13 July 2019 – Coming off back-to-back losses and desperately seeking a victory to keep them in Championship contention, Kerry Boston GFC squared off against the Connemara Gaels GFC – the very squad that knocked Kerry out of the 2018 Championship in an overtime quarterfinal.
Kerry looked hungry from the opening throw-in, winning the ball and moving it quickly up the pitch to half-forward Danny Perry, who put it through the keeper’s legs and into the back of the net to open the scoring. Just a few minutes later, midfielder Noel Kennedy capped off some brilliant build-up play with another Kerry goal, calmly slotting the ball past the Gaels’ keeper from a few yards out.
As the first half progressed, it became clear that Kerry had found a new gear with their play. Kerry attacks flowed through the midfield in the hands of Kennedy, Connor Stark, and Tommy Farrell and widened as the ball moved up to the forward line of Perry and Padraig Doyle. More often than not, the relentless duo of Doyle and Perry were able to swing balls back into the other forwards or supporting midfielders to put over the bar or into the net with a consistent quality that had been missing from previous matches.
“A big reason for the success of the attack today was the lack of mistakes,” said Stark after the game. “Previously, we would try and force balls into tight windows or make mental mistakes that cost us possession. Today, we just played smart football and let the game come to us.”
While the Kerry offense ironed out the finishing issues that plagued them against the Blues and Cork, the defensive front was not to be outdone. Center back Oscar Ward, making his Kerry debut, made his presence felt any time the Gaels moved into the Kerry half, battering balls away from attackers and quickly turning over play to Kerry’s advantage. Ciaran Mulhall, John Doherty, and Jack Kelly combined with Ward to put forth a smothering effort that saw the Gaels’ held scoreless through the first 10 minutes of play and score only three points in the first half.
Keeper Ciaran Noonan also played a large role in Kerry’s success. Turning away all attempts on frame he faced, he also kick started the Kerry offense with kickouts placed into the hands of streaking Kerry attackers with pinpoint accuracy.
At the break, Kerry held a commanding lead but were determined to keep up the intensity in order to avoid losing momentum. After adding another goal in the opening minutes of the second half Kerry continued to apply pressure, throw points over the bar, and snuff out the majority of the Gaels’ attacks. Contrary to prior performances, Kerry did not slow down and would cruise to victory to the tune of 6-21 (39 points) to 0-10 (10 points).
It should be noted that while the final score shows a wide gap between the two sides, the story on the pitch was quite different. The Gaels drove down the field time and time again only to have near misses or unlucky bounces snuff out promising attacks. A mere 11 months ago a good portion of this Gaels squad defeated Kerry in the playoffs, and Kerry are thankful that they came out on the winning side this time around. As the Gaels are still a young squad and growing talent, it is all but certain that the next meeting between these two teams will be tightly contested.
“Very strong performance from our lads today to get us back into the Championship running,” said manager Evan McDonagh after the final whistle. “Coming off two tough losses in the last month, we played with a drive and ruthlessness that is needed in a very tough Championship field. We’re going to take today’s performance and improve on a few small areas to push on to next week’s match against Hartford.”
Kerry now sit at 2-0-2 (4 points) and are still very much alive in the hunt for the Championship. Looking to continue building on their momentum, Kerry will face off against Hartford GAA on Saturday, July 20 at 4 p.m.
Man of the Match: Noel Kennedy
Kerry Boston GFC 