17 July 2021 – After torrential rain washed out all matches from the previous week, Kerry Boston GFC and the Connemara Gaels clashed in Canton with thunder booming in the distance.
Despite their best efforts, Kerry showed signs of rust early as they played their first competitive football in almost a month. Sloppy play and turnovers plagued the green and gold early, and when the Gaels won a free from 45 yards out and no one tracked back to cover the crashing attackers, the Gaels slotted the ball into the net to take an early lead.
Unlike in their previous match against Donegal, the early goal served to motivate the Kerry side and they began surging forward. Well-worked attacks saw Kerry press into the Gaels defensive third, and only some tactical fouls prevented Kerry from breaking through to goal. Forward Declan O’Sullivan and captain Tommy Farrell were up to the task, however, and punished the Gaels with accurate frees from both wings whenever they were awarded.
The Gaels would respond with a couple points of their own, winning the breaks from their keeper’s long kickouts and taking advantage of space to get within range. Both sides upped the intensity and physicality over the remainder of the first half, and when the whistle blew for the break the score reflected the tight contest, with Kerry narrowly ahead 0-8 (8 points) to 1-2 (5 points).
Manager Evan McDonagh took the opportunity to make several adjustments to the lineup, most notably bringing on halfback James O’Neill in place of the injured Jack Kelly. Those changes, along with the memory of a painful second half against Donegal, provided a much needed spark for Kerry.
O’Neill got off to a quick start in the second half, providing smothering defense and forcing the Gaels to settle for contested kicks when they pressed forward. He would also serve as a catalyst for counterattacks, flying up the wing and finding the Kerry attackers in space. Half forward Kevin Flynn made his presence known on Kerry kickouts, serving as a much needed target man and using his size to hold off the Gaels while his side found openings in the defense.
While Kerry tightened up play and began controlling the tempo, the Gaels remained tenacious and would not surrender anything easily. Kerry continued to take their points when they could, but with 15 minutes left the outcome was still very much up in the air. O’Sullivan would provide the goal that ultimately tipped the match in Kerry’s favor, finding the end of a looping pass from halfback Conor Sweeney and punching the ball over the Gaels keeper and into the net.
As the clock wound down Kerry were able to work quick passes through the middle and find space up top, throwing several more points over the bar to put the match out of reach. When play wrapped up for good, the final score was 1-16 (19 points) to 1-6 (9 points). The defensive effort in the second half was a major factor in the victory, with Ciaran Mulhall, John Doherty, and Mike Godley combining with Sweeney and O’Neill to allow just 0-4 (4 points) over the final 30 minutes.
After claiming two more points Kerry move into a three-way tie for second place in the Championship standings, with matches against the Christophers (Tuesday, July 20) and Sean Ogs (Friday, July 23) left to close out the regular season.
Man of the Match: James O’Neill
Kerry Scoring
- Declan O’Sullivan (1-4, 7 points)
- Tommy Farrell (0-6, 6 points)
- Connor Stark (0-3, 3 points)
- Padraig Doyle (0-2, 2 points)
- James Farrell (0-1, 1 point)
Kerry Boston GFC 