Kerry 2-19 Carlow 0-17
History was made at the Austin Stack Park, Tralee on Sunday as Kerry made their debut in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and forgot about the geography, as they enjoyed a deserved eight point victory over a wasteful Carlow side.
It was Kerry’s first taste of Liam McCarthy since 20o4 and while it was far from being a vintage performance, well below the high standards they set themselves in the Div.1B this season, it was still good enough to beat a Carlow side, would were disappointing on the day.
Kerry did improve in the second half, once Brendan O’Leary was introduced to help out his overworked and closely guarded brother Michael, and this coupled with big performances at midfield by John Griffin and team captain Daniel Collins, the result was never in doubt, once Shane Nolan side footed to the Carlow net in the 42nd minute.
Kerry were always comfortable after this despite not firing on all cylinders but the improved displays at the back by Darren Dineen, Tom Murnane and Jason Diggins, ensured that Carlow never got a sniff of a goal chance and the Kerry attack picked off scores with regularity, with young substitute Jordan Conway, firing over two superb points from the side-line.
Carlow had the wind to their backs in the opening half which was notable for the fact they the visitors shot 13 wides with a conversion rate of only 35%, and even if they had taken half them, they might well have made Kerry sweat.
In fact Kerry led 1-6 to 0-7 at the interval due mainly to the crucial score of the half in the 13th minute, when John Griffin won a break, and send Colum Harty racing through and he placed John Egan who fired home a superb goal.
Carlow dominated the second quarter but their shooting was atrocious and all they could add before the interval, was two Martin Kavanagh frees and one from play by John Michael Nolan.
Kerry was obviously told some home truths at half time by team boss Ciaran Carey because the Kingdom began to hurl much better in the second period.
Nolan had one from play and from a free on either side of Kerry’s second goal when kicked a Brendan O’Leary delivery to the net, with Richard Kelly keeping Carlow in touch with a point in 39th minute.
Egan and Hugh O’Byrne swapped points, before Kerry with the O’Leary brothers to the fore were on a 0-7 to 0-2 run and with just ten to go, they led 2-16 to 0-13 with John Griffin, Conway, Michael O’Leary, Jack Goulding and Mikey Boyle all adding to the scoreboard, as Carlow tired and it was Kerry who cruised to victory, without every reaching the heights of recent outings.
Kerry now faces Westmeath next weekend while Carlow play Offaly away.
Man of the Match: John Egan (Kerry)
Scorers – Kerry: S Nolan (1-4, 3 frees); J Egan (1-3); J Griffin (0-3); J Goulding, M Boyle, J Conway (0-2 each); D Dineen (free), D Collins, M O'Leary (0-1 each). Carlow: M Kavanagh (0-8, 6 frees); R Kelly, JM Nolan (0-2 each); J Kavanagh, Sean Murphy, Seamus Murphy, J Doyle (free), HP O'Byrne (0-1 each).
KERRY: A McCabe; B Murphy, P Kelly, K Carmody; J Diggins, D Dineen, T Murnane; J Griffin, D Collins; C Harty, M O'Leary, S Nolan; J Goulding, M Boyle, J Egan. Subs: B Brosnan for Murnane (blood, 16-19), B O'Leary for Harty (18, inj), J Conway for Nolan (46, inj), J O'Connor for B O'Leary, B Barrett for Goulding (68), D Fitzell for Murphy (69).
CARLOW: B Treacy; G Coady, M Ryan, A Corcoran; D Byrne, R Coady, J O'Hara; J Kavanagh, R Kelly; Sean Murphy, M Kavanagh, K McDonald; JM Nolan, J Doyle, Seamus Murphy. Subs: R Smithers for J Kavanagh (22, inj), HP O'Byrne for Seamus Murphy (50), C Lawlor for McDonald (69).
Referee: C Lyons (Cork).
