Kerry win through on penalties

Kerry 1 Limerick 1 (Kerry won 4-3 on penalties)

KERRY advanced to the last sixteen of the Oscar Traynor Cup at Mounhawk Park on Sunday with a dramatic penalty shoot out win over Limerick. This was a game of contrasting halves with Kerry on top in the opening 45 minutes while Limerick bossed the second half.

The first half was a very entertaining encounter with both sides displaying a lot of creativity while the second half was a scrappy affair with a lot of free kicks and stoppages.

The hero of the game for Kerry was goalkeeper Brian O’Connor who saved three penalties in the shoot out and made a few more great saves during the course of the game.

Limerick created the first chance in the game when Steve McGann put Shane Clarke through on goals but Kerry goalie Brian O’Connor came of his line and made a great block to deny a certain goal.

Then Kerry went on the offensive with James Sugrue and Aidan O’Callaghan combining to create an opening and when the ball was knocked down in the box Danny Roche was on to it in a flash, but he skyed his effort on goal.

Kerry went ahead in the 15th minute with an excellently executed goal. It came from a free kick out on the left wing by Ryan Downey and when the ball came in to the box a crafty step over the ball by Peter McCarthy deceived the Limerick defence and Danny Roche ghosted in at the far post and lashed the ball to the net from close range.

Limerick had the ball in the net in the 27th minute but it was ruled out for offside. Then Kerry goalie Brian O’Connor was called into action and he made a great save to deny Darragh Rainsford.

Kerry should have doubled their led in the 39th minute when Danny Roche played in Peter McCarthy one-on-one with the Limerick goalie, but he made himself big and made a great block.

Limerick had a good chance just before the break when they got a free kick just on the verge of the box. It was well struck by Shane Clarke, but it was just outside the post. Limerick moved up a gear in the second half and began to test the Kerry rearguard.

There was an intriguing battle between Kerry’s Aidan O’callaghan and Limerick’s Irish Junior International Shane Clarke and, even though Clarke got a goal, O’Callaghan held him well during the game.

The Kerry custodian was called into action early in the second half and he made a good save to deny Keith Mawdsley while Aidan O’Callaghan denied the same player two minutes later with a superb tackle.

The game was all square just past the hour mark when Limerick hit on the break and when the ball was knocked down in the box a shot from Kieran O’Connell was parried by the Kerry keeper, but deadly sharp shooter Shane Clarke was on to the ball quickly and buried it in the back of the net in a crowded Kerry goalmouth.

Now both sides were using their benches and the changes Kerry made were working very well. A foul on sub Matt Keane just outside the box gave Kerry a good chance but Peter McCarthy’s well-struck free just skimmed the crossbar.

Limerick had a good chance to go ahead shortly afterwards when Shane Clarke unhinged the Kerry defence with an audacious back heel which gave Kieran O’Connell a great chance but he volleyed over the top from five yards.

Kerry then hit on the counter attack and a fizzzing shot from 25 yards by sub Con Barrett was barely over the top. Right at the very end Limerick got a free kick in a very good position but Shane Clarke put it wide.

With the sides deadlock after 90 minutes it progressed to extra time. Both sides had a scoring chance in the first period of extra time with Kieran O’Connell hitting the side netting for Limerick while Aidan O’Callaghan headed narrowly wide from a Ryan Downey cross.

It was just going through the motions in the second period of extra time as both sides had resigned themselves to a penalty shoot-out. Kerry kicked off the penalty shoot out with Peter McCarthy scoring the first penalty.

Then up came Shane Clarke for Limerick and his shot was brilliantly saved by Kerry goalie Brian O’Connor. Ryan Downey took the second Kerry penalty, but put it wide.

Steve McGann took Limerick’s second penalty and again it was brilliantly saved by the Kerry keeper. Cathal O’Shea then scored for Kerry while Thomas Clarke scored for Limerick. Con Barrett scored Kerry’s fourth penalty while Dermot Fitzgerald scored for Limerick.

Jason Hickson then had the chance to win the game for Kerry, but his shot was saved while Darragh Rainsford scored for Limerick to leave it 3-3 after five penalties.

It then went to sudden death and when Matt Keane scored for Kerry, Shane Walsh had to score for Limerick but his shot was superbly saved by Brian O’Connor and Kerry progress to the last 16 in the competition in most dramatic fashion.

It was a very good all round display by Kerry and if they can keep this type of momentum going they could go a long way in the national competition. One of the most pleasing aspects of the game was the big impact the subs that were introduced had on the game.

KERRY: Brian O’Connor (Dingle), Jason Hickson (Dingle), Aidan O’Callaghan (Castleisland), Sean Foley (Fenit Samphires), Sean Cournane (Killarney Athletic; Cathal O’Shea, 67 mins), Ryan Downey (Fenit Samphires), Gary Keane (Killarney Celtic; Matt Keane, 59 mins), James Sugrue (Tralee Celtic; Con Barrett, 83 mins), Wayne Sparling (Killarney Celtic; Ashey Kelliher, 94 min), Peter McCarthy (Killarney Celtic), Danny Roche (Killarney Celtc; Lorcan Seymour, 89 mins)

LIMERICK: John Mulready, Jason Hughes (Danny O’Neill, 105 mins), Edward O’Donovan, Thomas Clarke, Dermot Fitzgerald, Kieran O’Connell (Shane Walsh, 88 mins), Darragh Rainsford, Steve McGann, Shane Clarke, Keith Mawdsley (Evan Petterson, 99 mins), Colin Daly

REFEREE: Adrian Quirke