Munster SFC Semi-final/Kerry 2-10 Limerick 0-10: The recurring nightmare of Kerry returned to haunt Limerick footballers at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday and once more Liam Kearns's team found the All-Ireland football champions an insurmountable obstacle.
This Bank of Ireland Munster semi-final was a match of which Limerick had full control for long spells, but they weren't able to close out a result any more than they were in the past two years of meetings with their affluent neighbours.
Kerry didn't play for most of the first half and were unable to score between a goal after 30 seconds and a free over half an hour later. That was their lot for the entire opening 35 minutes. Limerick comprehensively won centrefield and were well on top when the ball broke around the middle.
Despite this monopoly of possession, their own scoring returns weren't hectic either. Of the seven first-half points, five came from frees by Muiris Gavin and, overall, the team's defence scored more from play than its attack.
Kerry's reigning Footballer of the Year, Colm Cooper, was the key difference between the teams. His 2-5 was an accurate reflection of the influence he had on the match and the inordinate struggle of the champions to get into the match was largely because they failed to supply Cooper with adequate possession to work his magic.
Once last year's captain Dara Ó Cinnéide came on for the misfiring Michael Russell at half-time, Kerry's fortunes brightened up considerably. Ó Cinneide's prowess in the air and general ball-winning ability was the missing component up front and he enabled the team to vary the game and go long to exploit the second-half wind advantage.
Although Limerick extended their lead to four, 0-8 to 1-1, just after the restart they faded completely and conceded five straight points to surrender the initiative.
Kearns identified the red-carding of replacement defender Mark O'Riordan for a second yellow-card foul on Cooper as the turning point, but by then Limerick had lost momentum even if they were level on the score board and the tide had turned at centrefield. The home side were angered by the sending-off and claimed that Cooper had taken a dive.
For a challenge so comfortably met in the end, it was extraordinary how poorly Kerry began the afternoon once the early goal had gone in. That came about from a high ball from Dara Ó Sé and a crisp finish by Cooper.
The champions later lamented that the score had done them no favours, apparently anaesthetising any sense of urgency they may have felt. Manager Jack O'Connor felt that his team had contracted goal fever as a result and this led them to disdain good point chances in the frenzied pursuit of more green flags.
In fact, the first half was a succession of goal chances. Kerry could have had three more, but Limerick goalkeeper Séamus O'Donnell made fine saves from Russell and the galloping Eoin Brosnan who were both in on goal. Russell made another opening for himself but drove the ball wide.
It took the home side nearly 20 minutes to haul back the early goal through three Gavin frees. The loss of the lead failed to galvanise Kerry and they were being beaten hands down at centrefield by John Quane and John Galvin.
What possession they had wasn't well used and poor quality ball plus some energetic defending, with Stephen Lavin outstanding, kept them stuck on one score. Still, Kerry managed to shoot eight wides, half of them from the hapless Russell.
All the while Limerick tipped away, building and extending a lead. Pick of the points was a great sweeping movement from defence, started and finished by full back Johnny McCarthy. The last action of the half saw Lavin yellow carded for mouthing at Tomás Ó Sé whose driving run from the back had culminated in a disappointing wide.
Lavin also had the first action of the second half, showing Ó Sé how it's done by kicking a point 18 seconds after Galvin had won the throw-in. But as with Kerry in the first half, the early score was illusory and Limerick went the rest of the third quarter without adding to their total. By then, the match had gone away from them.
Once Liam Hassett got what was astonishingly Kerry's first point from play in the 39th minute, the champions were on their way and eight minutes later were level with Ó Cinnéide and Cooper turning the screw. Gavin brought Limerick level for the last time in the 52nd minute, but O'Riordan's departure was followed four minutes later on the hour by the decisive score.
Lining up a point, Cooper notice Hassett free inside and deftly lobbed the ball in towards his colleague. O'Donnell came out to block Hassett, but misjudged the ball, which serenely continued its progress all the way to the net.
O'Connor was relieved to survive the afternoon, but a couple of changes and substantial improvement will be needed for next month's Munster final against Cork.
KERRY: 1. D Murphy; 7. M Ó Sé, 3. M McCarthy, 4. T O'Sullivan; 2. A O'Mahony, 6. E Fitzmaurice (0-1), 5. T Ó Sé; 8. D Ó Sé, 9. P Kelly; 10. P Galvin, 11. E Brosnan, 12. L Hassett (0-1); 15. MF Russell, 14. D O'Sullivan (capt.), 13. C Cooper (2-5, three points frees). Subs: 18. D Ó Cinnéide (0-1, a free) for Russell (half-time), 19. S Moynihan (0-1) for T O'Sullivan (55 mins), 17. W Kirby for Kelly (56 mins), 22. B Sheehan (0-1) for Hassett (61 mins), 20. D Quill for D O'Sullivan (65 mins). Yellow cards: T O'Sullivan (26 mins).
LIMERICK: 1. S O'Donnell; 2. T Stack, 3. J McCarthy (0-1), 7. C Mullane; 5. P Browne, 6. S Lucey, 4. S Lavin (0-1); 8. J Quane, 14. J Galvin; 10. M Crowley, 11. M Gavin (0-7, all frees), 12. S Kelly; 13. C Fitzgerald (0-1), 9. J Stokes, 15. S Buckley. Subs: 18. M O'Riordan for for Browne (40 mins), 20. M O'Brien for Crowley (62 mins), 21. J Murphy for Quane (62 mins). Yellow cards: Mullane (8 mins), Lavin (35 mins), O'Riordan (47 and 56 mins), Kelly (49 mins), Buckley (50 mins). Red cards: O'Riordan (56 mins).
Referee: E Murtagh (Longford).
