Kingdom power to glory

A STROLL at headquarters for Kerry on Saturday, a final they dominated from start to finish against a game but outclassed Wicklow side to win their first Christy Ring Cup title.

Ahead by seven points at the half-time (1-10 to 0-7, the goal by John Egan, after a powerful Gary O’Brien run), Kerry upped the tempo after the break and this ageing Wicklow team simply couldn’t stay with them. Narrowly beaten in the final by Westmeath last year, sweet satisfaction for the Kingdom then, and for captain Mikey Boyle (one of four Ballyduff brothers on the panel) particularly. “We’ve been progressing gradually for the last couple of years, getting better and better, and we deserved this,” he said.

Kerry had a plethora of heroes, not least the captain himself, along with youngsters Darragh O’Connell and powerhouse O’Brien in the half-forward line, corner-forwards Egan and Shane Nolan flanking hardworking Mike Conway, then — working backwards towards keeper Bernard Rochford — midfielders Darren Dineen and John Griffin, rock-solid half-backs Colin Harris, Jason Casey and Andrew Keane, and the full-back line of Padraig O’Grady, James Godley and Eamonn Fitzgerald. For Wicklow, midfielder Eamonn Kearns really stood out, as did captain Jonathon O’Neill and sub James Quirke, but on this day at least, the glory went to the green-and gold.