Galway lose but still got what they came for: they maintain their Division One status – albeit thanks to Roscommon not being able to win away to Derry.
So was everyone happy leaving Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday evening? One would have to imagine so, and even though Galway boss Pádraic Joyce will probably look a little more forensically at the video than Jack O’Connor will, this one can be filed away under ‘game to forget’.
All the urgency of this game was packed into the final five minutes, with both sides playing like something depended on it. At that stage it didn’t. Kerry were never in danger of going to the final thanks to Dublin’s annihilation of Tyrone, and Galway were never in threat of being relegated thanks to Derry taking care of business against the Rossies.
Whatever notional interest Kerry had in winning this game was quickly put to rest by what Dublin set about doing against Tyrone to send Dessie Farrell’s men to the League final, but Kerry, almost in spite of themselves, found a way to win anyway.
Gavin White of Kerry in action against John Maher of Galway at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, Kerry. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Galway staged a late rally, with Tomo Culhane’s 68th goal, shaking things up a little in the endgame, but to say this was anything other than a going through the motions game would be wrong.
Suffice to say, Kerry nailed their disinterested colours to the mast early when they parked up their Ferraris from Fossa – David and Paudie Clifford – for this one, though the inclusion of Paul Geaney and Killian Spillane in their attack did at least add some sharpness up front.
Galway knew they simply had to be equal to whatever Roscommon did against Derry, and after a bright opening quarter there was a sense that the Tribesmen were confident that Derry would bail them out come what may.
As he did the week previous, Joe O’Connor pointed Kerry into an early lead but Galway hit back with three quick points, with Rob Finnerty converting two advanced marks and Cillian Ó Curraoin scoring from play.
By the 20-minute mark Galway led 0-5 to 0-2, with Paul Conroy and Cathal Sweeney on target for the visitors from play in reply to Killian Spillane’s converted free for Kerry.
Thereafter, Kerry shook themselves a little and scores from Spillane, Stephen O’Brien and Sean O’Shea (free) had Kerry back on level terms after 30 minutes, and they took a 0-8 to 0-6 to the interval with Darragh Roche, O’Shea and Spillane all finding their range in the closing minutes of a fairly pedestrian and wholly forgettable opening half.
It was all largely challenge game pace, with Kerry just that little bit better across the board. O’Shea (free), Armin Heinrich and Geaney raised flags to send Kerry 0-11 to 0-6 ahead, with Joe O’Connor and Barry O’Sullivan motoring well at midfield for the home side, though Paul Conroy’s two points from play from the Galway midfield was a bright spot for the visitors.
On and on the game puttered, Kerry sending on the Clifford boys as much, it would seem, to repay the crowd for their presence as anything the team need from them. Still, with his first touch Paudie clipped over a point, and later on David tipped over a free kick.
The game was heading for injury time, Kerry ahead 0-15 to 0-9, when John Heaney turned over Gavin White from a Kerry restart, Finnerty shovelled the ball on to Culhane and the Galway sub did the rest to finish past Shane Ryan.
Conroy fired over another score to cut the margin to two points, with Galway pressing hard for a win they now didn’t need.
Kerry held on for a just about deserved win but in the grand scheme of things, no one was keeping score at that stage.
Scorers – Kerry: K Spillane 0-4 (1f), S O’Shea 0-4 (2f), A Heinrich 0-1, J O’Connor 0-1, P Geaney 0-1, S O’Brien 0- 1, D Roche 0-1, P Clifford 0-1, D Clifford 0-1 (f). Galway: T Culhane 1-0, J Heaney 0-2, R Finnerty 0-2 (2m), P Conroy 0-2, D McHugh 0-1, C Sweeney 0-1, C Curraoin 0-1, J Daly 0-1.
Kerry: Shane Ryan, Paul Murphy, Dylan Casey, Armin Heinrich, Seán O’Brien, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White, Barry ‘Dan’ O’Sullivan, Joe O’Connor, Adrian Spillane, Paul Geaney, Stephen O’Brien, Killian Spillane, Darragh Roche, Sean O’Shea. Subs: Paudie Clifford for P Geaney (51), David Clifford for D Roche (51), Graham O’Sullivan for A Heinrich (51), Brian Ó Beaglaoich for P Murphy (53), Ronan Buckley for S O’Brien (58 ).
Galway: Connor Gleeson, Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Eoghan Kelly, Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Liam Silke, Paul Conroy, John Maher, Johnny Heaney, Cein Darcy, Cathan Sweeney, Rory Cunningham, Robert Finnerty, Cillian Ó Curraoin. Subs: Daniel O’Flaherty for R Cunningham (34), Tomo Culhane for C Ó Curraoin (48), Patrick Egan for C Darcy (48), Jack Glynn for L Silke (56), Kieran Molloy for D McHugh (58).
Referee: Seamus Mulhare (Laois)
2024-03-24 16:18:06
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