UTTER CHAOS AND madness with four goals in the last seven minutes got Kerry off to a belated winning start in their first game of the national league.
The introduction of Donal O’Sullivan of Kilgarvan – ‘Donal Down’ to those in the Kingdom, yielded a personal tally of 1-2 and he set up the clinching goal for Paul Geaney, who finished with 2-0 to his name.
In a game that frankly felt like a throwback to olden times, it had a distinctly modern feel with many of the kinks of the new rule exploited and used.
Kerry struggled to get their hands on kickouts with Anton Tohill and Conor Glass magnificent in the air, while the inclusion of Glenulin midfielder Neil McNicholl was used constantly by Derry. Clearly, the frustrations of Derry manager Paddy Tally, articulated after defeat to Tyrone, led him to try something a little different with Odhran Lynch benched.
The first two pointer arrived on three minutes from Brendan Rogers and the homes side grabbed another through Ben McCarron later in the half.
While Kerry were under pressure all over the park, most notably when Derry employed a high press, they kept in touch through the bravery of Conor Geaney who hit 2-1 in the first half.
His first goal came off a Kerry kickout, with Paudie Clifford found in the extra space inside. He dished off to Geaney to set himself with a dummy before lashing to the net from close range.
His second came on 27 minutes. Conor Geaney was being fouled but referee Martin McNally played the advantage. He played to Dylan Geaney who ran into the dangerzone to play a return pass for Conor to punch home from close in.
A series of Derry points arrived from eight different players in the opening half, while there were also two unsuccessful two-point attempts tried by Shane McGuigan and Ben McCarron.
Barry Dan O’Sullivan with two from play and two Sean O’Shea frees rounded up Kerry’s scoring while the first half finished with what looked like a Donncha Gilmore fisted attempt going wide, only for McNally to signify that Gilmore had actually executed an advanced mark that he then converted to leave it Derry 0-13 to Kerry 2-5 at the break.
Derry opened the scoring in the seconds half with one from play from Conor Glass. He had an attempt for goal soon after with an audacious drop kick that was parried by Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan and when Cormac Murphy looked set to punch home the loose ball, Damien Burke prevented it. He deflected it out for a ‘45’ that Glass thumped over.
Needing something, Kerry started going for two pointers, but efforts from Sean O’Shea, Paudie Clifford and Dylan Geaney failed.
Cormac Murphy and Jason Foley scramble for the ball. Lorcan Doherty / INPHO
Lorcan Doherty / INPHO / INPHO
However, they had joy from one from Dylan Geaney that found the mark and a Sean O’Shea two-point free after a three-man infraction.
At the other end, Ethan Doherty had two goal chances after being played in that he arrowed over the bar.
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If the idea of the new rules was to create chaos, that’s how the second half felt as Kerry kept nudging their way into the match with Diarmuid O’Connor starting to make consecutive catches while Donal O’Sullivan lofted over two points in a row to level it up on 62 minutes.
However, their recovery was halted when Doherty played Shane McGuigan through to drill a low shot to the net beyond Shane Ryan. And instantly, Ryan’s next kickout went short and McGuigan converted the free to stretch the Derry lead.
Not for long. A Sean O’Shea attempt for a two pointer dropped short, fielded by substitute Paul Geaney and planted to the net.
And then a mad, mad finish. A dropped ball in the Derry defence grabbed, a quick fire exchange of passes through Paudie Clifford and O’Sullivan had a goal.
From the next kickout, Derry were all over the shop, and O’Sullivan played in Paul Geaney to round McNicholl and make sure of the win.
Scorers for Kerry: Conor Geaney 2-1, Paul Geaney 2-0, Sean O’Shea 0-5 (2f, 1 2 point free), Donal O’Sullivan 1-2, Barry Dan O’Sullivan 0-2, Dylan Geaney 0-2 (1 2 point score), Sean O’Brien, Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1 each.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 1-4 (1f), Niall Toner 0-4 (2f), Brendan Roger s 0-3 (1 2 point score), Ethan Doherty 0-3, Donnacha Gilmore 0-2 (1 mark), Ben McCarron 0-2 (1 2 point score), Paul Cassidy 0-2, Diarmuid Baker, Lachlan Murray 0-1 each.
Kerry
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
20. Damien Burke (Na Gaeil), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5. Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid), 6. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe), 7. Sean O’Brien (Beaufort)
8. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil), 18. Barry Dan O’Sullivan (Dingle)
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Three goals in last seven minutes gets Kerry off to a winning start
Kerry 5-15
Derry 1-24
UTTER CHAOS AND madness with four goals in the last seven minutes got Kerry off to a belated winning start in their first game of the national league.
The introduction of Donal O’Sullivan of Kilgarvan – ‘Donal Down’ to those in the Kingdom, yielded a personal tally of 1-2 and he set up the clinching goal for Paul Geaney, who finished with 2-0 to his name.
In a game that frankly felt like a throwback to olden times, it had a distinctly modern feel with many of the kinks of the new rule exploited and used.
Kerry struggled to get their hands on kickouts with Anton Tohill and Conor Glass magnificent in the air, while the inclusion of Glenulin midfielder Neil McNicholl was used constantly by Derry. Clearly, the frustrations of Derry manager Paddy Tally, articulated after defeat to Tyrone, led him to try something a little different with Odhran Lynch benched.
