4 May 2019 – On an overcast day in Canton, Kerry Boston GFC and Cork Boston GAA met in a USGAA-sanctioned challenge match to test their mettle before the Championship officially kicks off in June. Welcoming a cast of new and returning players, Kerry rushed out to an early lead with a barrage of points and a penalty coolly converted by Tommy Farrell (1-5).
Both sides settled down and found their rhythm, trading points heading into the break. Cork took advantage of some early mistakes in the second half to put some pressure on Kerry, but Kerry quickly regained their composure and the defense, led by Vincent Doyle, Ciaran Mulhall, and John Doherty, was able to turn away a number of fierce attacks and begin counter attacks that kept Kerry ahead by a tight margin.
The determined Cork side refused to go down easily, however, and a late flurry of scoring brought them within striking distance of a win. A late, dipping shot on goal as time expired was turned wide by keeper Connor Stark, and the Kerry side were able to celebrate a hard-fought win with a final score of 1-10 (13 points) to 0-11 (11 points).
“We’re thrilled to come away with the victory, but there are still some areas we can improve upon heading into the season,” said manager Evan McDonagh. “When we played smart football and controlled the tempo of the game, we saw why this side has potential to contend for the Championship.”
“Overall, it was a solid team performance from start to finish,” added selector Dan O’Connor. “We’re particularly satisfied given that it was our first outing as a team.”
Kerry will look to build on the pre-season victory and carry their momentum into the season opener against Portland Fomorian in Canton on Saturday, June 1 at 4:15 p.m.
It would be remiss not to mention the many new faces who have joined the ranks from the local youth division. This year sees several young faces joining our ranks, namely Declan O’Sullivan and John Doherty from ISYL in Canton, and James O’Neill and Cian Flaherty from St. Brendan’s in Dorchester. Given the number of players of college and high school age, the club will be setting up some scholarships for school age members later in the summer.
Finally, Kerry would like to thank our sponsors Sean Somers, Timmy O’Neil, and Chris McGillycuddy, who supplied the team with sharp new gear and unwavering support through the match.
Man of the Match: Tommy Farrell
Kerry Scoring:
- Tommy Farrell (1-5)
- Connor Stark (0-1)
- Conor Eddery (0-1)
- Aaron Moore (0-1)
- Noel Kennedy (0-1)
- Cian Flaherty (0-1)
Kerry Boston GFC 