Kerry fail to spark as Dublin and Con O’Callaghan light up one-sided contest

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1

Dublin 3-18 Kerry 1-14

DAVID Clifford remains the Footballer of the Year, but Con O’Callaghan was the footballer of the night, as his hat trick of goals ensured a smooth evening for the All-Ireland champions against a Kerry team that Jack O’Connor said more than once, post-match, had malfunctioned.

In another era Kerry might have been described as startled earwigs, but suffice to say that here, at a dry but chilly Croke Park, they simply never got to grips with a Dublin team that started really brightly and were full of energy and menace right through the first half, with a brace of O’Callaghan goals helping them to a nine-point half time lead.

Though the Dubs’ performance levels dipped in the third quarter – and some kudos to Kerry for taking the fight to them at the start of the second half – there was no denying Dessie Farrell’s men who will go to the division leaders, Derry, next week full of confidence.

For Kerry, a quick and serious regrouping is needed ahead of Tyrone’s visit to Killarney next Sunday, with the Ulster men heading south invigorated by an important win over Mayo in Omagh earlier on Saturday evening.

Nineteen minutes into the game, the black night over Croke Park lit up with two fireworks that sizzled into the Dublin sky. David Clifford had just fired a free kick wide, which the Hill was more than happy to remind him of, and Dublin were already eight points ahead.

It was probably more a case of a short-circuit in the electrics but it felt as if someone was already celebrating another Dublin win over Kerry, seven months after their All-Ireland final victory over the Kingdom.

Though Dublin led by nine points at half time, helped by two Con O’Callaghan goals, a storming third quarter from Kerry had the margin down to three points and Dublin looking less than assured.

But just as quickly as Kerry had closed that gap, Dublin opened up again, where five ahead when O’Callaghan completed his hat trick to make it 3-16 to 1-14, and Dublin eased to their second win of the campaign to move alongside Kerry and Mayo on four points.

It’s always assumed that Kerry love playing Dublin in Croke Park, but maybe not so much in the League: one has to go back seven meetings now, and to 2012, for Kerry’s last League win over the Dubs in GAA headquarters, and this one ranks among the most stinging of those recent defeats.

Quite what it all means ahead of a possible Championship meeting down the line, or, indeed, what it will mean in the final shakedown of Division One remains to be seen, but for now Jack O’Connor’s brow will be considerably more creased than Dessie Farrell’s.

Dublin were ahead inside a minute, winning the throw-in and patiently moving the ball around until Sean Bugler converted. Ross McGarry doubled their lead, Sean O’Shea pulled one back for Kerry, but the terms of engagement were truly laid down in the fifth minute when Brian Fenton slipped O’Callaghan through at the Davin End and the latter coolly rounded Shane Ryan and sent Dublin 1-2 to 0-1 ahead.

Kerry rallied, with David Clifford winning a free for O’Shea to convert, and then Paudie Clifford playing brother David through, but with a goal on his mind he blasted over the bar.

O’Callaghan converted a free, Dylan Geaney’s point kept Kerry in touch, and Paddy Small floated over another to make it 1-4 to 0-4, but Dublin were looking dangerous every time they attacked.

Fourteen minutes in and Dylan Geaney pulled Paddy Small down on the edge of the square, Conor Lane awarding a penalty after some help from his umpires, and O’Callaghan drilling the spot kick high past Ryan for his second goal.

That six-point lead was quickly eight, Ciaran Kilkenny and O’Callaghan scoring to make it 2-6 to 0-4, with Kerry second best in almost every area of the pitch.

O’Callaghan almost grabbed his hat trick in the 17th minute but for a reflex save from Ryan after Lee Gannon had set up the Cuala man in the square, but someone clearly believed it was a fait accompli for Dublin with those two rogue fireworks going off behind the Hill and over the Hogan Stand.

David Clifford cut inside but drove his shot just wide of David O’Hanlon’s near post, and already it felt like one of those nights for the Kingdom.

Dublin’s first wide came in the 28th minute from O’Hanlon’s long range free but the home side led 2-11 to 0-8 at half time and were full value for it.

Two early frees from Sean O’Shea and a brilliantly taken Joe O’Connor goal in the 43rd minute gave Kerry hope, and when O’Shea converted a ‘45’ in the 50th minute the lead was down to three, 2-13 to 1-13.

But Dublin weren’t for catching. Lee Gannon and O’Callaghan extended their lead and O’Callaghan franked the win with his third goal, coolly rolled low past Ryan in the 63rd minute.

If the first half fireworks proved a little premature, in every sense, there was no denying Dublin by game’s end, with O’Callaghan the stand-out cracker in Dublin’s arsenal.

DUBLIN: David O’Hanlon; Sean MacMahon, Theo Clancy, Eoin Murchan; Cian Murphy, John Small, Lee Gannon 0-1; Brian Fenton 0-1, Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne; Ross McGarry 0-1, Sean Bugler 0-3, Ciaran Kilkenny 0-3 (1m); Paddy Small 0-3, Con O’Callaghan 3-4 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), Niall Scully 0-1 Subs: Tom Lahiff 0-1 (m) for Ó Cofaigh Byrne (46), Brian Howard for MacMahon (53), Lorcan O’Dell for McGarry (57), Greg McEneaney for Murchan (59), Daire Newcombe for J Small (temp, 70-ft), Killian McGinnis for T Clancy (71)

KERRY: Shane Ryan, Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley 0-1, Dylan Casey, Damien Bourke, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White 0-1, Diarmuid O’Connor, Joe O’Connor 1-1, Paudie Clifford, Dylan Geaney 0-1, Cillian Burke 0-1, David Clifford 0-3 (1m), Seán O’Shea 0-6 (2f, 1 ‘45’), Dara Moynihan Subs: Paul Murphy for D Bourke (ht), Tony Brosnan for D Geaney (50), Keith Evans for Burke (57), Barry ‘Dan’ O’Sullivan for J O’Connor (59), Sean O’Brien for D Moynihan (64).

REFEREE: Conor Lane (Cork)

Jack Barry might be gone but not forgotten… but he is still gone

IT seems as if Jack Barry is becoming a better footballer with every passing game in this National League – or certainly a much more appreciated one – even though he is on the other side of the world. That was definitely the sense in some of the post-match comments, as the Na Gaeil man was sorely missed by many, which would probably include his team mates.

Of course, it is unlikely Barry (or Tom O’Sullivan for that matter) would have managed to reverse Saturday’s result, or, indeed, if the departed Barry would have helped reduce the margin of defeat. After all, as Jack O’Connor suggested, this was a malfunction on a grand scale.

Barry has had his good days on Brian Fenton, more so in the League than the Championship it must be said, but one wonders just how much he would have nullified the Raheny man at the weekend, given how awesome the Dublin midfielder was. It’s a moot question, of course, and it’s probably unhelpful to Kerry’s midfield incumbents and hopefuls to keep harking back to what the absent Tralee man might bring to the party. Jack Barry: not forgotten, but gone. Lack of Kerry defenders in the squad looks worrying

WHEN Tom O’Sullivan was scratched from Kerry’s match day squad because of a hamstring problem, Damien Bourke was drafted in to the starting team for his National League debut. That left just two defenders on the Kerry bench – 32-year-old Paul Murphy and Armin Heinrich who is over 10 years his junior and hugely inexperienced at this level.

Of course, management’s hand is forced somewhat in that O’Sullivan was joining Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Mike Breen on the treatment table, but even so. Against Derry, Kerry had