Galway...1-13 Kerry...0-9 PÁIDÍ Ó SÉ put it succinctly: "Galway are crafty". The Kerry boss was referring to the manner in which the home side reacted and avoided the pitfalls that so many teams fall into when they have an extra man. In truth Galway were a great deal more than crafty as they put their talents on display in Pearse Park yesterday.
John O'Mahony's side had clearly stamped its authority on the game well before Colm Cooper received a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident in which Diarmuid Blake, a late call-up, suffered after 31 minutes.
The Kerry forwards had shown alarming signs of ineptitude from the start and were badly left wanting against Galway's alert and very solid cover. Kerry's front men have speed to burn but in this instance they clearly lacked the physical strenght and adventure to have any chance of unhinging the home side's brilliant rearguard.
But for the pinpoint accuracy and guile of Declan Quill in the right corner Kerry's plight would have been far worse. The 8,000 crowd were treated to a sparkling display by a very much in-the-groove Galway side that enjoyed a high possession rate from the start.
Galway were bright and sharp despite having to reshuffle the side just before the off. But the changes, due mainly to Joe Bergin having to cry off with a broken finger, worked out well. John Divilly moved to midfield to partner a dominant Kieran Comer, Kevin Brady came into defence and Derry O'Brien started on the right wing.
The shortcomings of the Kerry defence were exposed early as Galway's effective attack leader Matthew Clancy stormed through for two points inside the opening two minutes. Tommy Joyce added a third as the gaps opened alarmingly in the visitors' cover. Amid growing uncertainty in the Kerry side it was left to the reliable Seamus Moynihan to set up Cooper for Kerry's opening score after six minutes. Five minutes later - and by which time Galway had opened up a 1-4 to 0-1 lead - Quill had the first of his seven points.
The Galway goal was a classic; Kieran Comer, first to the ball once more, sent in a long delivery for Michael Meehan to snatch before wrong-footing his marker and slotting a great shot into Diarmuid Murphy's net.
Kerry were unlucky with a chance to get back into the game when an O'Sullivan centre was knocked off the bar by Cooper, but Galway were not without their share of bad luck either. Frustration crept into the Kerry defence and Michael McCarthy, who figured at full back in a swop with Barry O'Se, was shown a yellow card for his tackle on Derek Savage who had been sent clear by Derry O'Brien with the goal at his mercy.
A tremendous four-man move summed up the variety of Galway's play as Savage made the score 1-9 to 0-5 shortly after half-time.
Kerry struggled to reopen their account after the interval and had to wait for a point from substitute Paul Galgan to ease their plight. And it was left to Quill to take the bad look off the scoreboard with three late points.
"Our team is not in great shape, although we are training even as hard as ever," reflected Ó Sé. "I am disappointed," said trainer John O'Keeffe, "losing Cooper was a big loss for us."
KERRY: D Murphy; T O'Sullivan, M McCarthy, B O'Se; T O'Se, S Moynihan, J Sheehan; D O'Se, D Daly; Sean O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, B Sheehan; D Quill (0-7 two frees), D O Cinneide, C Cooper (0-1). Subs: D O'Sullivan for O Cinneide (half-time); P Galgan (0-1) for B Sheehan; E MacMuiris for Brosnan and M O Se for B O'Shea (all three 43 mins); P O Cinneide for S O'Sullivan (60 mins).
Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan)
GALWAY: A Keane; M Comer, K Fitzgerald, R Fahey; D Blake, K Brady, S Og de Paor; J Divilly, K Comer (0-1); D O'Brien (0-2), M Clancy (0-3 one free), A Kerrins; M Meehan (1-5 two frees), D Savage (0-1), T Joyce (0-1). Subs: L Colleran for Kerrins (55 mins).
