Kerry let late lead slip again as Johnston equaliser saves Cavan

ALLIANZ NFL DIVISION 1 ROUND 6 Cavan 1-10 Kerry 0-13

ANOTHER case of ‘coulda shoulda’ for the Kerry footballers as they snatched another draw from the jaws of victory / defeat [delete as to your preference]. Eamonn Fitzmaurice was phlegmatic in his assessment that his team got out of the game pretty much what they deserved: a gutsy second half performance merited some tangible reward but the Kerry manager couldn’t convince himself or others that his team deserved both points on offer in Breffni Park last Sunday.

Fitzmaurice’s counterpart Mattie McGleenan was of a similar mind with regard to his Cavan team. The hosts deserved the League point that gives them a fighting, though remote, chance of maintaining their Division One status after next weekend’s final round of fixtures, but they couldn’t have left the place with both points and a straight face such was the woeful inaccuracy of their first half scoring attempts.

In second half additional time Cavan needed a late and courageous Seanie Johnston free to level the contest and keep the home fires burning, and were mighty relieved when Paul Geaney’s pulled a very difficult free wide of the target after an over-zealous Cavan defence coughed up a needless in the 74th minute.

As they had the previous weekend against Dublin, Kerry had led by two points, 0-13 to 1-8, heading into those four minutes of additional, and as they did against the Dubs they let that lead slip and had to make do with a draw. As much as that dropped point was frustrating - as well as making the task of getting into the top two for a League final place much more difficult-it was the manner of the performance that frustrated Fitzmaurice more.

Umpteen unforced turnovers in the first half made for difficult viewing for the Kerry management with only one point from play for a starting forward, a decent Donnchadh Walsh score in the 18th minute. Four Paul Geaney frees and a last fisted point from Jack Barry brought Kerry’s total to six at half time, two better that Cavan who had registered 10 wides in that first 37 minutes, eight of those genuine scoring attempts that went every which way but over the bar.

It had started well for Cavan when full back Killian Clarke slalomed through the Kerry defence for a fine score in the fifth minute and three minutes later when Niall Clerkin doubled their tally.

Kerry’s start was less auspicious with the black card dismissal of Kevin McCarthy in the eight minute, but after falling 0-1 to 0-3 behind, two more converted Geaney frees had the visitors on level terms by the 14th minute.

Cavan midfielder Gearoid McKiernan’s free edged his side in front again before corner back Killian Brady was black carded for a leg trip and then Walsh’s long range score squared things up again.

All the while, though, Cavan were creating and squandering several scoring opportunities as they wasted chance after chance, which was barely forgiveable despite a tricky wind blowing across the Cavan town venue.

Geaney’s fourth point in the 23rd minute put Kerry 0-5 to 0-4 before Jack Barry slipped inside the Cavan cover to fist over a point to double Kerry’s lead at the break.

Bryan Sheehan (pictured below), on as a 28th minute substitute for Adrian Spillane kicked an early second half point and the early signs were that if Kerry cut out those inexcusable first half errors they could kick on and win this game with a little to spare.

There was still two between the sides when Cian Mackey’s first contribution was to find Dara McVeety with a long pass, and when he turned inside and drove the ball low past Brendan Kealy Cavan regained the lead and a good dash of confidence.

From there to the end the action improved somewhat even if Kerry were guilty of eight wides in that second period.

Barry John Keane scored two points after his introduction, Sheehan converted two frees with Geaney (free) and Paul Murphy scoring also to have Kerry 0-13 to 1-8 clear in the 72nd minute.

But those familiar failings returned to dog Kerry again with Johnston’s late equaliser coming on the back of Conor Moynagh’s point to split the points on offer and divide opinion on who exactly the result best served. CAVAN: R Galligan; K Brady, K Clarke (0-1), F Reilly; R Dunne, C Moynagh (0-1), N Murray; T Corr, G McKiernan (0-2f); M Reilly, D McVeety (1-0), N Clerkin (0-1); J Dillon, C Madden (0-2, 1f), G Smith. Subs: J McLoughlin for K Brady (BC, 19), C Mackey for Clerkin (40), N McDermott (0-2f) for Madden (46), C Brady for Smith (50), S Murray for Dunne (65), S Johnston (0-1f) for Dillon (68).

KERRY: B Kealy; F Fitzgerald, M Griffin, R Shanahan; P Crowley, T Morley, P Murphy (0-1); D Moran, J Barry (0-1); A Spillane, K McCarthy, D Walsh (0-1); J Savage, P Geaney (0-5f), S O’Brien. Subs: D O’Sullivan for McCarthy (BC, 9), B Sheehan (0-3, 2f) for Spillane (28), BJ Keane (0-2) for Savage (40), A Maher for O’Sullivan (55), J Lyne for Crowley (61), M Geaney for Barry (62).

REFEREE: M Deegan (Laois)