Fifth McGrath Cup title for Kerry after ferocious battle at Gaelic Grounds
A fifth McGrath Cup title for Kerry after this ferocious battle at the Gaelic Grounds.
A determined second-half showing from the home side meant extra-time was required and it wasn’t until Conor Geaney rattled the Limerick net on 89 minutes for Kerry’s third goal that the contest was decided.
The visitors didn’t hang about in extra-time and Barry O’Sullivan had the ball in the Limerick net just 20 seconds into the first period. Limerick were equally quick in restoring parity, with Iain Corbett dispatching a 72nd minute penalty following Shane Enright’s foul on Dany Neville.
Points from David Moran and Conor Geaney (free) sandwiched a Neville minor to leave the Kingdom 2-13 to 2-12 in front at the turnaround. There followed Geaney’s decisive green flag to hand Kerry January silverware for the first time since 2013.
The winners were much the dominant side in the opening half, yet had only a five-point advantage to show for their superiority. Éamonn Fitzmaurice’s charges kicked six first-half wides, while Paul Geaney and Tom O’Sullivan both saw their gaol efforts repelled.
The visitors did have a goal seven minutes before the break, David Moran gathering Tom O’Sullivan’s delivery at the second attempt and squeezing his toe-poke past Donal O’Sullivan in the Limerick goals.
That opening green flag put Kerry 1-6 to 0-3 clear and despite matching the Kingdom in the opening quarter, Billy Lee’s charges went scoreless from the 14th to the 31st minute, Sean McSweeney’s point ending their barren spell before the interval.
The Limerick recovery began on 49 minutes when Ger Collins profited from a mistake in the Kerry defence to split the posts. Two more white flags followed and the teams were level at 1-8 apiece when Seamus O’Carroll collected a superb over-the-top ball, beat Shane Enright in the air and slotted the leather into the bottom right corner of Brendan Kealy’s goal.
Twice more they were level and even though Seamus O’Carroll engineered two opportunities to put Limerick in front approaching the 70-minute mark, it was a Conor Geaney free that snuck Kerry ahead.
Limerick corner-back Sean O’Dea forced extra-time with a fine kick three minutes into stoppages, but they weren’t able to see it out in extra-time.
Scorers for Kerry: C Geaney (1-2, 0-2 free); D Moran (1-1); J O’Donoghue (0-4, 0-3 frees); B O’Sullivan (1-0); BJ Keane (0-2 frees), J Lyne (0-2 each); M Geaney, P Murphy (0-1 each).
Scorers for Limerick: I Corbett (1-2, 1-0 pen); S O’Carroll (1-1); D Neville (0-3); J Lee (0-2); S O’Dea, D Treacy, S McSweeney (0-1 free), G Collins (0-1 each).
Kerry: B Kealy; S Enright, J Foley, K Young; P Murphy, T Morley, T O’Sullivan; D Moran, J Barry; J Lyne, J Savage, M Geaney; BJ Keane, P Geaney, J O’Donoghue.
Subs: G Crowley for Murphy (29 mins); Brendan O’Sullivan for Savage (44); Barry O’Sullivan for Barry (44); B Ó Seanacháin for M Geaney (44); D Daly for Crowley (59, inj); C Geaney for O’Donoghue (64, inj); C Keane for P Geaney (78); K McCarthy for BJ Keane (79); A Spillane for T O’Sullivan (82)
Limerick: D O’Sullivan; D Daly, J McCarthy, S O’Dea; P White, I Corbett, P Hannon; D Treacy, B Fanning; P Nash, S O’Carroll, D Neville; S McSweeney, G Collins, B Donovan.
Subs: J Lee for McSweeney (47); G Noonan for Nash (48); D Ward for Daly (50); C Fahy for Hannon (60); J Naughton for O’Carroll (68); J Bridgeman for White (70); C Sheehan for Collins (75); P Quinn for Fanning (81); K Ryan for Treacy (85)
Referee: A Kissane (Waterford).
