NFL Kerry 2-13 Dublin 2-11: The result on Saturday in Tralee might have been a familiar one for Dublin but there was a bit more to it than that. The visitors' 23-year quest for a win in Kerry goes on and there was no advance on last year's two defeats by the All-Ireland champions and Allianz National Footbal League holders but manager Paul Caffrey said afterwards he had been proud of the players. Seán Moran reports from Tralee
Unlike last year when Dublin collapsed in the second half of the matches with Kerry, they actually rescued a situation that had been threatening a calamity in the glow of Stack Park's floodlights.
But a feisty second half, started in style by a Ciarán Whelan goal within seconds of the restart, turned the match around and in the end the visitors were left to bemoan a stream of wides.
"They made the start to the second half that we made in the first," said Kerry manager Jack O'Connor, "and Declan Lally's goal made a real battle out of it. They put it up to us . . . we weren't allowed rest easily on our laurels. There was a fantastic pace in the game. I think we've caught up a good bit in the past few weeks but I'd say Dublin were a little bit fitter than us."
Kerry had started with such scoring panache that Dublin were facing a trimming after quarter of an hour. Once again their defence creaked badly under pressure and Declan Quill ran riot in the corner, racking up 1-3 in the first half - his goal a clinical finish to excellent work by the impressive Paddy Kelly. But to be fair to the Dublin full backs they were under constant attack.
Kerry were stronger on the ball and quicker, able to find space at will and launch fast moves from deep as Dublin's smaller, less experienced forwards were brushed aside when they tried to mount attacks with only Conal Keaney - scorer of two early points - posing a threat.
The home side experimented from the start with Eamonn Fitzmaurice crying off with flu and Darragh Ó Se taking his place. But O'Connor decided to persevere with Tomás Ó Sé at centrefield to partner Kieran Donaghy.
Such was his team's ascendancy O'Connor could tolerate the growing supremacy of Whelan and Shane Ryan. But when the match took off in the second half the first-choice duo of Darragh Ó Se and William Kirby was hastily reconstituted.
The loss of Kelly to a yellow card - "Don't talk to me. They're making a non-contact game out of it," sighed O'Connor afterwards - just before half-time was a significant blow to Kerry, as his strong running and ball winning were a noticeable feature of the champions' superiority going forward and provided the principal assist to both his team's goals.
Just as Dublin's ability to stay in touch was beginning to attract the admiration of the locals, what looked like a hammer blow fell in the 28th minute. Kelly sent Paul Galvin off on a gallop, which he concluded with a lethal shot to put Kerry 2-6 to 0-5 ahead.
Caffrey shuffled his deck at half-time, bringing on Colin Moran and, for a much anticipated league debut, Mark Vaughan. The latter's confident shooting led to two points that raised Dublin's spirits and although Kerry still had the class to keep their opponents chasing the game, a great goal made by replacement Jason Sherlock and finished by Lally left only a point in it with eight minutes to go.
Dublin weren't able to close the gap despite some good chances for Keaney and Senan Connell. Eoin Brosnan finished the scoring in injury-time to double Kerry's lead.
"It's not looking great for us now in terms of the semi-finals," said Caffrey afterwards, "but we've played quality teams over the past two matches, here tonight and up in Tyrone. They're the teams you want to measure yourself against and I was proud of the players."
KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, M Lyons; A O'Mahony, D Ó Sé, S Moynihan; K Donaghy, T Ó Sé; P Galvin (1-0), E Brosnan (0-2), P Kelly; D Quill (1-5, one point a free), R O'Connor (0-4, two frees), C Cooper (0-1). Subs: L Hassett (0-1) for Kelly (yellow card, 35 mins), W Kirby for Donaghy (56 mins), B Sheahan for Hassett (68 mins).
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P Griffin, P Christie (capt.), S O'Shaughnessy; P Casey, B Cullen, P Andrews; C Whelan (1-2), S Ryan (0-1); D Lally (1-1), L Ó hÉineacháin (0-1), S Connell (0-1); D O'Callaghan, C Keaney (0-2), T Quinn (0-1, a free). Subs: M Vaughan (0-2) for O'Callaghan (half-time), C Moran for Casey (half-time), C Goggins for Andrews (yellow card, 43 mins), J Sherlock for Ó hÉineacháin (54 mins), D Homan for Quinn (64 mins), B Cahill for O'Shaughnessy (yellow card, 66 mins).
Referee: M Deegan (Laois).
Yellow cards: Kerry - Kelly (35 mins). Dublin - Andrews (42 mins), O'Shaughnessy (64 mins), Homan (69 mins).
