Kerry subs rub salt into Kildare wounds
Kerry were so dominant in almost every facet of this game that they wouldn’t have needed the seven second-half goals.
Indeed, it seemed Colm Cooper had granted them some clemency when he chose to fist a point in the 66th minute just as his third goal beckoned.
Darran O’Sullivan, though, wasn’t so sympathetic in injury-time and the rout was complete.
With their goal total alone, Kerry would have beaten Kildare by almost double scores, all of them coming in front of a gathering Dublin posse on Hill 16 that know the reigning champions won’t be pushed off their pedestal too easy.
How did Kildare manage a such a reversal from their eight-point win over Cork eight days ago?
Easy. Too easy, in fact. Their heads dropped 10 minutes into the second half when Cooper palmed a ball past Mark Donnellan following a smashing O’Sullivan run through the centre.
Kildare may have been spared some of their blushes if the Kerry subs weren’t so keen to make a point to Fitzmaurice. O’Sullivan made a real stake for a spot the next day while Barry John Keane was lively in James O’Donoghue’s absence.
That shoulder injury picked up by the 2014 footballer of the year in the 30th minute cast a pall over this most empathic win for Kerry but even should he, or Kieran Donaghy (groin), miss an All-Ireland semi-final, his teammates look like they have his back.
After beating Cork, Fitzmaurice said the second day out against them would benefit Kerry. He was proven correct as he was in choosing man of the match Stephen O’Brien ahead of Johnny Buckley, who he replaced in the replay.
For those involved, that dreary night in Fitzgerald Stadium was obviously beneficial but what about those who weren’t given game-time? O’Sullivan and Tommy Walsh’s contributions were a testament to their own characters as much as the competition behind Fitzgerald Stadium’s closed doors.
Fitzmaurice was understandably delighted with the input from the bench.
“That was satisfying because it is something we struggled with up to the drawn Munster final when we weren’t quite getting the impact we should have been. But since then all the subs have contributed, which is great.”
Before they ran riot on Donnellan’s goal, Kerry had looked composed in the first half, constructing a 0-10 to 0-3 lead by the break. Paul Murphy had his hands full with Niall Kelly but grew more comfortable in his brief as the game developed. That Kildare were restricted to one scoreable free for the entirety of the game was an honour to the efforts of the Kerry full-back line, in particular whose discipline was spot on for the second game running.
But arguably the most high-functioning area of the Kerry team was their midfield, where David Moran reaffirmed his position as the best midfielder in the country. An All-Star all but secure now, his reputation grows as Anthony Maher’s consistency stood out once more.
They laid much of the groundwork for O’Brien to punch wounds in the Kildare defence in the first half. The Lilywhites didn’t help their cause with Kevin Murnaghan caught in no man’s land between sweeping and keeping tabs on O’Brien. By the 26th minute, the Kenmare forward had his fourth point.
The loss of O’Donoghue hardly arrested the momentum generated by Kerry. The loss of O’Donoghue hardly arrested the momentum generated by Kerry. The first goal came by way of a Moran shot that dropped short in the 39th minute. Donnchadh Walsh followed up on it and while his first shot by stopped by Ciaran Fitzpatrick he made no mistake with his second opportunity.
When it was vital that Kildare goaled to keep in touch, it was Kerry who found one to start the beginning of the end for their opponents.
“We needed a goal for the scoreboard,” said Jason Ryan, “but more than anything else from a feelgood factor because when you do score a goal it gives you a huge amount of energy and a massive lift.
“When you concede one it just saps belief and when you’re chasing all of a sudden you look lethargic and unfit and the other team look like Olympic superstars. Those goals drained us but that one in particular.”
Pushing Kerry 2-10 to 0-6 ahead, Kildare’s head fell into the basket with Cooper’s goal that followed Walsh’s. O’Sullivan added another two minutes later and then Keane got in on the act after Cooper had found Walsh in space close to the end-line. In four minutes, Kerry’s lead had jumped from seven to 17 and the 20-point mark was reached when Cooper fielded a high ball from Maher, turned his marker and belted the ball past Donnellan.
When Peter Kelly was easily rounded by O’Brien for Kerry’s sixth goal in the 57th minute, Kildare looked as ghostly and ghastly as their jerseys. And yet Kerry weren’t finished.
By the looks of it, they won’t be for some time yet.
C Cooper (2-3, 0-1 free); D O’Sullivan (2-1); S O’Brien (1-4); BJ Keane (1-3); J O’Donoghue (0-3, 1 free); D Walsh (1-0); P Geaney (0-2).
N Kelly, A Smith, P O’Neill (0-2 each), E Doyle, E O’Flaherty (free), O Lyons, F Dowling (0-1 each).
BJ Keane for J O’Donoghue (inj 31); D O’Sullivan for P Geaney (42); P Crowley for M Ó Sé (50); P Galvin for D Walsh (54); J Buckley for B Sheehan (55); T Walsh for A Maher (60).
P Kelly for E Callaghan (43); F Conway for K Murnaghan (51); P Fogarty for N Kelly (54); F Dowling for T Moolick (62); G White for E Bolton (67);
B Kealy; M Ó Sé, S Enright, P Murphy; A O’Mahony, K Young, J Lyne; A Maher, D Moran; D Walsh, B Sheehan, S O’Brien; C Cooper, P Geaney, J O’Donoghue.
M Donnellan; O Lyons, C Fitzpatrick, M O’Grady; K Murnaghan, E Doyle, E Bolton; T Moolock, P Cribbin; C McNally, E O’Flaherty, P O’Neill; N Kelly, A Smith, E Callaghan.
D Coldrick (Meath)
Colm Cooper’s goal, put on a tee for him by Darran O’Sullivan, had Kildare waving the white flag, but in surrender in the 45th minute.
James O’Donoghue’s injury tempered much of the enthusiasm among Kerry supporters. As for Kildare, will this defeat be the end of Jason Ryan’s term?
Seven Kerry goals. Seven second-half Kerry goals.
Paul Murphy got the better of Niall Kelly as the game developed. Kildare made a major blunder on Stephen O’Brien as Kevin Murnaghan didn’t know whether to sweep or stick on the wing forward.
O’Brien was the best performer on the pitch when the game was still a contest. Cooper was inspirational, as was David Moran.
David Coldrick allowed the game to flow although the one-sided nature of the tie meant he could take a back seat. Surely the favourite now for the All-Ireland final.
All quiet.
Kerry face Monaghan or Tyrone in an All-Ireland semi-final on August 23.
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