MUNSTER SFC FINAL: Kerry 1-17 Limerick 1-14BOB DYLAN played the latest gig on his Never-Ending Tour in a subdued Limerick last night. We wonder if Bob remembers the 1896 Munster football final, the last time the Treaty City held the title?
Maybe Zimmy would play Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands for them because it was the sort of melancholy tune best suited for those returning empty-handed from yet another trip to Killarney.
Kerry needed a little of everything to win yesterday in front of 23,864 spectators.
Kieran Donaghy’s towering height and soft hands; two raiding scores from Tomás Ó Sé (who was fortunate to be left on the field after several late challenges); a period of utter dominance by Declan O’Sullivan that yielded 0-3; 1-5 from The Gooch, along with a fantastic foot pass.
And, crucially in the opinion of both managers, Micheál Quirke doing a very good impression of Darragh Ó Sé to wrestle the midfield war back from John Galvin.
Quirke was even seen retreating to the square late on as Galvin and company came driving for an equalising goal.
Neither Quirke nor David Moran provided a permanent answer to the midfield problems in Kerry as they replaced Anthony Maher and Séamus Scanlon, but Jack O’Connor seems content to juggle all four of them throughout the championship.
Kerry really have made football a 20-man game this year. At the death of a wonderful spectacle it was the likes of Barry John Keane, Kieran O’Leary and Moran who made huge contributions in killing off a game that seemed dead after Cooper’s goal on 49 minutes.
But wait. Limerick’s story must be told first. With a wind blowing them forward, they held a 0-10 to 0-5 lead as the break approached.
The 10th point was a thing of beauty from captain Seánie Buckley. He chased a ball destined for the sideline with Tomás Ó Sé trailing. Just in case. Buckley reached the football, flicked it over his and Ó Sé’s head before keeping his feted opponent at bay with a solo and then despatching a soaring ball between the posts.
Quirke arrived soon after. Mike McCarthy came to life and pointed, while Cooper tacked on a quick free. As Kerry sought shelter from the gale, it became apparent they had registered seven points and no wides. Limerick had six wayward shots.
The teams switched ends and Kerry exploded. It started with Cooper. He switched to his right foot for a point that made the diligent Johnny McCarthy hesitate.
The giant Quirke glided from the midfield battleground to punch a point that climbed into the air like a beach ball. Cooper hit another free, but Limerick seemed to crumble when Declan O’Sullivan began punishing them from airtight spaces. Three points rained down, only punctuated by McCarthy spurning a goal chance to punch anther score.
Kerry struggled in the early going. Ger Collins grabbed 0-3 and Limerick goalkeeper Brian Scanlon posted two heroic frees from outside the 45 metre line. Alas, Scanlon was off target with two important late opportunities.
Kerry clung on in there, calm under the early scrutiny. They build and wait. Always watching for that killer pass. They shot no wides in the opening 35 minutes; patience being their watchword.
The Cooper goal came when Tomás Ó Sé finally said enough is enough. He boomed a high ball into Donaghy and, despite the persistence of exiled hurler Stephen Lucey, it broke kindly for Donnacha Walsh. Cooper drifted towards the square. Walsh side-footed a perfect pass for Cooper to make it 1-14 to 0-10.
Game over we presumed.
Galvin kept motoring and when he cleverly disposed Scanlon from a short kick to fire the ball past Brendan Kealy to the net the momentum changed dramatically.
James Ryan went inside then outside Marc Ó Sé to land another point. A Collins free was followed up by Galvin levelling matters up in a thrilling six minutes.
The only problem was there was time for Kerry to respond. Jack O’Connor ruthlessly pulled Tom O’Sullivan, Darran O’Sullivan and Scanlon from the field. But their wide tally suddenly grew to five.
The next wave eventually took the helm. Moran ignored the advice of an elder team-mate when dropping a free into O’Leary who fed Cooper for a point.
That was the lead, the insurance came when Keane found Moran, who like Quirke and McCarthy before him, punched a point when a goal seemed possible. It didn’t matter as Tomás Ó Sé galloped into space to make it a three-point game as injury time loomed.
It ended with Galvin driving into several upright Kerry defenders. Penalty? Referee Pat Fox disagreed, but awarded a free that Stephen Lavin drove into a wall of green and gold.
