Kerry hurlers all but out of the reckoning after falling to seven-point defeat to Kildare
ALLIANZ NHL DIVISION 2A
Kildare 1-21 Kerry 1-14
A VITAL game, nay a must-win game and Kerry didn’t win it.
What’s more they never much looked like winning it. Indeed, the Kingdom never once led this game, the closest they got was drawing level a couple of times in the first half.
In the second half Kildare upped it to a level the Kingdom simply couldn’t match, leaving them very much in their wake. Particularly in the wake of a penalty goal scored by keeper Paddy McKenna five minutes after the restart.
With that the Lilywhites played with a renewed confidence. Kerry battled to the end, Fionán Mackessy moving to a more forward role having manned the full-back role up to then providing some additional impetus, but the gulf in class was evident.
Don’t get us wrong Stephen Molumphy’s men didn’t play poorly necessarily. They were simply overpowered by the Lilywhites, who had that capacity to tack on scores seemingly at will down the back-straight.
The hurling on display was enjoyable enough in the first half, without ever really scaling the heights. Sure there was the odd hit-and-hope ball into either full-forward line, frustrating both sets of supporters, for the most part, though, it was nice stuff.
Simon Leacy sweeping up brilliantly for his side, a combination of Fionán Mackessy and Dáithí Griffin for the Kingdom. In between the likes of Rian Boran and David Woulfe showed nice touches and decent vision to set moves in train.
Some of the finishing too was pretty tasty too – Cian Boran for Kildare and Dan Goggin for the Kingdom with stand-out scores. The Lilywhites, though, will be disappointed not to have hit the onion sack in the first half, failing to take advantage of two decent chances, both for Boran.
The corner-forward’s first effort coming inside the opening couple of minutes, Louis Dee with a top-notch save for the green and gold in a bitterly cold Hawkfield.
The opening ten minutes were fairly tit-for-tat, threetwo in Kildare’s favour seven minutes in and five apiece after quarter of an hour in the wake of a couple of points from Dan Goggin and Maurice O’Connor (a free).
Kildare, more acquainted with the swirling breeze in the centre of excellent, then hit something of a purple patch to shoot four on the spin – James Burke and Boran doing the needful – to make it 0-9 to 0-5 with 27 minutes on the clock.
During that spell Boran had his second chance, but it was a low percentage effort and, again, Dee dealt with it expertly. Kerry kicked on with points form O’Connor and a screamer by Kyle O’Connor to get back into striking distance.
Still heading towards half-time Kildare looked deserving of a three-point advantage – 0-10 to 0-7. The Kingdom, however, had other ideas. The impressive Griffin finding O’Connor with a raking long-distance ball.
The Kilmoyley man cutting in from wide right, striking off his right across the keeper. Level, ever so slightly against the run of play, 0-10 to 1-7. Kildare had one final flourish at the end of the half, James Burke firing over his first from play to give his men a slender advantage, 0-11 to 1-7.
Any questions as to whether Kerry had the home side rattled, or to whether a slight breeze (which always felt more cross-field than decisive) might have an effect were soon answered.
Swapped points for Jack Higgins and Michael Leane got the half up and running before Kildare assumed near total control for a spell, starting with that penalty goal for McKenna in the wake of Mackessy fouling Burke for an obvious penalty.
The Lilywhites tacked on another three unanswered and with a little over twenty minutes to go there was seven between the sides, 1-15 to 1-8. Kerry head didn’t, to be fair, drop and with a pair of points from Gavin Dooley (a half-time sub) and O’Connor rallied a little.
What Kerry needed to stand any chance of getting back into the contest was a goal and they did go close on occasion. Mackessy with a one-handed effort on 55 minutes forcing a save from McKenna in the Kildare goalmouth.
The Kingdom’s next best chance came on 61 minutes when Dan Goggin forced a ‘65 with a shot that many in the stand were convinced had hit the back of the net, rather than the side-netting.
Still, though, as we say each and every time the green and gold edged a little closer, the locals, with David Qualter in sensational form from the placed ball, found their range.
Shooting the last three scores of the game – points from Qualter and impressive sub Declan Flaherty – they ran out seven-point victors. Deservedly so you’d have to say. No complaints certainly from the Kingdom who lost Dan Goggin to a straight red card on 69 minutes.
In all likelihood this result means that Kerry’s hopes of reaching a semi-final in the competition have passed them by. Given the level of absentees they’ve had to deal with – Niall Mulcahy and Shane Conway out injured for this game – that was probably to be expected this term.
A team in transition, that very much had the look of a team in transition in the Kildare centre of excellence.
KERRY: Louis Dee, Eric Leen, Evan Murphy, Kyle O’Connor (0-1), Tomás O’Connor, Darragh Shanahan, Dáithí Griffin, Fionán Mackessy (02, 1f), Ronán Walsh, David Woulfe, Tom Doyle, Killian Hayes (0-1), Dan Goggin (0-1), Michael Leane (0-1), Maurice O’Connor (1-7, 4f, 1 ‘65) Subs: Gavin Dooley (0-1) for R Walsh, half-time, Niall O’Mahony for T O’Connor, 63, Flor McCarthy for N O’Mahony (inj), 68, Morgan Madden for T Doyle, 70, Darragh Reen for M Leane, 70(+1) HIA: Flor McCarthy for E Leen, 25-28
KILDARE: Paddy McKenna (1-1, 1 pen, 1f), Cian Shanahan, Seán Christanseen, Harry Carroll, Simon Leacy (0-1), Conan Boran, Rian Boran, Cathal McCabe, Dáire Guerin, David Qualter (0-9, 7f, 1 ‘65), Jack Higgins (0-1), Paul Dolan, Muirís Curtin (0-1), Jason Burke (0-3, 1f), Cian Boran (0-3)