Wasteful Mid Kerry do enough to see off Spa
Fiachra Clifford Mid Kerry (Green ) and Dara Moynihan Spa (Blue) in action at Austin Stack ParkÂ
A first outing that saw Mid Kerry far from their fluent best but they had more than enough to dispatch Spa by six points.
The final wide count of 14-nil told of how many scores the divisional side left behind them but goals at crucial times from Kerry U20 Cillian Burke, Daire Cleary, and Caolim Teahan saw them home.
They will have plenty more to offer over the course of this championship.
The drop in tempo compared to Dingle’s victory over Dr Crokes was evident from the off. Spa wasted far too much of their possession with handling errors and Mid Kerry wasted far too many of their shots.
Burke’s goal in first-half stoppage-time saved the divisional side from a sterner half-time rebuke, giving them a 1-5 to 0-6 lead.
It could’ve been so much more with 10 misses to their name. The wide count was 7-nil at that juncture and Burke saw another goal chance blocked on the line by Eoin Fitzgerald.
They led by 0-5 to 0-2 by the 15th minute, with Gavan O’Grady creating scores for Fiachra Clifford, Éanna O’Connor, and Keith Evans to convert.
Evans, the Kerry U20 attacker, was playing in a more defensive than usual role, starting at half-back and covering balls kicked in front of his full-backs, but burst forward with game-breaking pace at every opportunity.
Spa were struggling to create a sufficient volume of chances but when Gary Vaughan landed a point from distance with just their second shot from play, they were level.
The had the blow of Cian Tobin being black-carded for an off-the-ball trip but full-back Fitzgerald marched forward to kick them ahead.
It was from that kick-out, however, that the Mid-men marched up-field through Evans and Seán O’Brien to provide for Burke’s goal.
There was still two in it by the time Tobin’s black card expired in the 36th minute, with O’Brien’s swinging that 10-minute spell 1-2 to 0-3 in Mid Kerry’s favour.
A curling garryowen from Darren Houlihan brought his tally to two points but Dan O’Donoghue’s second and an Evan Cronin free brought Spa back within one.
But Mid Kerry struck for home when exploiting a massive overlap, the ball going through the hands of Gearóid Hassett, O’Brien, and Burke before finding Cleary whose scuffed finish rolled to the net.
That made it 2-8 to 0-10 and they padded out that advantage with Éanna and Jack O’Connor frees and a Liam Carey point.
And when Spa brought it back to four again thanks to the accuracy of Evan Cronin (0-5), Mid Kerry killed them off with a 60th-minute Teahan goal, supplied again by O’Brien.
C Burke, D Cleary, C Teahan (1-0); É O’Connor (0-3, 2 frees); F Clifford, D Houlihan (0-2 each); S O’Brien, K Evans, L Carey, J O’Connor (free) (0-1 each).
Evan Cronin (0-5, 4 frees); D O’Donoghue, C Murphy (1 free) (0-2 each); E Fitzgerald, L Spillane, G Vaughan, T Moynihan (mark), M O’Donoghue (0-1 each).
S Coffey (Beaufort); E Coffey (Beaufort), P Kilkenny (Glenbeigh-Glencar), D Mangan Laune Rangers); K Evans (Keel), M Breen (Beaufort, capt), J Brosnan (Glenbeigh-Glencar); S O’Brien (Beaufort), D Houlihan (Cromane); F Clifford (Laune Rangers), É O’Connor (Milltown-Castlemaine), D Cleary (Laune Rangers); G O’Grady (Glenbeigh-Glencar), C Burke (Milltown-Castlemaine), G Hassett (Laune Rangers).
C McGillycuddy (Glenbeigh-Glencar) for Breen (32-36, blood), L Carey (Beaufort) for Clifford (41), J O’Connor (Beaufort) for O’Grady (43), McGillycuddy for É O’Connor (46), C Teahan (Glenbeigh-Glencar) for Cleary (52), D O’Connor (Beaufort) for Burke (59).
J Devane; C Spillane, E Fitzgerald, B Lynch; L Spillane, S Cronin, M McCarthy; G Vaughan, D O’Donoghue; T Moynihan, Evan Cronin (capt), D Moynihan; C Murphy, C Tobin, M O’Donoghue.
L O’Neill for C Spillane (50), E O’Donoghue for S Cronin (52), Eoin Cronin for M O’Donoghue (57), T Cronin for McCarthy (57), M Moynihan for Tobin (60).
C Tobin (28-36).
JM Fitzgerald (Abbeydorney).Â
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