Heavy home defeat for Under 17s

SSE AIRTRICITY U-17 LEAGUE Kerry 1 Galway United 5

KERRY were going very well before the break in June, but now they are going down a slippery slope and succumbed to another defeat at Mounthawk Park on Sunday to a much stronger Galway side.

When the sides met earlier in the season Galway won 4-0 and this win on Sunday was just as comprehensive. However, Kerry had their moments in the game as they should have scored early on, but conceding goals at either side of half time gave them too much of a hill to climb to get back into the game.

They held their own reasonably well in the first half and should have gone ahead after four minutes.

Dillon Robinson used his strength to dispossess Ronan Asgari and now he was clear through on goals with just the keeper to beat but the Galway custodian Mark Greaney came out quickly to narrow the angle and made a great block to deny a certain goal.

Kerry were made rue that miss four minutes later when Joseph Thompson used his trickery to evade a defender and set up Harry Rogers and he fired low to the bottom corner of the net. Rogers went close again shortly afterwards with his free kick from the verge of the box going just inches wide.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 19th minute after a corner kick which was floated into the box by Joshua Keane Quinlivan and when the ball broke out it fell invitingly just outside the box for Calyn Crowe and he volleyed well wide of the Kerry keeper Alex O’Connor.

Just past the half hour mark Kerry brought themselves right back into the game with a well executed goal. A Michael O’Gara corner kick was headed goal-wards by James Rusk and John Hayes steamed in at the far post and blasted the ball to the net.

Kerry were only a lick of paint away from equalising two minutes from the break when a Dillon Robinson free kick from just outside the box was finger-tipped on to the crossbar by the Galway goalie Mark Greaney and only produced a corner kick.

However, they left their guard down just before half time when Galway got a soft free kick 10 yards outside the box.

Calyn Crowe drove the free kick right into the goalmouth and Harry Rogers crept in unsighted and he headed powerfully to the net from close range.

Kerry’s chances of making a comeback went out the window four minutes into the second half when they conceded a fourth goal. Calyn Crowe sneaked past a couple of players then turned John Ward twice and sent a bending shot from fifteen yards, which gave the Kerry keeper no chance.

They added further salt to the wound when Adam Rooney and sub Alex Ariguzo combined to put in Wilson Waaweru in on goals and he made no mistake from close range.

In the transfer window Kerry have signed up Paddy O’Rourke and Dylan Murphy to strengthen their squad as they have a few key players out with injuries.

Both players were members of the Kerry team that won the Kennedy Cup for the first time two years ago.

O’Rourke got his first start in this game and turned in quite a good performance. Kerry face a daunting task next Sunday when they travel to play top of the table Waterford.

KERRY: Alex O’Connor, Kevin Williams, John Ward, James Rusk (Sebastian Vasiu, 56 mins), Ronan Cahill, Padraig McCannon, John Hayes, Dillon Robinson, Michael O’Gara, Sheagh O’Connor, Paddy O’Rourke (Boki Nikic, 65 mins)

GALWAY UNITED: Mark Greaney, Liam Horkan, (Donal Higgins, 58 mins), Calyn Crowe, Adam Rooney, Cillian Doyle (Alex Ariguzo, 65 mins), Ronan Asgari (Harry O’Gorman, 46 mins) Caoilfhionn O’Dea (Dean Murphy, 62 mins), Joshua Keane Quinlivan, Harry Rogers, Wilson Waawera (Joe Gubbins, 85 mins), Joseph Thompson

REFEREE: Anthony Morrison

Photo by Domnick Walsh / Eye Focus In action during the Tommy Healy Cup semi-final were Sean O Dea, Castlemaine Utd and Mikie Moriarty, Sporting Listowel at Mounthawk Park