The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Ladies fall to on song Galway side
LIDL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1 ROUND 4 Galway 1-14 Kerry 1-6
KERRY were comprehensively beaten by a much slicker Galway outfit in at Fitzgerald Stadium last Sunday. It was Kerry’s second defeat on the bounce after their defeat away to Monaghan the previous week, and the manner of their overall display will be a major worry to Graham Shine and his management team.
It was a game that Kerry never looked like winning, and with their midfield struggling and attack playing deeply, they found scores very hard to come by. Galway dominated for most of the game but for the final quarter when Kerry scored 1-3 without reply. At that stage it was too late however, as Galway had built up enough of a lead to see out the contest as 8 point winners.
The encounter was even enough in the early stages with Galway taking a 0-3 to 0-1 lead with 10 minutes gone. Sarah Conneally, Aine McDonagh and a Tracey Leonard free kick punished the Kerry rearguard to the full, with Sarah Houlihan replying from a free kick for Kerry. The home side were struggling with their re-starts, and the ravenous Galway forward line made full use of Kerry’s inefficiency.
With Lisa Cannon and Siobhan Divilly doing trojan work in the middle of the field, and Ailbhe Davoren running at the Kerry defence, the Galway girls slotted over a goal and seven points in the remaining 15 minutes of the half to effectively finish the Kerry challenge.
The overworked Kerry defence, with Deirdre Kearney and Aisling O’Connell especially prominent, showed admirable resistance, but turnovers would cost the Kerry rearguard all through.
Some of the Galway scoring was of the top drawer variety, with the livewire Davoren slotting over a peach of a point in the 23rd minute after another searing run through the middle of the Kerry defence. The Galway goal came 3 minutes later after an interchange of passes saw Lisa Cannon feed corner forward Leanne Cohen, who made no mistake to rifle the ball to the top corner of Kerry net minder Laura Fitzgerald’s net.
McDonagh, Tracey Leonard (free), and Coen added further points as Galway attacked in waves. Kerry did try to make some inroads at the Galway rearguard, but their deep lying attack was frequently turned over. From one such turnover, Kerry were fortunate when Sarah Conneally saw her punched effort from a Tracey Leonard assist went just wide.
Galway attacked once more, and in added time at the end of the first half Conneally scored the point of the game when she struck over from an acute angle from way out on the stand side. Houlihan did add a point from another free, but Galway took a healthy 1-10 to 0-2 lead in at the break.
The game ebbed and flowed for the first few minutes of the second period before the sides swapped points through frees from the accurate Leonard and Sarah Houlihan for Kerry. Galway settled once more and added a brace of points from Leanne Cohen and a Tracey Leonard free kick. Both sides rang the changes from the bench as the game entered the final quarter.
Kerry struck for a goal after Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh fed substitute Eilish O’Callaghan to hit the back of the net with her first touch of the ball. Straight afterwards another Kerry substitute, Andrea Murphy, popped over a point, and an unlikely Kerry comeback looked possible. Ni Mhuircheartaigh was foraging deep for the ball , and her battle with Galway centre half back Nicole Ward was proving to be one of the highlights of the day.
Kerry were now very much on top, but with Galway piling players behind the ball, all they could add was two points from Houlihan before time was called on proceedings.
KERRY: Laura Fitzgerald, Kate O’Sullivan, Deirdre Kearney, Aisling O Connell, Eilish Lynch,Ciara Murphy, Sarah Murphy, Lorraine Scanlon Eilish O’Leary, Emma Dineen, Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh, Amanda Brosnan, Sarah Houlihan (0-5, 1f), Brid Ryan, Deirdre Geaney. Subs: Amy Foley for E Dineen (19 min), Andrea Murphy (0-1) for D Geaney (44), Laoise Coughlan for Eilish Lynch (47), Eilish O’Callaghan (1-0) for B Ryan (51), Siobhan Goodwin for K O’Sullivan (56).
GALWAY: Lisa Murphy, Fabienne Cooney, Sarah Lynch, Shauna Molloy, Charlotte Cooney, Nicola Ward, Sinead Burke, Lisa Gannon, Siobhan Divilly, Ailbhe Davoren (0-2), Tracey Leonard (0-5f), Aine McDonagh (0-2), Mairead Seoighe, Sarah Conneally (0-3), Leanne Coen (1-2). Subs: Chloe Crowe for S Divilly (H/T), Deirdre Brennan for M Seoighe (H/T), Leanne Walsh for S Conneally (45), Bronagh Quinn for S Lynch (51), Noelle Connolly for S Molloy (51), Emilie Gavin for F Cooney (60), Eimear O’Kane for T Leonard (62).
REFEREE: Jason Mullins (Limerick)