Stephen Molumphy turns attention to key Down clash after Kildare loss

KEY GAME AHEAD: Kerry manager Stephen Molumphy. Pic: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus Ltd

Allianz Hurling League Division 2A

KILDARE 2-20 KERRY 0-21 

The final whistle had barely blown on this defeat for Kerry before their manager Stephen Molumphy was turning his attention to next Sunday’s crucial tie against Down in Tralee.

A second consecutive defeat in the league, following on from a one point defeat to Offaly in the last round, means that Kerry must beat the Ulster side to prolong their interest in this year’s league.

The two sides met in the final round last year when a Down win denied Kerry a place in the league final, and they also defeated them in the McDonagh Cup, so while he is looking forward to the game he is taking nothing for granted.

“It sets us it up nicely now at home next week against Down,” said Molumphy.  “They beat us twice last year, it’s a must win game to get into a semi-final. We’ll take some positives from that second half, definitely. The team that makes the least amount of mistakes usually wins, and we made more mistakes today but it’s heads up now, we have a great chance next week. I think it will be between them and us as to who goes to the semi-final, they beat us twice last year, I haven’t beaten them yet so I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Kerry are the latest side to fall to Kildare and Molumphy was quick to heap praise on perhaps hurling’s most improved side over the last two or three years. Kildare scored the last seven points of the first half to lead 0-14 to 0-6 at half time and then made sure of the win with two excellent second goals from Brian Byrne and Gerry Keegan, in the 39th and 60th minutes respectively.

“Credit to Kildare, they are improving,” said Molumphy.

“I was only reading about their numbers during the week and they are a powerhouse coming. They will get stronger and stronger and they are pushing for a place in Division 1. They have full intentions of overturning Offaly next weekend and going straight into the final. I must give them credit, they are a big, physical team who try run it through the centre and unless you use the width they are going to stop you. 

"Their tackling was excellent, it was physical so you must give credit to them. Look there after the game at the young fellas that were out on the pitch getting autographs, it’s great to see these things,” he added.

Despite a second successive defeat, Molumphy feels his team are heading in the right direction and that his panel will only get stronger in the coming weeks with the return of some more players.

“I think we are playing better than last year and are a lot stronger. I think our strength is going fast, keeping it mobile, moving fast. A few times in the first half today against the wind we didn’t do that and the players themselves called it out.

“We were missing three or four today but they have to fight to get back onto the panel. There’s a couple more on the panel who didn’t get on today who wanted to get on. We do have a very strong panel, when we are bringing in players we are getting stronger which is a great thing. It was nice to see a few guys stepping up there today, we’ll go back at it on Wednesday, it will be an open field and we’ll go hard at it,” he said.

Matching Kildare’s physicality was something that Kerry struggled with, something that the Kerry manager feels is normally a strength of his team’s and that is something they will be working on before Sunday’s clash with Down.

“Winning the rucks is something that we normally take a lot of strength from but just today we didn’t win the majority of them and that is something we will work on,” said Molumphy.

The result means that Kerry could potentially play on seven consecutive weekends if they reach a league semi-final and final, which would then roll into the first three rounds of the McDonagh Cup in April but that is not something that Molumphy is concerned with, instead, he would welcome that opportunity.

“I’d take that now,” he said.

“This year we have a panel and with that panel it wouldn’t bother me at all, I’d happily take the long route. Westmeath took the long route last year and they won and got back up. We have the panel to handle that and I’d happily be in that position of playing for seven weeks,” added Molumphy.

Scorers for Kildare: J Burke 0-12 (10fs), G Keegan 1-2, B Byrne 1-0, P Dolan 0-1, C McCabe 0-1, P McKenna 0-1, M Delaney 0-1, C Dowlilng 0-1, D Flaherry 0-1.

Scorers for Kerry: S Conway 0-10 (5frees, 1’65), P Boyle 0-6 (5fs), G Dooley 0-2, D Collins 0-1, K Carmody 0-1, J Conway 0-1.

KILDARE: P McKenna; N Ó Muineacháin, S Leacy, C Byrne; C Shanahan, R Boran, Conan Boran; P Dolan, C McCabe; J Burke, G Keegan, P Divilly; B Byrne, D Flaherty, C Dowling. 

Subs: J Travers for Shanahan, h/t; Cian Boran for Divilly, 47; M Delaney 7 for Flaherty, 57; J Higgins for Keegan, 66; D Costello for McCabe, 70+ 4.

KERRY: JB O'Halloran; C Trant, E Leen, E Ross; E Murphy, M Boyle, P O'Connor; D Collins, G Dooley; K O'Connor, F MacKessy, M Leane; S Conway, D Griffin, P Boyle. 

Subs: K Carmody for Griffin, h/t; N Mulachy for O’Connor, h/t; J Conway for P Boyle, 46; J Diggins for Trant, 49.

REFEREE: C Flynn (Westmeath).