Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Round Robin Series Round 1
Kerry 2-19
Carlow 0-17
HISTORY WAS MADE in Tralee today when the Kerry hurlers played their inaugural fixture in the Leinster Championship, and the Kingdom marked the occasion with a comfortable win over Carlow.
Kerry had eight points to spare over Carlow in the end but it took Shane Nolan’s kicked 42nd-minute goal to set up a winning platform, and by the hour mark the Kingdom had the Leinster men’s measure, easing to a deserved and expected win with a string of second-half points.
The first half was notable for two things: John Egan’s 13th-minute goal for Kerry and the 12 wides Carlow registered as they utterly wasted the majority share of possession they enjoyed.
Jack Kavanagh struck the visitors’ first point from 70 metres after 25 seconds, an indication of the strength of the breeze in Carlow’s favour in the first half, but a quick succession of scores from Egan, Shane Nolan, Daniel Collins and Mikey Boyle had Kerry 0-4 to 0-1 ahead by the eighth minute.
Carlow had it back to 0-4 apiece before Colum Harty placed Egan for a low strike to the net, and the next 20 minutes produced a smattering of points from either side as Kerry took a 1-6 to 0-7 lead to the break, with that dozen Carlow wides looking as if they would prove costly.
Shane Nolan and Richard Kelly exchanged points early after the restart, but when the former managed to toe-poke the sliotar underneath Carlow goalkeeper Brian Treacy in the 42nd minute there was an air of inevitability about the outcome.
Michael Kavanagh’s points from play and frees kept the visitors in contention through the second half, but they never really threatened for the goal they badly needed.
Kerry midfielder John Griffin mined three second-half points, with substitute Jordan Conway scoring two as Kerry eased out to a 10-point lead, before Carlow brought it back to eight at the end.
Next week Kerry entertain Westmeath in Tralee when another win would put them well on their way to a Leinster quarter-final, even setting up the possibility of a unique Munster-Connacht contest when they could face the might of Galway.
Scorers for Kerry: Shane Nolan (1-4, 0-3f), John Egan (1-3), John Griffin (0-3), Mikey Boyle (0-2), Jack Goulding (0-2), Jordan Conway (0-2), Daniel Collins (0-1), Michael O’Leary (0-1), Darren Dineen (0-1f)
Scorers for Carlow: Martin Kavanagh (0-8, 6f), John Michael Nolan (0-2), Jack Kavanagh (0-1), Richard Kelly (0-1), Seamus Murphy (0-1), Sean Murphy (0-1), James Doyle (0-1f), Conor Lawlor (0-1), Hugh Paddy O’Byrne (0-1)
Kerry
1. Aidan McCabe (Kilmoyley)
2. Bryan Murphy (Causeway)
3. Patrick Kelly (Clarecastle)
4. Keith Carmody (Causeway)
5. Jason Diggins (Causeway)
6. Darren Dineen (St Brendans)
7. Tom Murnane (Kilmoyley)
8. John Griffin (Lixnaw)
9. Daniel Collins (Kilmoyley)
10. Colum Harty (Causeway)
11. Michael O’Leary (Abbeydorney)
12. Shane Nolan (Crotta O’Neills)
13. Jack Goulding (Ballyduff)
14. Mikey Boyle (Ballyduff)
15. John Egan (St Brendans)
Subs:
23. Brendan O’Leary (Abbeydorney) for C Harty (inj, 18 min)
21. Jordan Conway (Crotta O’Neills) for S Nolan (46 min)
25. James O’Connor (Abbeydorney) for B O’Leary (67 min)
26. Brandon Barrett (Causeway) for J Goulding (67 mins)
22. Dougie Fitzelle (Kilmoyley) for B Murphy (69 mins)
Carlow
1. Brian Treacy (Naomh Eoin)
2. Ger Coady (St Mullins)
3. Michael Ryan (Ballinkillen)
4. Alan Corcoran (Erins Own)
5. Diarmuid Byrne (Mount Leinster Rangers)
6. Richard Coady (Mount Leinster Rangers)
7. James O’Hara (Naomh Eoin)
8. Jack Kavanagh (St Mullins)
9. Richard Kelly (Mount Leinster Rangers)
10. Sean Murphy (Ballinkillen)
11. Martin Kavanagh (St Mullins)
12. Kevin McDonald (Mount Leinster Rangers)
13. Seamus Murphy (St Mullins)
14. James Doyle (St Mullins)
17. John Michael Nolan (Erins Own)
Subs:
15. Ross Smithers (Naomh Eoin) for J Kavanagh (inj, 23 mins)
19. Hugh Paddy O’Byrne (Mount Leinster Rangers) for S Murphy (50 min)
18. Conor Lawlor (Carlow Town) for K McDonald (69 min)
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
- OFFALY’S MINOR HURLERS booked their spot in the provincial semi-finals meanwhile. The Faithful saw off Westmeath on a scoreline of 3-09 to 1-07. David Buckley, Joey Keenaghan and Eoin woods raised the green flags for Offaly. The last four tie is set for O’Connor Park on 15 May.
Up the Kingdom! Watch out Kilkenny, we’re coming for ye!
How come kerry can play a leinster championship game in tralee but galway cant play in salthill
It’s a round Robin system, home and away games. Think Antrim played at home when they were in it. Quarters and semis at neutral venues.
Very good point. It shows how much the other counties fear and loathe Galway’s presence in the Leinster championship when they blatantly and unanimously discriminate against them on this matter. Well done the kingdom.
Of course Kerry had to score a goal by kicking it in
Great to see Kerry improving at the small ball.
Fair play to John Meyler and the lads..
Surely Inpho could provide you with a few pictures of Ciaran Carey?!
After the hammering they got in the big ball its good to see they have the small ball to fall back on!!!!!
I’m delighted for Kerry,there are some great hurling people down there around causeway l ixnaw etc,that take great pride in keeping the game alive there,regards from laois
It’s a joke that the winners of the round robin play Galway while the runners up play Laois.
Kerry have small numbers supporting their hurling. Tipp and cork object to them playing in munster as the revenues for a munster championship game would be small. Clare limerick and waterford had no problem with them re entering
If thats true stop bitching about Tipp and Cork and get the rest of kerry to start following yer hurlers.
Kerry should be playing in the Munster Championship not Leinster. The GAA are a joke
Well just some guy, I wont agree with you that the gaa is a joke.. you must understand, for the Kerry team to be playing in division 1b is a remarkable achievement.. it safe to say now they are a top 10 team.. but people dont realise that its only a pocket of north Kerry that play hurling, all these clubs are within a 15 mile radius of each other.. its great to see this team improving and beating the likes of offely… but if we were to come up against the likes of tipp, Waterford, Clare in the first round, I’m afraid that would do the future of hurling in Kerry no favours.. so its a good idea by the gaa..
Kerry chose to enter the Leinster championship rather than the Munster chpionship as they felt they weren’t ready for the standard in Munster. They play the teams in the Leinster championship regularly at minor , u21 and national league level.