O’Sullivan impresses in Junior win

MUNSTER JFC SEMI-FINAL

Kerry 0-26 Limerick 0-6

IRRESPECTIVE of the quality of the opposition they faced on Sunday, the Kerry Juniors put in a very impressive first innings for 2017 last Sunday in Ennis as they sauntered to a 20 point win over a Limerick side that did not pose them the problems they were presented them a year earlier in Fitzgerald Stadium.

Brendan O’Sullivan’s inclusion after the recent Anti-Doping Violation controversy was one of the talking points in advance of throw-in but come the end of proceedings it was very much the fact 11 different players managed to register scores for Jimmy Keane’s side. O’Sullivan nearly had a big start to the game as he went for the first score of the game only for the ball to drop short into goalkeeper James Brouder’s hands.

Limerick scored the opening two points of the game through Kieran Daly but it would be the only time they led as Jeff O’Donoghue putting Kerry on the board in the fifth minute was the start of a run of nine consecutive points for the reigning All-Ireland Champions. O’Sullivan and Roibeard Ó Sé were giving Kerry a great platform at midfield as the Kerry defence looked solid in dealing with the scant ball the Limerick forwards were managing to get.

Team captain for the day

Killian Spillane put Kerry 0-9 to 0-2 in front after 20 minutes before John Bourke broke Limerick’s 17 minute wait for a score. Phillip O’Connor, O’Donoghue, Spillane and O’Sullivan rounded off the second-half scoring to put the Kingdom 0-13 to 0-4 ahead at the break. The game did feature the peculiar occurrence of Firies’ Padraig De Brún lining out for the Treaty County much like he had for their U-21’s earlier in the year. It was a terrible day to be a Limerick forward however as Jack Maguire and Michael Foley looked particularly solid at the back for the Kingdom. Kerry’s advantage went out to double figures on the three-quarter mark (0-17 to 0-6) with a Conor Cox free and another O’Connor point but the processional air of matters was broken with the announcement of Kerry’s first substitution as Liam Carey coming on for Brendan O’Sullivan brought with a strong show of support for the Valentia player from the Kerry contingent present in Cusack Park. When matters returned to on-field action, two forays forward by defender Pa Kilkenny yielded points for the Glenbeigh/Glencar man as Ivan Parker was arguably the Kerry substitute who impressed the most in scoring two points. The Churchill player forced a good piece of goalkeeping from Brouder late on in what was the only real goalscoring chance of the game. Eanna O’Connor was the last of the starting Kerry forwards as Evan Cronin and Roibeard Ó Sé became the 10th and 11th players respectively to register scores for the victors. Conor Cox’s sixth point was his only score from play as Kerry got off to the ideal start in their bid for a fourth consecutive provincial title at this level. The game might not have developed into the contest expected with the paucity of Limerick’s challenge on the day but 26 points is good shooting by any side in the modern game.

What makes matters more intriguing is that there are some others players liking to come into the Junior set-up now that could make the set-up even more formidable. Cork once again are the opposition in the Final with Pairc Uí Rinn the setting once more for a third clash between the two counties at the venue this year following the Minor and U-21 matches Kerry have been successful in thus far against the Rebels there. It will be a nice set-up for what’s to come the following Sunday not too far away in the revamped Pairc Uí Chaoimh but the Juniors will enter with much expectation about their chances after last Sunday’s win.

KERRY: Tomas Mac an tSaoir (An Gaeltacht), Eamon Kiely (Brosna), Jack McGuire (Listowel Emmets), Pa Kilkenny (Glenbeigh/Glencar, 0-2), James Walsh (Knocknagoshel), Michael Foley (Ballydonoghue), Roibeard Ó Sé (An Gaeltacht, 0-1) Brendan O’Sullivan (Valentia, 0-2), Phillip O’Connor (Cordal, 0-3), Jeff O’Donoghue (Glenflesk, 0-3, 1’45’), Eanna O’Connor (An Gaeltacht, 0-1), Killian Spillane (Templenoe, 0-4), Conor Cox (Listowel Emmets, 0-6, 5f), Tomas Ó Sé (An Gaeltacht, 0-1) Subs: Liam Carey (Beaufort) for O’Sullivan, Ivan Parker (Churchill, 0-2) for Tomas Ó Sé, DJ Murphy (Gneeveguilla) for McGuire, Evan Cronin (Spa, 0-1) for O’Donoghue, Brandon Barrett (Ardfert) for O’Brien and Dara Ó Sé (An Gaeltacht) for Phillip O’Connor.

LIMERICK: James Brouder, Mike O’Keeffe, Michael O’Leary, James Bridgeman, Colm McSweeney, Pakie Moran, Sean Sheahan, Tommie Griffin (0-1), Maurice Fitzgerald, John Bourke (0-2), Sean Murphy, Jamie McGarry, Eoin O’Donnell, Padraig De Brún, Kieran Daly (0-3, 2f) Subs: Jack English for Fitzgerald, Con Berkery for Murphy, Ray Flattery for O’Leary, Anthony Harnett for McGarry and Shane Doherty for McSweeney.

REFEREE: John Hannan (Clare)