Early goals see Kingdom beat battling Tipp
GAA: Munster Under 17 Football Championship Semi-Final
Kerry 3-11
Tipperary 1-6
By Murt Murphy in Austin Stack Park, Tralee
Two goals in space of sixty seconds in the opening five minutes had Kerry in pole position in this Munster U-17 Football Championship semi-final against a gusty Tipperary side last Tuesday evening.
However the scoreline does not reflect the efforts of this Tipperary side who had ten of minor side who lost the previous week to Clare on duty and but for the vigilance of an excellent Kerry defence, the outcome would have been much tighter.
While Kerry deserved their win, Tipperary put it up to this fancied Kingdom side for long periods and if they had not leaked those early goals and taken some of their own goal chances, then this game would have been in the balance in the final ten minutes.
But Kerry got the start that Tipperary needed when Barry Keane and Michael Slattery goaled in the fifth & sixth minutes. Tipperary were struggling to score and only managed two Shane Doyle frees as Kerry led 2-4 to 0-2 at the interval with points from Donal O’Sullivan ( 2) and one each from Barry Keane and Dara Casey but they also kicked seven wides.
Tipperary, with Manus McFadden and the red haired dynamo Eanna McBride running at Kerry, created two excellent goal chances. Firstly in the 19th minute when Rian Quigley and Shane Doyle combined to set up Ian Holloway but his shot was taken off the line by Fergal Barry (brother of Jack). Then two minutes later Cian O’Sullivan sent in a great ball over the Kerry cover which Adam McGrath grabbed but he shot across the keeper and inches wide of the far post.
Kerry remained in control in the second half adding a succession of points with a Donal O’Sullivan effort after an eighty metre run and another superb point from centre back Eddie Horan being the highlights.
Tipperary had two goal chances in each half with the best being when Kerry corner back Gearoid Lyne took the ball off the line from a shot by John Ryan before Michael Slattery scored his second and Kerry’s third in the 58th minute, and Sean Doherty added a late point to turn a seven point lead into a double digit one.
Eddie Horan marshalled a very solid Kerry defence, while Sean O’Connell, Franz Sauerland, Donal O’Sullivan and Michael Slattery were best for Kerry.
Tipperary had very lively performances from Manus McFadden, Stephen Grogan, Diarmuid Mulcahy, Eanna McBride, Mark Stokes and Rian Quigley but they lacked firepower up front and in the final analysis, this cost them.
MATCH DIGEST
Scorers - Kerry: Michael Slattery 2-0; Donal O’Sullivan 0-4 (1 free); Barry Keane 1-1; Eddie Horan, Sean O’Connell, Dara Casey, Michael Kelleher, Sean Keane, Sean Doherty 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Shane Doyle 0-3 frees; Adam McGrath 1-0; Diarmuid Mulcahy, Mark Stokes, Rian Quigley 0-1 each.
Kerry: Devidas Uosis; Gearóid Lyne, Dylan Casey, Fergal Barry; Luka Brosnan, Eddie Horan, Thomas Devane; Seán O’Connell, Franz Sauerland; Dara Casey, Donal O’Sullivan, Michael Kelleher; Barry Keane, Michael Slattery, Seán Keane.
Subs: Muiris Fitzgerald for D Casey (40); Dáire Cleary for B Keane (46); Micheál Devlin for S Keane (50); Seán Doherty for Kelliher (58); Donagh McMahon for Horan (59); David Shanahan for Brosnan ( 60),
Tipperary: Cian Quinn (Kilsheelan/Kilcash); Manus McFadden (Grangemockler/Ballyneale), Stephen Grogan (Cahir), Diarmuid Mulcahy (Moyle Rovers); John Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla), Paul Devlin (Eire Og Annacarty), Eanna McBride (JK Brackens); Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Darragh O’Leary (Ardfinnan), Shane Doyle (JK Brackens), Rian Quigley (Moyle Rovers), Ian Holloway (Carrick Swans); Adam McGrath (Galtee Rovers), Cian O’Sullivan (Clonmel Og), Darragh Tynan (Inane Rovers).
Subs: Conor Ryan (Loughmore/Castleiney) for Holloway (HT), Ben Owens (Moyle Rovers) for Devlin (58), Sean Murphy (Cahir) for Tynan (45), Jack Connolly (Carrick Swans) for Doyle (52), Michael Egan (JK Brackens) for Ryan (60), Aidan Keane (Carrick Swans) for McFadden (60)
Referee: Alan Long (Cork)