Gaelic Games

Kerry keep defence of league title alive as Roscommon slip to third straight loss

Kerry go to Galway next weekend looking for a win that could put them into the league final

Roscommon's Conor Cox is tackled by Jason Foley of Kerry during the Allianz Football League Division One game at Austin Stack Park in Tralee. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
Roscommon's Conor Cox is tackled by Jason Foley of Kerry during the Allianz Football League Division One game at Austin Stack Park in Tralee. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
Sat Mar 18 2023 - 22:18

National Football League, Division One: Kerry 1-12 Roscommon 0-12

Kerry’s hopes of a successful league title defence remain on track after they ground out a three-point win over Roscommon in Tralee on Saturday night, a result that puts the Connacht county under pressure to get a result against Donegal in the final round to be sure of retaining their Division One status.

Kerry came into this game looking for the required response to their defeat in Omagh a fortnight ago, and while they started in emphatic fashion with a David Clifford goal after five minutes, Roscommon made life difficult for the All-Ireland champions right to the end.

The result means that Kerry go to Galway next weekend looking for a win that could put them into the league final, if other results play out in their favour.

For their part, Roscommon have now put three losses in a row to go after their three wins at the start of the campaign, and they might have to beat Donegal next weekend to avoid the relegation trap door.

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A lightning-fast start for Kerry saw them race into a 1-2 to no score lead after six minutes, points from Dara Moynihan and Donal O’Sullivan either side of Clifford’s goal, brilliantly finished from Tony Brosnan’s sublime pass.

O’Sullivan’s second point put Kerry six ahead after 10 minutes and one feared for Roscommon at that stage, before former Kerry footballer Conor Cox converted a 20-metre free to get Roscommon off the mark in the 12th minute.

Kerry, at that stage, were doing all the best running, passing and shooting, as evidenced by their fourth point started by Gavin White, set up by Donal O’Sullivan and finished off by Brosnan.

Diarmuid Murtagh converted a Roscommon free, but the attacks from the visitors were too infrequent, as Brosnan and Seán O’Shea (free) extended Kerry’s lead to 1-6 to 0-2 by the 27th minute.

But just as it seemed the hosts were having it all their own way, Roscommon hit them for three unanswered scores from the Murtagh brothers and Cox from an advanced mark to make it 1-6 to 0-5 just after the half-hour mark. A David Clifford point sent Kerry to the break 1-7 to 0-5 ahead.

Roscommon scored the first three points of the second half, from Daire Cregg and two from Cox, and when Graham O’Sullivan was black-carded in the 45th minute Roscommon had more than reason to hope of winning just their second ever league game on Kerry soil.

However, Kerry outscored the visitors by two points to one while O’Sullivan was in the sin bin, and further scores from O’Shea (free) and David Clifford put Kerry five ahead, 1-11 to 0-9.

Roscommon substitute Donie Smith converted two frees for the visitors as Kerry ended the game with 14 players after Tadhg Morley’s black card but the home side clung on for a crucial win that sees them contemplating a league final rather than relegation.

KERRY: Shane Ryan; Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan (0-1); Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; Jack Barry, Barry Dan O’Sullivan; Dara Moynihan (0-1), Seán O’Shea (0-2, two frees), Paudie Clifford (0-1); Tony Brosnan (0-2), David Clifford (1-2, one free), Dónal O’Sullivan (0-2). Subs: Diarmuid O’Connor for B O’Sullivan (51 mins), Killian Spillane (0-1) for D O’Sullivan (55), Pa Warren for G White (64), Ruairí Murphy for D Moynihan (64), Paul Geaney for T Brosnan (68)

ROSCOMMON: Conor Carroll; Conor Hussey, Brian Stack, David Murray; Niall Daly, Eoin McCormack, Robbie Dolan; Tadhg O’Rourke, Dylan Ruane; Ciarán Murtagh (0-1), Ciarán Lennon, Enda Smith; Daire Cregg (0-1), Diarmuid Murtagh (0-2, two frees), Conor Cox (0-6, four frees, one mark). Subs: Keith Doyle for R Dolan (25 mins), Richard Hughes for C Lennon, Ben O’Carroll for D Murtagh (both 48), Donie Smith (0-2, two frees) for C Murtagh (60), Cian McKeon for D Ruane (64).

Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary).