Six in a row of Munster titles for marvellous minors
MUNSTER MFC FINAL Kerry 3-21 Clare 1-7
MUCH like the senior game which followed after, 10 minutes or so into proceedings it looked like we might have something interesting on our hands.
Kerry had scored the opening two points through Jack O’Connor and Paul Walsh but following a disallowed fisted effort for the Banner County just beforehand, Clare’s Jack Regan found Thomas Kelly with a great pass for the game’s opening goal in the 11th minute.
It barely rattled Kerry however as much like their response to Cork’s goal in the depths of their Munster semi-final, Dylan Geaney levelled the scores up before the Dingle forward showed great alertness after 13 minutes.
He reacted quickest to Paul Walsh’s free coming off the post in search of a white flag and dropping into the goalmouth with his finish putting Kerry in a lead they would never surrender.
What followed was eleven consecutive Kingdom points in a period of sixteen minutes to take the life out of the contest and reiterate the march Kerry have stolen at underage level both at provincial and All-Ireland level.
Nine different
Kerry players, including all six forwards and midfielders Darragh Lyne and Darragh Rahilly along with centre-back Dan McCarthy all scored before Emmet McMahon finally raised a white flag for Clare in the 29th minute.
The Banner had asked Kerry some early physical questions but once Kerry settled there was never any doubt about another Tadhg Crowley Cup success. Walsh scored Kerry’s final first-half point as a Shane Meehan free for Clare made it 1-15 to 1-2 at half-time.
Substitute Tadgh Lillis did score the first point of the second period, but Kerry’s second goal was a repeat of their first in Geaney being vigilant to another Walsh free not exactly going the way the Brosna player might have wanted it.
This one dropped short with Geaney fisting home in the 36th minute as despite the team captain Paul O’Shea going off injured, the minors’ march to victory continued on.
Goalkeeper Marc Kelliher was asked a few questions that weren’t expected in Clare getting three opportunities at goal but each time he was equal to Mark McInerney and two efforts from Chibby Okoye in trying to register further green flags for their side.
Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaoich came off the bench to become Kerry’s 10th different score, but after being the unintended provider for the Kingdom’s first two goals, Paul Walsh scored their third approaching the final 10 minutes with Ó Beaglaoich picking him out with a fine ball. Lillis was black carded for Clare late on but the final score of the game came from Shane Meehan in the second minute of injury time.
Twenty points was a fair reflection of Kerry’s dominance in making it six straight Munster titles. Without the nerves of donning the jersey for the first time as in the trip to Thurles or the high stakes they were playing for against Cork in the semi-final this was a side seemingly more at ease with themselves with the knowledge of an All-Ireland quarter-final tie whatever the outcome.
It wasn’t the complete display last year’s minor side pretty much managed in Fitzgerald Stadium and, while nothing fatal came from Clare getting those second-half goal chances, Peter Keane certainly will want a tighter ship at the back if Kerry are to harbour ambitions of a fifth consecutive All-Ireland minor title.
Proceedings in Connacht will concern the management in waiting to learn their next opponents while the players will probably be more concerned with the start of the County Minor Championship in the intervening period.
A 2013 first round defeat to Cork remains Kerry’s last Minor loss in Munster, whether the All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Tyrone that year remains the last defeat period, only the coming All-Ireland campaign will tell.
The promise of other years is present to possibly keep the run going though.
KERRY: Marc Kelliher (Glenflesk); Conor Flannery (Dingle), Owen Fitzgerald (Gneeveguilla), David Mangan (Laune Rangers); Colm Moriarty (Annascaul), Dan McCarthy (Kenmare Shamrocks, 0-1), Dan Murphy (Rathmore); Darragh Rahilly (do), Darragh Lyne (Killarney Legion, 0-1); Paul Walsh (1-7, 4f), Paul O’Shea (Kilcummin, 0-2), Killian Falvey (Annascaul, 0-1); Dylan Geaney (Dingle, 2-2), Jack O’Connor (Beaufort, 0-2) Michael Lenihan (Dr Crokes) Subs: Sean Quilter (Austin Stacks) for O’Shea, Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaíoch (An Gaeltacht, 0-2, 1f) for Lenihan, Jack Kennelly (Ballydonoghue) for Geaney, James McCarthy (Kenmare Shamrocks) for Fitzgerald, David Dineen (Rathmore) for Rahilly and Sean Óg Moran (Dingle) for Mangan CLARE: Michael Garrihy; Jack Reidy, Darragh Connelly, John Murphy; Gavin D’Auria, Cillian Rouine Adam O’Connor; Chibby Okoye, Emmet McMahon, (0-2, 1’45’); Thomas Kelly (1-0) Cian McDonagh, Joey Droney; Jack Regan, Shane Meehan (0-2, 1f), Mark McInerney (0-1, 1f) Subs: Tadhg Lillis (0-1) for Regan, Padraic O’Donoghue for Droney, Kevin Keane for McInerney, Conor Hassett (01) for D’Auria, Ryan Barry for O’Connor and Manus Doherty for Lillis (Black Card). REFEREE: John Ryan (Cork)