Keating can’t convert as Limerick let history slip

Kerry 1-10 Limerick 1-10

First there were the frees not scored. With five minutes left in normal time, Limerick won one near the right side-line, 40 yards out from the Kerry goal. Stephen Kelly struck the ball superbly and it looked likely to drop over before Darragh Ó Sé produced a mighty leap and fetch to save Kerry.

It was the beginning of an agonising sequence for Limerick fans as the teams remained level through a scoreless seven minutes of normal time and eight of injury-time.

The central figure in this drama was Limerick forward Eoin Keating, who faced up to three frees, all in the range between 55 and 65 yards. Keating had been striking the ball well, but these distances are just outside the normal ambit of even the best free-taker. To score from there would have required an exceptional kick, one which would have given Limerick its first Munster title since 1897. With a minute of normal time left came Keating’s first attempt, a mighty strike from 65 yards. It was hit superbly, it was straight, it kept on going. Yes, yes, no. Ó Sé once more rose magnificently to pluck the ball down.

Three minutes later came a second chance for Keating. This time he had the distance but the ball veered off wide. And just one minute later came Keating’s final chance. Another superb shot but, astoundingly, another great catch by Ó Sé.

While you had to feel for Keating, who could have been a hero for life if the frees had been even five yards closer to goal, there was much to admire in those three crucial interventions by Ó Sé. One minute loss of concentration, the slightest mis-timing of his jump and he could have fumbled the ball over for a point. It was an object lesson in taking responsibility. Let off the hook, Kerry went searching for a late winner and in the eighth minute of injury time, sub Tommy Griffin was clearly fouled 30 yards from goal. It seemed an open and shut decision but referee Gerry Kinneavy either bottled it or failed to see the foul. When the final whistle blew, Kerry manager Jack O’Connor went bald-headed towards Mr Kinneavy as though the ref was on fire and the Kerry boss had a bucket of water to put him out.

It seemed rough that the referee should bear the brunt of the manager’s ire on a day when there was much for the Munster champions to be disappointed about. The Kingdom never hit its stride, meaning this was the big opportunity Limerick have been looking forward to for the last three years. On several occasions one more push, one more score might have got them home. It is hard to escape the conclusion that they missed their chance.

It had all looked pretty routine for Kerry when they scored a typical goal after nine minutes. Liam Hassett intercepted a Stephen Lucey pass and put Colm Cooper away. The Dr Crokes man tore through the cover and found Mike Frank Russell, who smacked a shot past Seamus O’Donnell. A Russell point two minutes later left 1-1 to 0-2 up and apparently set for an easy afternoon.

But for the next 15 minutes, Limerick played perhaps their best football of the Kearns era, scoring 1-4 without reply and making the most ardent skeptic believe that history was about to be made.

Three pointed frees by Muiris Gavin were interrupted by a superb Conor Fitzgerald score and in the 24th minute, Limerick’s day reached its apogee. John Galvin, switched to full-forward, won a long ball superbly and played it into the path of adventurous wing-back Stephen Lavin. Lavin advanced on goal and slid the ball under Diarmuid Murphy with all the sang-froid of a man kicking football on a beach with his kids. 1-6 to 1-1 up, Limerick looked on the road to glory.

Kerry did steady the ship before the break, pulling back to 1-7 to 1-4 down at half-time. But they continued to look off-colour in the second half, as attacks foundered on a superb Limerick defensive unit, inspired by brilliant wing-back Conor Mullane and commanding full-back Johnny McCarthy.

The only problem was that, Conor Fitzgerald aside, Limerick looked short of quality in attack as Stephen Kelly was well marshalled by a Kerry defence where Michael McCarthy was outstanding. Slowly, Kerry began to grind out the scores. The pick of them was a magnificent point 13 minutes into the half after Eoin Brosnan had soloed half the length of the field before getting in his shot.

It wasn’t until 10 minutes from the end that Kerry leveled with a Russell free, but Limerick replied immediately with a great 40-yards point from the battling Jason Stokes. Three minutes later, Brosnan, excellent when moved to midfield, was fouled and Russell equalised with a free. It was time for the agony of Keating and the apotheosis of Darragh Ó Sé.

Scorers: Limerick - M. Gavin 0-4 (frees), S. Lavin 1-0, E. Keating 0-2 (frees), C. Fitzgerald 0-2, C. Mullane, J. Stokes 0-1 each.

Kerry - M. F. Russell 1-4 (0-4 frees), D. Ó Cinnéide 0-3 (frees), C. Cooper 0-2, E. Brosnan 0-1.

LIMERICK: S. O’Donnell; M. O’Riordan, J. McCarthy, T. Stack; C. Mullane, S. Lucey, S. Lavin; J. Quane, J. Galvin; E. Keating, M. Gavin, J. Stokes; C. Fitzgerald, S. Kelly, M. O’Brien. Subs: J. Murphy for Gavin, M. Reidy for Murphy (blood sub), D. Reidy for Lavin.

KERRY: D. Murphy; T. O’Sullivan, M. McCarthy, A. O’Mahony; T. Ó Sé, E. Fitzmaurice, M. Ó Sé; D. Ó Sé, W. Kirby; L. Hassett, E. Brosnan, P. Galvin; C. Cooper, D. Ó Cinnéide, M.F. Russell. Subs: T. Griffin for Kirby, J. Crowley for Ó Cinnéide, J. Sheehan for Fitzmaurice.

Referee: G. Kinneavy (Roscommon).