Beaten black & BLUES
Kerry lay down marker in fiery League tie before mass brawl
PETER CROWLEY was the hero as Kerry scored a dramatic victory over 14-man Dublin in an edgy Allianz Football League tie at Austin Stack Park.
The defender popped up in the fourth minute of injury time to punch the winning score after Dublin, having trailed by four with 13 minutes left, pinned the Munster champions back despite suffering a red card to Michael Fitzsimons in the closing stages.
Having also lost to Monaghan on the opening weekend before beating Galway, it makes for the All-ireland champions’ worst start to the League in four years.
Kerry set the tempo for much of a thoroughly entertaining first half, but Dublin twice pegged them back with two superb individual goals from Con O’callghan and Paul Mannion.
Dean Rock was Dublin’s main attacking threat in the early stages but Kerry had a greater spread with fullback Jack Sherwood getting them off the mark and five of their six forwards, along with wing-back Tom O’sullivan, had scored by half-time.
Kerry led by 0-6 to 0-5 in the 23rd minute when a long diagonal ball from Dara Moynihan, which Kerry had favoured for much of the first half, was broken down by Diarmuid O’connor for Stephen O’brien to lash the ball past Evan Comerford, who continues to deputise for Stephen Cluxton in goal.
But Dublin responded with a fine goal by O’callaghan, who evaded two tackles before unleashing a shot which enjoyed the benefit of a deflection off Brian O Beaglaoich before nestling in the net.
Kerry’s response was good as they kicked the next four points without reply to go five in front, the pick of them a peach from Moynihan, an inswinger off the outside of his right boot.
Against the run of play, Cormac Costello picked a nice pass to Mannion, who roasted O Beaglaoich and slotted past Shane Ryan for a second Dublin goal three minutes before half-time.
Gavin O’brien and James Mccarthy swapped scores before the break as Kerry led by 1-11 to 2-6 and may have felt somewhat shortchanged.
They built a decent lead early in the second half as after Darren Gavin’s opener for Dublin, they hit four successive points, a pair of frees from Sean O’shea and one each from Dara Moynihan and the returning Tommy Walsh, who was introduced at half-time.
Kerry looked set to kick on from there with the home support in the 11,982 sellout crowd warming to their efforts, but Dublin replied with three of their own to keep in touch.
Sean O’shea hit Kerry’s first score in 11 minutes, and his first from play, before slotting a free for his eighth of the evening in all to give the home side a four-point cushion with 13 minutes remaining.
A triple substitution from Jim Gavin gave Dublin fresh momentum, however, despite losing Fitzsimons to a second yellow card after entangling with Crowley in the 64th minute.
They still kicked four points without reply though, Cormac Costello drawing the sides level with a free in the third minute of injury time.
But Kerry worked the ball upfield and sub David Moran placed Crowley to first what proved to be the winning point.
Dublin’s Brian Fenton missed a late chance from distance to salvage a draw before a nasty brawl between the two sets of players broke out following the final whistle in Tralee.