Efficient Kerry steamroll their way to win over listless Monaghan in All-Ireland SFC opener
CLIFF JUMP: David Clifford of Kerry gathers a pass ahead of Ryan Wylie and Killian Lavelle of Monaghan. Pic: Brendan Moran, Sportsfile
AND this was meant to be the tricky one. Kerry steamrolled their way to an opening All-Ireland SFC group phase win against a Monaghan effort that would benevolently be described as lamentable.
That Vinny Corey’s side haven’t had a competitive game since April 7 only partly explains them being woefully overrun in Killarney.
For sure, Kerry looked hungry for work all over the field but they were met with all the resistance of a scented tissue from a side playing Division One football this year. This was Monaghan’s eighth loss on the bounce in competitive fare.
For the greater good, Conor McCarthy’s fourth-minute run inside the Kerry cover needed a clinical finish, but for the visitors, it was imperative.
Instead, after being placed by Karl O’Connell, McCarthy saw his effort smothered by Kerry keeper Shane Ryan. It was the last time Monaghan got that close to a meet and greet with the Rathmore man for some time.
At the other end, the Kerry corner backs Paul Murphy and Tom O’Sullivan had carte blanche to abandon their posting and practice their shooting. Four points they shared in the opening half, twice Monaghan’s interval total with the sides heading to the dressing room with Kerry leading 0-15 to 0-2.
Interesting conversations revolved around the Kerry half forwards Tony Brosnan and Paudie Clifford. Were they playing across the channel they might be described as twin no 8’s (or tens, depending on the extent of your tactical ambition).
Clifford looked to have an extra bounce in his step, Brosnan an extra bounce in his confidence with being handed a role he revels in.
They also kicked a couple of points each in the first period, when every Kerry player got on the scoresheet – unusually, Sean O’Shea the only one not to register from play. Safe to assume he hadn’t the pedal to the floor. He made up for it after the break.
What of Monaghan? A Gary Mohan mark levelled the game after Paudie Clifford’s opener on 15 seconds, their only other point of the half coming from Micheal Bannigan in the 19th minute.
They were turned over relentlessly by Kerry’s hungry swarm – in total Kerry forced 24 turnovers and scored off 16 of them - and were too slow or lethargic in getting back to cover the raiding Kingdom hordes.
To offer some defence and perspective, they hadn’t been on active duty since the April 7 Ulster SFC preliminary round loss to Cavan. Kerry played a Munster final a fortnight ago.
Corey had used all his available replacements by the 52nd minute but they had the small mercy of Kerry pulling up stumps by the three-quarter mark.
Well, most of them. The likes of Dingle’s Paul Geaney was like a young(ish) colt released from the paddock as he gambolled his way around Fitzgerald Stadium.
Four second half points from play netted a nice handful for the afternoon. Tony Brosnan and Geaney are making convincing cases for minutes.
Kerry didn’t make their first change until the 50th minute but which time they had spurned a couple of goal chances of their own. First Joe O’Connor and then Paudie Clifford had their close-range efforts blocked by Rory Beggan.
This goal oddity is inconsequential in the context of Kerry’s success on Saturday, but their last competitive goal was on St Patrick’s Day in Clones – 62 days have passed since they found the net, four games against Galway, Cork, Clare and now Monaghan.
Jack O’Connor might point out that they are stockpiling.
When a goal did come, shock, horror, it came for Monaghan in the 56th minute, which might irritate the Kerry players and management a tad.
An effort for a point from Conor McCarthy landed on top of Shane Ryan who batted it down to the one spot he couldn’t – into Gary Mohan’s hands, and the big midfielder returned it with interest.
That Monaghan tagged on a few more points thereafter was of little relevance.
In fact, none.
P Geaney (0-5), D Clifford (0-5, 3 frees), S O’Shea (0-4, 3 frees), T O’Sullivan (0-3), P Murphy (0-2), T Brosnan (0-2), P Clifford (0-2), D Moynihan (0-1).
G Mohan (1-1, one mark), M Bannigan (0-2), R Beggan (free), R O’Toole, C McCarthy, C McManus (free), A Woods (mark), D Ward, S O’Hanlon, J Wilson (mark) (all 0-1 each).
S Ryan; P Murphy, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; B O Beaglaoich, T Morley, G White; D O’Connor, J O’Connor; T Brosnan, P Clifford, D Moynihan; D Clifford, S O’Shea, P Geaney.
B O’Sullivan for J O’Connor, C Burke for Moynihan (50), A Heinrich for O’Beaglaoich, S O’Brien for Brosnan (55), D Roche for Geaney (65).
R Beggan; R Wylie, B McDermott, R O’Toole; K O’Connell, K Lavelle, C McCarthy; G Mohan, M McCarville; S O’Hanlon, M Brannigan, M Hamill; J Irwin, S Jones, C McManus.
D Ward for McCarville, A Woods (0-1) for Jones (both half-time); C McNulty for McBennett (45), J Wilson for O’Connell (50, inj), T McPhillips for Ward (52).
S Hurson (Tyrone)
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