New faces click for Kerry in McGrath Cup final

Kerry 3-13 Limerick 2-12 (AET): That Kerry’s new faces guided them through their first proper examination of the season should, perhaps, be read as a sign of what is to come.

With Éamonn Fitzmaurice having made five changes to the side which comfortably overcame Cork last weekend, there wasn’t a single player on yesterday’s starting team north of 30. The U21 pair of Jason Foley and Tom O’Sullivan were retained in defence and the age profile of the team had been considerably lowered by the time referee Alan Kissane brought the second period of extra-time to a halt, with 2014 minor Barry O’Sullivan and 2015 minor pair Conor Geaney and Briain Ó Seanacháin sprung from the bench.

It was Barry O’Sullivan and Geaney who made the most telling contributions in front of 2,010 spectators, both players raising a green flag during extra-time. The latter was a second-half replacement for the injured James O’Donoghue – Fitzmaurice assured us afterwards that the foot injury sustained by the 2014 footballer of the year wasn’t serious – and was immediately called upon to stand over a 68th-minute free with the sides deadlocked at 1-10 apiece.