McGrath double has Kerry FC in Munster Senior Cup final

Kerry will be thrilled to have reached the final after just 13 months in the League of Ireland. 

Sean McGrath of Kerry FC. Picture: Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Munster Senior Cup semi-final: Kerry FC 4 Treaty Utd 1 

Kerry FC gained a modicum of compensation for losing in the league last Friday night to Treaty Utd when they blew the Limerick side away in the opening half of this Munster Senior Cup semi-final.

Granted Treaty Utd had a much changed side on duty but Kerry FC, inspired by the brilliance of Steven Healy, will be thrilled to have reached the final after just 13 months in the League of Ireland. 

After a tentative opening ten minutes Kerry FC opened the scoring in the 13th when Healy played a slide rule pass out to his right to Sean McGrath, who sent Nathan Gleeson scurrying down the right touchline. Gleeson whipped in dangerous cross that was drilled low the Treaty net by the inrushing Ronan Teahan.

Kerry had Treaty on the back foot despite playing against the wind with Healy looking good on the ball in the centre of the park. 

Treaty were back on level terms in the 32nd minute when Leon Kirrane got through the Kerry defence far too easily and when Antonio Tuta could only parry it, Mark Byrne was on hand to finish to the net for his first goal for Treaty.

But Kerry were on a roll and when Robbie Lynch dwelt on the ball inside his own half in the 42nd minute, McGrath dispossessed him before bombing into the Treaty Utd penalty area and dinking the ball over keeper Dike for a 2-1 Kerry lead.

Straight from the kickoff a long ball into the Treaty box saw Victor Udeze hold the ball up and play it back to McGrath who had time to pick his spot and fire the ball low to the bottom corner.

Kerry resumed with the elements in their favour and they quickly made it 4-1 in the 49th minute when Healy played the ball over the top of the Treaty defence and Okwute, with a run and finish, had Kerry dreaming of a final.

KERRY FC: A Tuta; K Williams, S Aladesanusi (D McCarthy h/t), E Kos, S O’Connell; S Healy, S McGrath (F O’Brien 77); R Teahan (F Barrett 63), N Gleeson; K Amechi (D Okwute h/t), V Udeze (R Kelliher 73).

TREATY UNITED: M Dike; A O’Halloran, R Lynch, C Carew, F Doherty (M O’Halloran 70); M Byrne (S Costello 61), A Byrne, M Murphy, L Kirrane (N Kozlowski 70), Y Mahdy (R Boevi 61), D Tarmey Referee: C Sheehan (Cork)