Kerry via Galway United

They’re a really welcoming groups and they’re really sound lads. Even outside of the lads who are playing, the fans are brilliant. Now we have got our first points on the board there could be a real buzz around the place if we can get some positive results in the next while. The lads my age are all dead on, and the lads who are a small bit older have been very nice as well. They’ve all be helpful in [my] transition to life in Kerry.

“The main difference is the timings. Galway would be training in the mornings because it’s the lads’ full-time job. Down here it’s probably the same amount of training, I’d say we’d do an hour and half to two hours every session, it’s just that it’s in the evening time in Mounthawk [Park].

Having his old buddy and Galway United club mate Steven Healy in Kerry for the year helps too.

“It’s kind of a nice situation, I’ve known Steve since maybe I was 11 or 12 years of age so we’ve always played together the whole way up through the Galway academies and stuff like that. So it’s a nice relationship and I suppose you build on connections over the years and we have learned the strengths and weaknesses of each other. And maybe [I] know what he’s going to do sometimes or [he knows] what I’m going to do. So it kind of works that way where there’s a bit of chemistry where we know each other’s game a bit and that helps, especially in midfield where you’re playing alongside each other,” McCarthy says.

“Games are what you want to be doing and playing in. They’re the biggest learning factor overall so in terms of getting experience every game is a different game. Nearly every team underage tries to pass the ball whereas now you have physical teams, you have teams that are direct, teams that play possession, so you’re just getting used to different systems.

“It’s down to a lot of credit to Macca [McCarthy] and Shookie [Sugrue] because they plan the sessions, they look at the other teams and analyse the teams so it’s about adapting to other teams’ formations and styles of play, and getting ourselves right and getting our own game up to speed and once we do that I think we’ll do well. That’s kind of the main hurdle for me anyway.”

Another taste of European football might be out of reach for the time being, but McCarthy is ambitious and is excited about what he and Kerry FC can achieve in 2024.

“It is a very good standard down here. A lot of the players there are playing and working but could be playing Premier Division football if they put their full focus on it. I think there is a lot of good players in the [First] division. I think this year could be a good year for us, personally anyway, if we keep going the way we are going. I know we got points on the board the last day so I think if we keep playing the way we can and play to our potential I think we will

KERRY FC are up and running with their first league point of the season after Daniel Okwute’s brilliant early second half goal earned a draw for the visitors against Athlone Town Stadium on a cold and windy Friday night at the venue of Kerry’s only league win – home or away – last season.

Kerry came into this fixture five days after their excellent Munster Senior Cup win against First Division leaders Treaty United – albeit a second-string Limerick side – but they nevertheless travelled to the midlands in confident mood, and were looking good for their first win in the league until Athlone equalised in the 60th minute.

Last May Kerry got their first and only win in their maiden League of Ireland season against Athlone in this very ground and they came close to repeating history at a ground they seem to like playing at. But as the game entered its final half an hour, and Kerry maybe starting to entertain thoughts of the victory, Athlone’s centre half Dylan Hand popped up to get a touch to Amardo Akeem Oakley’s corner to spoil Kerry’s night.

Athlone came into the contest with a fair degree of confidence too, and although they lost their last fixture they had picked up four points out of a possible nine.

For all that pre-game confidence on either side, this game was a big disappointment overall. The first half was devoid of action though it did improve somewhat in the second half, helped no end by Okwute’s wonderful goal early in the second period.

Oakley was lively on the right flank for the home side, and his overlapping runs down the right forced the first corner of the game for Athlone but that was as good as it got for them.

Besides the odd flurry of passes and shots from distance, Kerry didn’t threaten the Athlone Town goal much either, but they showed plenty of spirit, but the first period sent the teams back to the dressing rooms scoreless at half-time.

After the resumption Kerry were the better side. Immediately after the turnover Kerry threatened the Athlone goal. Sean McGrath was busy, Stephen Healy had a shot from distance and their front two, Okwute and Kelleher, grew into the game.

The visitors had the quicker start to the second half, and they also had the better moments in the third quarter, with Okwute posing a strong threat up front for Kerry. He was inventive and always willing to have a go at the target and it as his shot that forced their first corner in the 50th minute. That should have been a warning for the hosts. He was involved again moments later, this time combining with fellow striker Ryan Kelleher to force their second corner.