Kerry 1-19
Meath 2-13
Paul Brennan reports from Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney
KERRY RECORDED THEIR second win of Division One with a three-point win over Meath in what was a far from convincing performance from last year’s league runners-up.
In the end Meath lacked that little bit of killer instinct to arrest a run of what’s now four straight defeats in the competition, but they can and should take plenty of positives from their trip to Killarney.
That, of course, won’t nourish Meath manager Andy McEntee much ahead of the visit of Galway to Navan next weekend, but Kerry boss Peter Keane will have plenty to ponder, too, ahead of the Kingdom’s trip to Castlebar next Saturday.
The visit of newly promoted Meath was always going to be considered a banker win for the Kingdom, but Kerry could never quite shake free of a dogged Meath side that made life very difficult for themselves with two players going to the sin-bin in the first half.
Kerry would finish with 13 players on the pitch after black cards for Micheal Burns (70) and Tony Brosnan (75) but Meath’s sin-binnings – Cillian O’Sullivan in the fifth minute and then Donal Keogan going to the ‘bin’ in the 30th minute – were much more destructive to their hopes of arresting a run of three successive defeats.
Halfway through the first half Kerry found themselves 1-5 to 0-0 ahead – David Clifford’s 14th minute goal seeming to suggest that this could get very ugly very early for the visitors – but eight points can be a dangerous lead in football…or so it seemed as Meath thundered back into the contest, outscoring their hosts 1-5 to 0-2 in the next nine minutes.
Paul Geaney, Micheal Burns, Sean O’Shea (two frees) and senior debutant David Shaw had kicked Kerry’s early points, but just after Burns’ 17th minute score put Kerry eight ahead, Meath responded with points from Cillian O’Sullivan – not long back on the field – and James McEntee, before captain Keogan slammed a fine shot past Brian Kelly in the Kerry goal to cut the deficit to three points.
That gap was down to two when Thomas O’Reillys converted his second free to make it 1-7 to 1-5, but Kerry finished strong, after Keogan’s black card, with points from O’Shea (two frees) and Clifford to leave Kerry 1-10 to 1-5 ahead at the interval.
Scores from O’Reilly (two frees), Oisin O’Brien and James Conlon brought the score back to 1-11 to 1-9 as Meath found some new energy and momentum, with Bryan Menton and Brian Conlon getting an important foothold in the centre of the field.
Dara Moynihan and Tommy Walsh’s arrival from the bench gave Kerry much needed new focus and options in attack, and two points from the former, along with another from the excellent Micheal Burns, moved Kerry into a 1-17 to 1-9 lead and looking comfortable for the win.
Meath had other ideas, and when Bryan McMahon finished the ball past Kelly in the 62nd minute to make it a five-point game Kerry still had work to do. In the end they just about got it done, with Walsh and Clifford kicking scores to keep Meath at bay, though the Royals did draw a couple of important saves from Kelly as Kerry fell over the winning line.
Scorers for Kerry: D Clifford 1-3 (0-1f), S O’Shea 0-6f, M Burns 0-3, D Shaw 0-2, P Geaney 0-2, D Moynihan 0-2, T Walsh 0-1
Scorers for Meath: T O’Reilly 0-6 (5f), D Keogan 1-0, B McMahon 1-0, J Conlon 0-2, C O’Sullivan 0-2 (1f), B Menton 0-1, J McEntee 0-1, O O’Brien 0-1
Kerry
1. Brian Kelly (Legion)
2. Graham O’Sullivan (Piarsaigh na Dromoda)
3. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe)
4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5. Paul Murphy (Rathmore
6. Shane Enright (Tarbert)
7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
8. Liam Kearney (Spa)
9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
10. Micheál Burns (Dr Crokes)
11. Seán O’Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks)
12. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare Shamrocks)
19. David Shaw (Dr Crokes)
14. David Clifford (Fossa)
15. Paul Geaney (Dingle)
Subs
13. Dara Moynihan (Spa) for L Kearney (44)
21. Tommy Walsh (Kerins O’Rahillys) for D Shaw (49)
25. Tony Brosnan (Dr Crokes) for S O’Brien (61)
18. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil) for P Geaney (71)
Meath
1. Marcus Brennan (Navan O’Mahonys)
2. Robin Clarke (Duleek Bellewstown)
3. Conor McGill (Ratoath)
4. David Toner (Curraha)
10. James McEntee (Curraha)
5. Ronan Ryan (Druim Samhradh)
7. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny)
8. Bryan Menton (Donaghmore Ashbourne)
6. Brian Conlon (Simonstown Gaels)
13. Cillian O’Sullivan (Moynalvey)
11. Bryan McMahon (Ratoath)
12. Ethan Devine (Na Fianna)
23. James Conlon (St Colmcille’s)
14. Thomas O’Reilly (Wolfe Tones)
26. Oisin O’Brien (Navan O’Mahonys)
Subs
20. Eamon Wallace (Rathoath) for E Devine (54)
15. Donal Lenihan (St Peter’s, Dunboyne) for O O’Brien (59)
21. Sean Tobin (Simonstown Gaels) for J Conlon (59)
19. Gavin McCoy (St Peter’s, Dunboyne) for B Conlon (65)
17. Ross Ryan (Druim Samhradh) for R Ryan (67)
Referee: Derek O’Mahony (Tipperary).
