Joe McDonagh Cup
Courtesy of GAA.ie
Kerry 0-26
Down 2-12
By Paul Brennan at Austin Stack Park
On the hour mark there was nothing between Kerry and Down in this Joe McDonagh Cup game in Tralee, and then it all turned. Daithi Sands was sent off for a second yellow card offence and from there Kerry outscored the visitors by 0-9 to 0-1, with Finn Turpin’s 72nd point scant consolation for the Mourne men.
The win moves Kerry to second in the table, behind Laois on scoring difference, with the table toppers coming to Tralee next weekend for what will be a huge game for both teams.
It looked grim enough for Kerry for a long time in Austin Stack Park against a Down team that hurled brilliantly in the first half and who would have been quite happy going in at half time level on the scoreboard, 2-4 to 0-10, having played against a strong wind.
With the wind Kerry pucked 12 wides and conceded those two goals to Down in the first period, but it was a case of better late than never as they saved their best hurling until those final 15 minutes to ease away from Down and back up their win away to Westmeath the previous week.
It all started well for the Kingdom with Ronan Walsh pointing them into the lead after two minutes and Maurice O’Connor – from play and a free making it 0-3 to no score after nine minutes.
A minute later Down struck for their first goal when Caolan Taggart’s long-range free dropped into the small square and Daithi Sands got a vital touch to steer the sliotar past Louis Dee.
Kerry had plenty of possession but their accuracy let them down as the wide tally mounted, and that wastefulness looked even more costly when Eoghan Sands started a swift counter-attack to solo through the heart of the Kerry defence and set up Taggart for a fine goal in the 22nd minute to make it 2-2 to 0-4.
Dan Goggin, with his first touch after being introduced, pointed for Kerry and Maurice O’Connor converted a couple of frees and landed two points from play, while Daithi Sands and Chris Egan were on target for Down to leave it all square at the interval, though the advantage was with Down with the wind in their favour for the second half.
Goggin had two early points for Kerry, but midfielder Donal Hughes and Tim Penter, along with Eoghan Sands, scored to put Down ahead after 43 minutes.
Paul Sheehan – on free taking duty – scored three for Down, as did Egan with his second from play, while Goggin from play and Maurice O’Connor with three frees for Kerry ensured it was a tied game on the hour mark, 0-17 to 2-11.
And then it all changed. Daithi Sands’ sending off gave Kerry the spark they needed, and points from O’Connor (4), Ronan Walsh and subs David Woulfe, Brandon Barrett and Gavin Dooley sealed the win for the Kingdom.
Scorers for Kerry: M O’Connor 0-13 (7fs), D Goggins 0-4, R Walsh 0-2, F Mackessy 0-2 (1f), C Walsh 0-1, K Hayes 0-1, D Woulfe 0-1, B Barrett 0-1, G Dooley 0-1
Scores for Down: D Sands 1-1, C Taggart 1-0, P Sheehan 0-3 (3fs), C Egan 0-2, T Prenter 0-2, E Sands 0-2, D Hughes 0-1, F Turpin 0-1.
Kerry: Louis Dee, Dáithí Griffin, Flor McCarthy, Evan Murphy, Kyle O’Connor, Eric Leen, Fionán Mackessy, Colin Walsh, Darragh Shanahan, Niall Mulcahy, Killian Hayes, Ronan Walsh, Luke Crowley, Michael Leane, Maurice O’Connor.
Subs: Dan Goggin for N Mulcahy (24), Gavin Dooley for M Leane, (44), Brandon Barrett for D Shanahan (50), David Woulfe for L Crowley (61), Tom Doyle for K Hayes (72).
Down: Stephen Keith, Matt Conlan, Conor Cassidy, John McManus, Tom Murray, Caolan Taggart, Ruairí McCrickard, Dónal Hughes, Tim Prenter, Paul Sheehan, Eoghan Sands, Liam Savage, Dáithí Sands, Chris Egan, Pearse Óg McCrickard.
Subs: Tom McGrattan for P McCrickard (44), Finn Turpin for C Egan (53), Marc Fisher for J McManus (57), Oisin McManus for P Sheehan (62), Barry Trainor for E Sands (69).
Referee: Conor Doyle (Tipperary).
