All-Ireland Senior Championship Group Four: Round One
Kerry 0-24 1-11 Monaghan
IT was polite applause. It never once erupted. As soon as Conor McCarthy missed an early goal chance, it never threatened to get out of third gear.
If this is an out-of-form Kerry side, Monaghan won’t want to see them ticking. By half-time, every starting forward for the home side was on the scoresheet.
At full-time, Kerry had 16 scores from 24 turnovers. All too easy. Monaghan were passive, with a conversion rate of just 36 per cent.
At 0-11 to 0-2, Rory Beggan threw the hands up as the ball sailed over his crossbar again. It seemed like every time his opposition crossed the halfway line, there was open country.
Killian Lavelle cut a lonesome figure, doing well as he harried David Clifford as best he could. Just two from play for the golden boy.
But it was equally reminiscent of a nasty, malicious game of piggy-in-the-middle. Untold effort, achieving nothing, no way out. The game was over far too early on.
Tony Brosnan’s two scores were symbolic. Kerry class, nonchalance. Casual and carefree was the strike, arguably the defending too.
Tom O’Sullivan finished as man-of-the-match, as he and Paul Murphy combined for 0-5. The latter rolled back the years, as did Paul Geaney, who notched another five all by himself.
Captain Kieran Duffy was a late withdrawal at full-back, and with Lavelle reverting to three, the Farney lacked any real physical presence, despite the introduction of Barry McBennett and Micheál McCarville.
Kerry ate up Beggan’s long kickouts, scoring on all of their first eight attacks. They struck seven on the bounce on two occasions in a drab opening half, with Vinny Corey’s side faced with an ugly 0-15 to 0-2 half-time scoreline.
Gary Mohan did grab a consolation goal. A high, hanging shot from Conor McCarthy was palmed out, and the man with the mullet regained some respectability for his side.
At the other end, Kerry butchered several goal chances of their own. Even the great David Clifford wasn’t immune to criticism, as he sold Paudie a little short on a hand-pass as Monaghan scrambled and Rory Beggan kept his clean sheet.
It’s only two goals in seven for Jack O’Connor’s charges, perhaps something for them to work on.
But it said it all about this game as a contest that a Seán O’Shea point was greeted with as many groans as claps.
For Monaghan, as Stephen O’Hanlon returned, Karl O’Connell went off injured. So did Dessie Ward, not long after being introduced to the action, as the injuries seem relentless.
When it rains, it pours.
And as the scoreboard was knocked off in Fitzgerald Stadium, captain Kieran Duffy was amongst those sent for runs, with he and Jack McCarron held completely in reserve.
Corey’s side will need to have something in the locker if they are to salvage their year. Today marked eight defeats in a row.
Louth will come to Clones with more than belief, with confidence.
Even when Kerry are down, they’re not really down. They’re always Kerry.
Kerry S Ryan; P Murphy (0-2), J Foley, T O’Sullivan (0-3); B Ó Beaglaoích, T Morley, G White; D O’Connor, J O’Connor; T Brosnan (0-2), P Clifford (0-2), D Moynihan (0-1); D Clifford (0-5, 0-3 frees), S Ó'Shea (0-4, 0-3 frees), P Geaney (0-5)
Subs C Burke for Moynihan (50), BD O’Sullivan for J O’Connor (50), A Heinrich for Ó Beaglaoich (55), S O’Brien for Brosnan (55), D Roche for Geaney (66)
Monaghan R Beggan; R Wylie, K Lavelle, R O’Toole; K O’Connell, B McBennett, C McCarthy; G Mohan, M McCarville; G Mohan (1-1), M McCarville; S O’Hanlon, M Bannigan (0-2), M Hamill; J Irwin, S Jones, C McManus (0-1 free).
Subs D Ward (0-1) for McCarville (ht), A Woods (0-1 mark) for Jones (ht), C McNulty for McBennett (46), J Wilson (0-1 mark) for O’Connell (50), T McPhillips for Ward (53)
Referee S Hurson (Tyrone)