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Spot on Farrell. This isn’t mind games, Wales are a great side and the game could really go either way this Sunday. Tightest game of the round by a long stretch.
@Ultan Corcoran: this is the worst Welsh team in 15 years.
@Chris Mc: completely untrue.. they managed two wins and a draw over two championships finishing 5th both in 2006 and 2007 six nations and were eliminated from the group stages in the 2007 WC. This welsh team is made up predominantly of players who have been to a world Cup semi final, some having been to two, and as recently as 2019 won the GS. Even Ger Gilroys lobsidded moustache knows this
@PScald: ger Gilroy from off the ball is always stoking the fire, looking for a reaction. Wales may of been playing very poorly but cannot be written off. Wreckon it will be a tight game. COYBIG!!!
@Anthony O Connell: GG is a self serving POS and a complete hack..
@PScald: agreed. I like off the ball besides him
@Chris Mc: Is there really such a thing as ‘worst’ in test rugby? I don’t think so anyway. I would really really hate it now if the Welsh were to beat us, and that isn’t sarcasm, it would just be painful for all those dismissing Wales on here in recent posts and their ability, in a 2-horse race over 80mins. Anything can happen. Again…tight game and hoping Ireland will get the win by 3-7pts.
@PScald: so worst team in 14 years then
@PScald: since gatland finished they have been poor. They do have some good players but like their club sides lack any direction and show very little substance. It the Ireland 23 want to win and dont shoot themselves in the foot we will win handy enough.
@Chris Mc: sure, I dont necessarily disagree but it’s not what you said originally.
@Patrick Breen: how about make these judgements on a team 2 years on from a grand slam and WC semi final after the tournament
@PScald: form changes quick, and they’ve had a very poor season, in a similar way to us in 2019, but worse
Ireland are at their absolute worst when we’re heavy favourites, and Wales have something to prove. We’ve also won four in a row against them, so there’s no way they’re not going to show up, especially at home.
@Anthony James McLaughlin: Heavy favorites? I think we’re 2 or 3 point favorites
@Ricky Wright: Oh I wasn’t going off the bookies odds, more just the tone of the rugby press and people on social media.
I hope sexton has the Corona vaccine. A man of his age is in the vulnerable bracket!!!!
@Kevin O’brien: good one…
@Kevin O’brien: Painfully unfunny, even by your standards kEvInNnNn
Whatever we think of Ger Gilroy, it is ridiculous to see so much energy wasted getting all pissed off about it. Radio show host makes comment most people disagree with. People getting irate over nothing. He made the headlines. Job done.
@Ricky Wright: his job is to make headlines? Sorry, I thought he was a sports presenter
@Ricky Wright: it was tongue in cheek they were slagging themselves over the same comment they made back in 2019 about
There is no doubt that wales are in a bad run of form and the coach is under serious pressure to keep his job for the future.
This is why he has gone back to his experienced players but I believe that those players are just past their sell by date.
They are still very good players but I think there best days are past them and their age has to be catching up with them
I’d like to see an improvement with the line out , maul and defence. Even if we don’t win the game tomorrow you could take comfort if you saw these areas improve.
I’m still sticking with my original comment , Ireland to win by a one score game .