The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Six in a row of Munster titles for marvellous minors
Kerry 3-21 Clare 1-7
MUCH like the senior game which followed after, 10 minutes or so into proceedings it looked like we might have something interesting on our hands.
Kerry had scored the opening two points through Jack O’Connor and Paul Walsh but following a disallowed fisted effort for the Banner County just beforehand, Clare’s Jack Regan found Thomas Kelly with a great pass for the game’s opening goal in the 11th minute.
It barely rattled Kerry however as much like their response to Cork’s goal in the depths of their Munster semi-final, Dylan Geaney levelled the scores up before the Dingle forward showed great alertness after 13 minutes.
He reacted quickest to Paul Walsh’s free coming off the post in search of a white flag and dropping into the goalmouth with his finish putting Kerry in a lead they would never surrender.
What followed was eleven consecutive Kingdom points in a period of sixteen minutes to take the life out of the contest and reiterate the march Kerry have stolen at underage level both at provincial and All-Ireland level.
Nine different
Kerry players, including all six forwards and midfielders Darragh Lyne and Darragh Rahilly along with centre-back Dan McCarthy all scored before Emmet McMahon finally raised a white flag for Clare in the 29th minute.
The Banner had asked Kerry some early physical questions but once Kerry settled there was never any doubt about another Tadhg Crowley Cup success. Walsh scored Kerry’s final first-half point as a Shane Meehan free for Clare made it 1-15 to 1-2 at half-time.
Substitute Tadgh Lillis did score the first point of the second period, but Kerry’s second goal was a repeat of their first in Geaney being vigilant to another Walsh free not exactly going the way the Brosna player might have wanted it.
This one dropped short with Geaney fisting home in the 36th minute as despite the team captain Paul O’Shea going off injured, the minors’ march to victory continued on.
Goalkeeper Marc Kelliher was asked a few questions that weren’t expected in Clare getting three opportunities at goal but each time he was equal to Mark McInerney and two efforts from Chibby Okoye in trying to register further green flags for their side.
Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaoich came off the bench to become Kerry’s 10th different score, but after being the unintended provider for the Kingdom’s first two goals, Paul Walsh scored their third approaching the final 10 minutes with Ó Beaglaoich picking him out with a fine ball. Lillis was black carded for Clare late on but the final score of the game came from Shane Meehan in the second minute of injury time.
Twenty points was a fair reflection of Kerry’s dominance in making it six straight Munster titles. Without the nerves of donning the jersey for the first time
as in the trip to Thurles or the high stakes they were playing for against Cork in the semi-final this was a side seemingly more at ease with themselves with the knowledge of an All-Ireland quarter-final tie whatever the outcome.
It wasn’t the complete display last year’s minor side pretty much managed in Fitzgerald Stadium and, while nothing fatal came from Clare getting those second-half goal chances, Peter Keane certainly will want a tighter ship at the back if Kerry are to harbour ambitions of a fifth consecutive All-Ireland minor title.
Proceedings in Connacht will concern the management in waiting to learn their next opponents while the players will probably be more concerned with the start of the County Minor Championship in the intervening period.
A 2013 first round defeat to Cork remains Kerry’s last Minor loss in Munster, whether the All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Tyrone that year remains the last defeat period, only the coming All-Ireland campaign will tell.
The promise of other years is present to possibly keep the run going though.
KERRY: Marc Kelliher (Glenflesk); Conor Flannery (Dingle), Owen Fitzgerald (Gneeveguilla), David Mangan (Laune Rangers); Colm Moriarty (Annascaul), Dan McCarthy (Kenmare Shamrocks, 0-1), Dan Murphy (Rathmore); Darragh Rahilly (do), Darragh Lyne (Killarney Legion, 0-1); Paul Walsh (1-7, 4f), Paul O’Shea (Kilcummin, 0-2), Killian Falvey (Annascaul, 0-1); Dylan Geaney (Dingle, 2-2), Jack O’Connor (Beaufort, 0-2) Michael Lenihan (Dr Crokes) Subs: Sean Quilter (Austin Stacks) for O’Shea, Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaíoch (An Gaeltacht, 0-2, 1f) for Lenihan, Jack Kennelly (Ballydonoghue) for Geaney, James McCarthy (Kenmare Shamrocks) for Fitzgerald, David Dineen (Rathmore) for Rahilly and Sean Óg
Moran (Dingle) for Mangan
CLARE: Michael Garrihy; Jack Reidy, Darragh Connelly, John Murphy; Gavin D’Auria, Cillian Rouine Adam O’Connor; Chibby Okoye, Emmet McMahon, (0-2, 1’45’); Thomas Kelly (1-0) Cian McDonagh, Joey Droney; Jack Regan, Shane Meehan (0-2, 1f), Mark McInerney (0-1, 1f) Subs: Tadhg Lillis (0-1) for Regan, Padraic O’Donoghue for Droney, Kevin Keane for McInerney, Conor Hassett (01) for D’Auria, Ryan Barry for O’Connor and Manus Doherty for Lillis (Black Card).
REFEREE: John Ryan (Cork)
bad thing ahead of what is now a ‘straight knock-out’ phase.
Having said that one should not discount goalkeeper Marc Kelliher rising to the challenge when he was called upon three times, an experience that might prove vital in more critical junctures of tighter games down the road.
Centre-back Dan McCarthy took a fairly hefty shoulder in the opening minute, but regrouped and looked the part again in much the same way he did in the semi-final with Cork while the midfield of Darragh Rahilly and Darragh Lyne did little wrong when on the pitch last Saturday.
With a 45th Munster Minor title and a 27th consecutive win for the county at this level now achieved the discussion will turn to possible All-Ireland chances. The change of age means we have no form guide to go on (as much as we ever had at Under 18 level), but Connacht opposition in the quarter-final will sharpen Peter Keane’s mind to last August in Ennis in the once-off Under 17 competition to compensate for the drop in age this year hence.
The Kingdom lost to Roscommon in the All-Ireland semi-final and, while totally different players are involved now, Keane will now well what to expect from western opposition.
If Ennis is the venue again at the end of July it will be poignant but with a Round Robin to assess possible opposition, the Minor management will not be short of briefing notes in preparing for the last eight.
The players will fill the time with County Minor Championship matters, a slight anomaly in it being still an Under 18 competition, but at this stage everyone involved knows who’s who and who is or isn’t eligible for inter-county level.
Come what may at All-Ireland level one hopes that a consensus will emerge to rid the Munster Minor Championship of the controversial format that has drawn fierce criticism in recent years.
Munster Council Chairman Jerry O’Sullivan is on record as saying a review is in the pipeline and while a full ‘Round Robin’ might not be the answer as the Kerry minor boss highlighted in his pre-match comments, let’s hope whatever is introduced doesn’t punish teams for winning as has happened in recent times.
All that aside the county’s underage structure and personnel can savour a historic achievement as further reward for all their efforts nurturing the county’s brilliant young footballers.
One hopes that a consensus will emerge to rid Munster of the controversial format that has drawn criticism