No thriller, but Kerry thrilled to finally dig one out
11 June 2022; Kerry manager James Costello celebrates his side winning a turnover during the Electric Ireland GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship Quarter-Final match between Tyrone and Kerry at MW Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Upon hearing the final whistle, Kerry minor manager James Costello took off jumping into the air. This reporter counted at least three wildly excited leaps.
Costello, mind you, wasn’t the sole member of the Kerry management team to engage in a spot of acrobatics at the end of Saturday’s hard-earned quarter-final win. And for good reason too was there such an outpouring on the sideline.
This Kerry minor management have been desperately unlucky generals the past three seasons, losing a 2019 All-Ireland semi-final, 2020 All-Ireland final, and 2021 Munster semi-final all by a solitary point.
How sweet it was then to finally be on the other side of such a closely fought encounter.
“It is just so nice to come out on the back of a tight one, especially after the week we've had. It is a tough week in Kerry when you put in a performance like we did in the Munster final,” said Costello.
Mention of that Munster final horror show is necessary to contextualise Kerry’s success in holding out the Ulster champions. Given the very low place they were coming from, all the more impressive was Kerry’s ability to rebound and ensure their season was not defined by the 11-point hammering to Cork.
“It was a very tough week. We had lads that said they were afraid to go down to their pitch for a kickaround because they didn't want to meet fellas.
“We've all been there; the highs of the pats on the back to the lows of crossing the road to avoid people. It is incredible learning for 17-year-olds to get, but we got them in, we settled them, and we trained well in the lead-in to this game.”
Tyrone's defence-heavy approach and willingness to hold onto possession for long spells without making any significant yardage in the opposition half contributed to a slow grind of a first half that made it extremely difficult for Kerry to put any width on their play or develop any semblance of fluidity going forward.
The Kingdom had next to no joy in finding gaps in the white wall until a three-minute spell late in the half when a Cormac Dillon brace sandwiched a Paddy Lane effort.
Having been hit for a Caolan Donnelly Tyrone goal as early as the seventh minute, this succession of Kerry points put Costello’s charges in front - 0-5 to 1-1 - for the first time on 25 minutes.
Key to Kerry briefly unlocking the opposition rearguard was the high press they put on Conor McAneney’s restarts, forcing the Tyrone number one to go long. Kerry midfielder Evan Boyle claimed back-to-back kickouts, with half-back Jack O’Sullivan winning another.
The beaten Munster finalists carried a one-point lead - 0-6 to 1-2 - into the second half, with a booming Eddie Healy effort on 36 minutes doubling their advantage.
They’d not score again, though, for another 22 minutes, during which time they had half-forward Niall Collins black carded for jeering at an opponent, but still managed to hold the inside lane thanks to a superb save from ‘keeper Shay O’Meara to deny Donnelly a second goal on 40 minutes.
Half-back Fionn Murphy, from the placed ball, brought an end to Kerry’s barren spell on 58 minutes. Forced to emerge from their defensive shell, Tyrone gave fierce chase late on and while they reduced the gap to the minimum with an injury-time Donnelly point, they could not find an equaliser at the end of a contest that will live long in nobody’s memory.
“It was one of those days where it was just about digging it out anyway you can,” Costello concluded.
C Dillon (0-3, 0-1 free); E Healy, F Murphy (0-1 free), J Clifford, P Lane, D O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
C Donnelly (1-1); R Molloy (0-2, 0-1 free), N Grimes (0-1).
S O’Meara (Dr Crokes); M Lynch (Dr Crokes), C Browne (Austin Stacks), R Burke (Castleisland Desmonds); J O’Sullivan (Brosna), L Evans (Keel), F Murphy (Rathmore); E Healy (Listowel Emmets), E Boyle (Ballyduff); N Collins (Ballymacelligott), D O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), J Clifford (St Michael’s, Foilmore); P Lane (Austin Stacks), C Dillon (Duagh), O Ferris (Ardfert).
T Ashe (Annascaul) for Boyle (52); D O’Connor (Beaufort) for Collins (55); J Fitzgerald (Lios Póil) for Lane (61).
C McAneney (Glenelly); J Clarke (Donaghmore), B Hughes (Donaghmore), B McMenamin (Aghyaran); C Donnelly (Fintona), C Daly (Omagh), Conor Devlin (Ardboe); C O’Neill (Donaghmore), S Hughes (Galbally); N Farry (Trillick), R Molloy (Donaghmore), Conal Devlin (Ardboe); N Grimes (Donaghmore), E McElholm (Loughmacrory), M McElhatton (Cookstown).
S Fay (Eglish) for Hughes (39 mins); R McCullagh (Loughmacrory) for McElhatton (48); C Donnelly (Trillick) for Conor Devlin (52); L Hughes (Dungannon) for Molloy (53); N McCarney (Drumragh) for Farry (60).
J Molloy (Galway).
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