Electric Ireland MFC QF: Classy Kildare advance

Electric Ireland Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final

Kildare 4-12 Kerry 2-13

By Ger McNally at TUS Gaelic Grounds

Kildare are through to the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship semi finals after a first ever win over Kerry at the grade.

It was a deserved win for the Leinster champions after they dominated their Munster opponents in Limerick.

Kildare played with the advantage of a strong wind in the first half and scored the first of their four goals with the opening score of the game after just three minutes. Captain Charlie Doran played a delightful raking ball on behind the Kerry defence to find Jack Reilly and he slotted home.

Kerry’s cause wasn’t helped by the loss of midfielder Jack Collins to injury, but it took Kildare some time to kick on after that goal. It was just Reilly’s strike between the teams after 25 minutes, 1-4 to 0-4, but there were some key scores before the half-break.

Reilly, Eoghan Lyons and Greg Kelly all landed two-pointers and suddenly Kildare held a 1-11 to 0-5 as the teams headed for the dressing room.

It took Kildare until the 45th minute to get their first score after the restart but crucially, they held Kerry to just two points during that period.

When Kildare’s score did arrive, it was a goal. Lyons and Páidí Ryan linked up to work the ball into Cian Keogh and he smashed his shot past Sean Sargent to make it 2-12 to 0-7.

It was frantic stuff in the final ten minutes as Maidhc Ó Sé scrambled home in the 50th minute to give Kerry some hope.

Cillian Fitzgerald added a two point free and the Kildare was cut to six.

Just as Kildare nerves began to jangle, Keogh pounced for his second goal in the 55th when he turned home the rebound after Sargent had saved from Ryan’s shot.

Kerry didn’t roll over and back to back two pointers by Mikey Somers and Cillian Moynihan kept them in touch at 3-12 to 1-13.

They had to take chances as the game ticked into injury time and in doing that gave away possession inside their own 45 and that ended with Greg Kelly fisting across the goal for Callum Cowper to palm in the match-clinching strike.

There was still just about time for another Kerry goal through Moynihan, but that proved just a consolation as Kildare clinched a famous win.

Scorers for Kildare: C Keogh 2-0, J Reilly 1-4 (1tp, 2f), E Lyons 0-3 (1tp), C Cowzer 1-0, G Kelly 0-2 (1tp), P Ryan 0-1 C Doran 0-1, L Tennyson 0-1’45

Scorers for Kerry: D Keane 0-3fs, M Ó Sé 1-0, C Moynihan 1-2 (1tp), M Somers 0-2 (1tp), K Fitzgerald 0-2 (1tpf), L Mac Gearailt 0-1, M Corridon 0-1, D Muprhy 0-1, D Lane 0-1,

Kildare: Joe Crotty; Eoin Markey, Ryan Crawford, Luke Shanahan, Fionn Lawlor, Charlie Doran, Liam Mescal; Jack Doran, Páidí Ryan; Logan Tennyson, Greg Kelly, Eoghan Lyons, Jack Reilly, Aidan Tobin, Cian Keogh.

Subs: Jamie Flood for Tobin, 40; Aodhán Bergin for Tennyson, 51; Fiachra Martin for Lawlor, 57; Callum Cowzer for Reilly, 58; Gearóid Clare for Keogh, 58

Kerry: Seán Sargent; Jan Ziobar, John Breen, Conor Clifford, Danny Murphy, Cian Stack, Mikey Corridon; Maidhc Ó Sé, Jack Colllins; Lúc Mac Gearailt, Daragh Keane, Daithí Laide, Danny Lane, Fionn O’Dowd, Cillian O’Donoghue.

Subs: Mikey Somers for Collins, 14; Seanie Clifford for Laide, 39; Cillian Moynihan for O’Dowd, 39; Killian Fitzgerald for O’Donoghue, 48; Timmy Kennelly for Lane, 57.

Referee: James Regan (Cork).