Sport

Cooper strikes late for victory

Kerry 1-11 Monaghan 0-13: A point by Colm Cooper two minutes into stoppage time saw Kerry take the points in this keenly contested…

Mon Mar 13 2006 - 00:00

Kerry 1-11 Monaghan 0-13: A point by Colm Cooper two minutes into stoppage time saw Kerry take the points in this keenly contested match in Scotstown yesterday. Kerry were the dominant side early on but erratic finishing, and good defending by Monaghan, saw them denied on a number of occasions.

The sides were level twice in the opening 15 minutes after which Kerry forged ahead with a goal and two points without reply between the 20th and 30th minutes putting them five points in front. Eoin Brosnan found the Monaghan net just on the half-hour.

Monaghan finished the first half with three points without reply from Stephen Gollogly, Rory Woods and a Hugh McElroy free to leave just two between the sides at the break, Kerry 1-4, Monaghan 0-5.

Within two minutes of the restart Monaghan had drawn level with points from Gollogly and Damien Freeman. Declan O'Sullivan restored Kerry's lead in the third minute but within 60 seconds Paul Finlay had Monaghan back on terms and in an increasingly competitive half the sides were level seven times.

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Seán O'Sullivan restored Kerry's lead but a brace from Paul Finlay and Woods saw Monaghan take the lead for the first time. Kerry struck back with Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Cooper putting the Kingdom in front by the minimum margin on 22 minutes. Again Monaghan responded with a point each from the Freeman brothers, Tomás and Damien, to put Monaghan back in front.

Cooper equalised from a free in the 20th minute and Declan O'Sullivan restored the visitors' lead just on the half hour. Two minutes from the end of normal time Paul Finlay stroked over a free to leave the sides level.

But Kerry snatched it two minutes into stoppage time with a somewhat controversial point from their All Star corner forward.

KERRY: K Cremin; M Ó Sé, M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan; T Ó'Sé, A O'Mahony, M Lyons; D Ó Sé, K Donaghy; S O'Sullivan (0-3), E Fitzmaurice (0-1), E Brosnan (1-0), C Cooper (0-4), D O'Sullivan (0-3), MF Russell. Subs: P Kelly for Russell, A MacGearailt for Donaghy, T Griffin for S O'Sullivan.

MONAGHAN: S Duffy; D Morgan, J Coyle, C Flanagan; D McArdle, V Corey, P McGuigan; B McKenna, P Finlay (0-3); E Duffy, D Freeman (0-2), S Gollogly (0-2), R Woods (0-3), H McElroy (0-2), T Freeman (0-1). Subs: S Smyth for McGuigan, C Hanratty for Duffy, K Sheerin for Smyth.

Referee: C Reilly (Meath).