a Geaney goal effort over for a point shortly before half-time to ensure that the sides retired level.
Kerry blossomed on the resumption, kicking four points without reply, two of them from Geaney to take a commanding lead but Dublin manager Jim Gavin acted swiftly, making four substitutions in seven minutes, one of them enforced, in a bid to turn the tide.
They gradually gained a foothold and Rock knocked over a couple of frees which started a run of six without reply for the visitors, who moved 0-11 to 0-9 ahead with 10 minutes to go.
It could have been worse only Mchugh and Brian Fenton were somehow denied a goal by some desperate Kerry defending, though Darren Daly similarly denied Geaney at the other end.
Kerry found another kick as frees from Geaney drew them level before Barry John Keane and Donnchadh Walsh put them two up, though Rock’s ninth converted free paved the way for Mannion to save Dublin from defeat.