The first two pointer arrived on three minutes from Brendan Rogers and the homes side grabbed another through Ben McCarron later in the half.
While Kerry were under pressure all over the park, most notably when Derry employed a high press, they kept in touch through the bravery of Conor Geaney who hit 2-1 in the first half.
His first goal came off a Kerry kickout, with Paudie Clifford found in the extra space inside. He dished off to Geaney to set himself with a dummy before lashing to the net from close range.
His second came on 27 minutes. Conor Geaney was being fouled but referee Martin McNally played the advantage. He played to Dylan Geaney who ran into the dangerzone to play a return pass for Conor to punch home from close in.
A series of Derry points arrived from eight different players in the opening half, while there were also two unsuccessful two-point attempts tried by Shane McGuigan and Ben McCarron.
Barry Dan O’Sullivan with two from play and two Sean O’Shea frees rounded up Kerry’s scoring while the first half finished with what looked like a Donncha Gilmore fisted attempt going wide, only for McNally to signify that Gilmore had actually executed an advanced mark that he then converted to leave it Derry 0-13 to Kerry 2-5 at the break.
Derry opened the scoring in the seconds half with one from play from Conor Glass. He had an attempt for goal soon after with an audacious drop kick that was parried by Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan and when Cormac Murphy looked set to punch home the loose ball, Damien Burke prevented it. He deflected it out for a ‘45’ that Glass thumped over.
Needing something, Kerry started going for two pointers, but efforts from Sean O’Shea, Paudie Clifford and Dylan Geaney failed.
However, they had joy from one from Dylan Geaney that found the mark and a Sean O’Shea two-point free after a three-man infraction.
At the other end, Ethan Doherty had two goal chances after being played in that he arrowed over the bar.
If the idea of the new rules was to create chaos, that’s how the second half felt as Kerry kept nudging their way into the match with Diarmuid O’Connor starting to make consecutive catches while Donal O’Sullivan lofted over two points in a row to level it up on 62 minutes.
However, their recovery was halted when Doherty played Shane McGuigan through to drill a low shot to the net beyond Shane Ryan. And instantly, Ryan’s next kickout went short and McGuigan converted the free to stretch the Derry lead.
Not for long. A Sean O’Shea attempt for a two pointer dropped short, fielded by substitute Paul Geaney and planted to the net.
And then a mad, mad finish. A dropped ball in the Derry defence grabbed, a quick fire exchange of passes through Paudie Clifford and O’Sullivan had a goal.
From the next kickout, Derry were all over the shop, and O’Sullivan played in Paul Geaney to round McNicholl and make sure of the win.
Scorers for Kerry: Conor Geaney 2-1, Paul Geaney 2-0, Sean O’Shea 0-5 (2f, 1 2 point free), Donal O’Sullivan 1-2, Barry Dan O’Sullivan 0-2, Dylan Geaney 0-2 (1 2 point score), Sean O’Brien, Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1 each.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 1-4 (1f), Niall Toner 0-4 (2f), Brendan Roger s 0-3 (1 2 point score), Ethan Doherty 0-3, Donnacha Gilmore 0-2 (1 mark), Ben McCarron 0-2 (1 2 point score), Paul Cassidy 0-2, Diarmuid Baker, Lachlan Murray 0-1 each.
Kerry
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
20. Damien Burke (Na Gaeil), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5. Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid), 6. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe), 7. Sean O’Brien (Beaufort)
8. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil), 18. Barry Dan O’Sullivan (Dingle)
10. Paudie Clifford (Fossa), 11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare), 12. Ruairí Murphy (Listry)
13. Conor Geaney (Dingle), 17. Killian Spillane (Templenoe), 15. Dylan Geaney (Dingle)
Subs:
14. Donal O’Sullivan (Kilgarvan) for Murphy (47m)
26. Keith Evans (Keel) for Spillane (49m)
21. Paul Geaney (Dingle) for Conor Geaney (53m)
9. Cathal ÓBeaghlaíoch (An Ghaeltacht) for O‘Sullivan (56m)
2. Eddie Healy (Listowel) for O’Brien (63m)
Derry
1. Neil McNicholl (Glenullin)
2. Diarmuid Baker (Steelstown), 3. Eoin McEvoy (Magherafelt), 4. Mark Doherty (Newbridge)
5. Conor Doherty (Newbridge), 6. Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil), 7. Donncha Gilmore (Steelstown)
8. Conor Glass (Glen), 9. Anton Tohill (Swatragh)
10. Cormac Murphy (Magherafelt), 11. Paul Cassidy (Bellaghy), 12. Ethan Doherty (Glen)
13. Niall Toner (Lavey), 14. Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil), 23. Ben McCarron (Steelstown)
Subs:
15. Lachlan Murray (Desertmartin) for Murphy (48m)
21. Patrick McGurk (Lavey) for McCarron (53m)
22. Dan Higgins (Magherafelt) for Tohill (58m)
18. Declan Cassidy (Bellaghy) for Gilmore (59m)
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)
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Derry Donal Down GAA Gaelic Football Kerry Kingdom Come