Gutsy Kerry are relegated after valiant draw against Down

NATIONAL CAMOGIE LEAGUE DIVISION 1B

Kerry 2-8 Down 0-14

JIMMY DARCY Mountcollins

SO near... and yet so very far away. Kerry put up a truly magnificent battle in their final game of their inaugural Division 1B campaign and picked up their first league point with a fully deserved draw against Down, but that just wasn’t enough to save them from the drop back into Division 2A.

In what was essentially a relegation play-off game at Mountcollins just beyond the border into Limerick, Kerry and Down faced each other in a winner-takes-all game insofar as Division 1B safety or otherwise was concerned.

Neither team had won a league point from their previous four matches, so a win for either county in this fixture would keep the victor in Division 1B and send the other to the division below.

However, Down travelled south with a slightly better scoring difference, which meant a draw would suffice for them, and so it transpired that stalemate and a share of the two points on offer was enough – just – to keep the Mourne women up and send Kerry down.

Down drew first blood, the highly influential Dearbhla Magee bursting forward from centre back and laying off to Saoirse Sands for a free neatly slotted over by Ciara Fitzsimmons. Ellen O’Donoghue replied in kind with a long distance beauty won by Caoimhe Spillane, Kerry’s best player on a day when they had many of them, but Fitzsimmons added another free after Sands once again drew a foul.

In the sixth minute Kerry were desperately unlucky when Norette Casey played Laura Collins in, but she just couldn’t quite control it with just the keeper to beat. In the 12th minute Kate Lynch slotted the first point from play after good work by Ruth O’Connor but Neisha McCullogh gathered from Sands to keep her team in front.

Down hit a purple patch at this stage, reeling off points through Fitzsimmons, Sands, Grace Cunningham and Ciara Cowan. At 0-7 to 0-2, things looked bleak for Kerry at that stage.

However, the response was impressive. Kate Lynch won a free slotted over by Ellen O’Donoghue.

In the 24th minute O’Donoghue launched another long range monster free, only for a defender to rise high and bat the ball down to prevent a point, but an alert Emma Conway was perfectly positioned to pounce on the rebound and drive it home, 0-7 to 1-3.

Fitzsimmons added another Down free but Caoimhe Spillane split the posts after good work by Ann-Marie Leen . Kerry’s defence, especially Rachel McCarthy and Sara Murphy, were superbly rejecting Down advances at this stage and a foul on Emma Conway saw Ellen O’Donoghue close out the first half scoring and leave it all square at the break, Kerry 1-5 Down 0-8.

Roisín Quinn found Spillane for a superb score on the restart and Kerry were in front. Fitzsimmons replied with another long range free, though, and Ceallaigh Byrne nudged her side in front. Niamh McGrath and Fitzsimmons, from play this time, stretched the lead out to a goal.

Kerry had the bit between their teeth, though. A great run by Rachel McCarthy saw Norette Casey unleash a thunderbolt that the keeper could only parry, but once again Kerry were faster to the rebound and Spillane coolly drilled home. 1-9 to 0-12.

Substitute Aoife McDowell nudged her team back in front. A foul on Spillane after some great Kerry play saw Ellen O’Donoghue equalise and Kate Lynch, another to really shine on the day, to nudge Kerry in front with minutes left. Kerry, who were behind on overall scoring difference, had to win here to avoid relegation, but a foul on Grace Cunningham gave the ever-reliable Fitzsimmons to fire over a leveller.

Kerry pressed very hard all the way to the finish line, but just couldn’t muster the point they so badly needed and, arguably, deserved, and it was Down who retained their Division 1 berth while Kerry make the drop back down after just one year in the higher echelons.

Neverthelss, judging by the quality of this display, Kerry have very little to fear in the Munster Intermediate Championship or subsequent All-Ireland Championship.

The result may have been disappointing, but the quality of their gallant display at an immaculate Mountcollins venue will linger long in the memory.

KERRY: Aoife Fitzgerald, Sarah Walsh, Rachel McCarthy, Ciara O’Sullivan, Roisín Quinn, Sara Murphy 0-1 (1f), Áine O’Connor, Ruth O’Connor, Ellen O’Donoghue 0-3 (3f), Ann-Marie Leen, Kate Lynch (0-2), Caoimhe Spillane (1-2), Norette Casey, Laura Collins, Emma Conway (1-0). Subs: Clodagh Walsh for Roisín Quinn (40),

Niamh Quinn for Norette Casey (51), Amy O’Sullivan for Emma Conway (51), Ciara Moloney for Ann-Marie Leen (57)

DOWN: Aoife Sherry, Isabelle O’Hare, Beth Fitzpatrick, Emily Fitzpatrick, Orlaith McCysker, Dearbhla Magee, Rhea Smyth, Ceallaigh Byrne (0-1), Ciara Cowan (0-1), Ciara Fitzsimmons 0-6 (5f), Sophie McGrath, Saoirse Sands (0-2), Niamh McGrath (0-1), Neisha McCullogh (0-1), Grace Cunningham (0-1). Subs: Aoife McDowell (0-1) for Ciara Cowan (44), Katie Morgan for Rhea Smyth (61)

REFEREE: Karol Collins (Galway)