Heartbreak for Kerry after stunning comeback effort

NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1B RELEGATION PLAY-OFF

WHERE do you start with a game like that?

Ninety minutes. Fifty five scores. Frantic action from start to finish. It was ‘can’t take your eyes off it’ good a lot of the time and even when it seemed as though Laois had it in the bag there was still plenty to enthuse about.

For a relegation play-off there was a hell of a lot of good hurling on view. Blink and you’d miss something. A tackle, a hook, a block, an outrageous piece of skill. For much of the match Laois were the ones showing what the game of hurling is all about.

Kerry were decidedly second best and that’s what made their comeback all the more remarkable. It really would have been a terrible way for Kerry to round out the season with arguably their most disappointing performance of the campaign.

Instead of that they roared back into the game and turned a decent game of hurling into an instant classic. A few tactical and personnel switches and Kerry turned the game on its head. From Laois dictating matters for forty five minutes to Kerry in the ascendancy in the run-up to full-time.

It’s quite likely – probable even – that Kerry’s greater numbers began to tell around that point in the game too. Laois had been down to fourteen men from inside the opening five minutes and the monumental effort they put in began to weigh upon them.

It was as really silly red card to give away, but you could tell Laois were really wound up for the game. They were absolutely determined not to let Kerry win a fourth game in succession against them.

Full-forward Neil Foyle was sent off for an off the ball foul on Tom Murnane and it wasn’t the only off the ball incident early doors. It could have been hugely costly to them and, indeed, for a lot of the first half it looked like it might be.

Fair enough Laois were hurling better than Kerry, fair enough their midfield of Ross King and Patrick Purcell ruled the roost, but Kerry were well in the game. After ten minutes it was four points to three in Laois’ favour.

After fifteen minutes Laois had stretched their advantage to three – 0-7 to 0-4. Kerry then pulled back level with a fantastic goal from Jordan Conway, assist Seán Weir.

Laois, of course, kicked on again and re-opened an advantage – 0-10 to 1-5 after twenty three minutes. Kerry wouldn’t have been at all disappointed with that, not with the breeze to come in the second half.

A goal for Laois, however, changed the calculus and changed it entirely. Charles Dwyer dropped in a long range free and a Kerry defender fumbled it over the line. A poor goal to concede, a game changer, but not against the run of play if you’re to be totally honest.

All of a sudden it was looking very promising for Laois. They held an eight point lead as the half ticked into time added on. Kerry then struck again for another goal to rock Laois back on their heels – Bryan Murphy assisting Patrick Kelly for an opportunist’s goal.

At the break Laois held a six point advantage – 1-15 to 2-6 – and would have been reasonably disappointed with that. They would have feared a strong Kerry comeback in the third quarter. Laois, however, more than held their own.

A couple of points from King and another from Ciaran Collier stretched their advantage to nine and really it looked like game over. Kerry weren’t hurling fluidly. They seemed to be trying to force the ball long (Mikey Boyle was drafted into the side around now).

Bit by bit, however, they worm turned. Daniel Collins was sent to centre-field. Colum Harty came into the side. A trio of points followed from Nolan (one from play, one a free) and Harty.

Despite all their dominance Laois couldn’t quite see off the Kingdom. Their lead hoovered around the six point mark. What Kerry needed, desperately, was a goal to really get back into the game.

They had a chance of one on sixty one minutes. Harty had a shot saved by Enda Rowland and Padraig Boyle, increasingly influential, had another saved when he picked up the rebound.

A goal did arrive on six- ty four minutes with Padraig Boyle striking a rasper from a free straight to the back of the net. Game on. Laois responded with the next score through Paddy Whelan and that seemed to have been enough to edge out a win in a game they should have won.

Kerry, however, never gave up. Scores from Padraig Boyle and Colum Harty ensured Kerry were within a goal deep into injury time. Then a Mikey Boyle shot was blocked, fumbled and ultimately flicked into the back of the net by Rowland. 1-23 to 4-14.

Extra time. Laois back to fifteen men. Remember what we said about not being able to take your eye off it for a moment. Even within extra-time the game swung one way then the other.

At the end of the first half Laois had opened out a three point advantage 1-28 to 4-16. Kerry weren’t still done.

They outscored Laois four points to two in the second period of extra-time. Kerry even stuck the post through Padraig Boyle on eighty nine minutes.

Those last few minutes were frantic. Kerry could have won it even without that Boyle goal chance. All the same Laois would have been bitterly disappointed not to have taken the spoils here.

Over the hour and-a-half of play Laois were the better team, but boy did Kerry make them work hard for it and boy will Kerry welcome the chance to correct the record in the Leinster championship next month.

Bring it on.

LAOIS: Enda Rowland (0-1f), Lee Cleere, Leigh Bergin (0-1), Liam O’Connell (0-1), Cahir Healy, Ryan Mullaney (0-1), John Lennon (0-1), Ross King (0-13, 6f), Patrick Purcell (0-3), Cian Taylor (0-1), Charles Dwyer (1-1, 1-0 f), Ben Conroy, Willie Dunphy (0-3, 0-1 sideline), Neil Foyle, Stephen Maher (0-2) Subs: Ciaran Collier (0-1) for L O’Connell, 42, Aaron Dunphy for B Conroy, 57, Paddy Whelan (0-1) for J Lennon, 62, Seán Downey for R Mullaney, 66, Stephen Bergin for S Maher, 71, J Lennon into side as 15th man, full-time, Aidan Corby (0-1) for Lee Cleere, full-time, Eanna Lyons for W Dunphy, 77, Stephen Maher for C Taylor, 82, L O’Connell for R King (inj), 90

KERRY: Martin Stackpoole, James O’Connor, Tom Murnane, Seán Weir, Daniel Collins (0-1), Bryan Murphy, Darren Dineen, Paudie O’Connor, Jack Goulding (0-1), Michael O’Leary, Patrick Kelly (1-4), Shane Nolan (0-4, 2f), John Buckley (0-1), Jordan Conway (1-0), Padraig Boyle (1-3, 1-2f) Subs: Mikey Boyle (1-0) for J Goulding, 41, Colum Harty (0-5) for M O’Leary, 45, Keith Carmody (0-1) for S Nolan, 52, Maurice O’Connor for J Conway, 55, John Griffin for P O’Connor, full-time, Philip Lucid for M O’Connor, 87, S Nolan for D Collins (inj), 88 REFEREE: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow)