9 July 2022 – After a well-earned break for the 4th of July, Kerry Boston GFC and the Wolfetones squared off for the second time in the 2022 Championship season. With over a month between the first match and this sequel, both sides came in eager to show how far they’ve come.
The match was tight throughout the first half, with the Kingdom claiming the first pair of points before the Tones struck back with some shots of their own that split the uprights. Both sides had spurts of solid possession and good play, but were unable to make much of an impact on the scoreline due to smothering defense and poor finishing.
Defenders James Farrell, Shane O’Connor, and Noel Hatton helped steady the ship for Kerry, repelling attacks and calmly working the ball forward to the forward lines of Jack Farrell, Geroid Dillane, and Sean Bohan. As the first half dwindled to a close, Kerry found their mark and nudged ahead by a narrow margin of 0-7 (7 points) to 0-5 (5 points).
When the two sides reconvened after the break, it was the Wolfetones who would be applying pressure. Several breaks down the field resulted in a penalty just a few minutes into the second half, and the Tones proved up to the challenge and cooly converted with a low shot into the right side netting to take the lead and see whether Kerry could regain composure.
As the sides continued trading blows, Kerry manager Evan McDonagh made some smart substitutions to bring on fresh legs and shake up the balance of the match. Tom Hamill made his presence known early and often once on the pitch, helping settle his side and bring back the long runs of possession that suited the Kingdom in the first half.
The scoring picked up as the match wore on, and Kerry would net a goal of their own courtesy of a tidy run and finish by Bohan. With momentum on their side, the green and gold would push on and split the uprights several more times courtesy of Tommy Farrell and Jack Farrell to widen the lead. When Bohan netted his second goal of the afternoon, it appeared the writing was on the wall for the Wolfetones.
However, as the Kingdom appeared to be settling into cruise control, a ferocious counter attack launched by the Tones resulted in a shot from the edge of the box being deflected past the outstretched arms of keeper Kevin Flynn and into the back of the net. Scores now drawing near level once again, McDonagh made a final substitution to bring on Aaron Molloy in hopes of a spark on offense to put the game away.
Molloy, appearing in his first game for the Kingdom after working back from an injury, immediately rewarded McDonagh’s decision and put a point over the bar to end a run from the Wolfetones. Shortly after, Molloy would score Kerry’s third and final goal (assisted by none other than Sean Bohan) to provide enough margin for his side to claim victory when the final whistle blew.
At conclusion, the final score read 3-12 (21 points) for Kerry and 2-7 (13 points) for the Wolfetones. Similar to the initial meeting between these two sides, the final tally does not tell the full story of how closely contested the outcome of this match was until the final minutes, nor does it paint a complete picture of the improvements both sides have made in their quest for a Championship in 2022.
With the victory, Kerry move to 4-0 (8 points) on the season and have a rematch with the Christophers on the horizon, scheduled for Sunday, July 24 at 2:30pm.
Kerry Man of the Match: Sean Bohan
Kerry Boston GFC 