Football

Monaghan grind out a one-point win over Kerry in Allianz Football League clash in Killarney

Monaghan manager Malachy O'Rourke was happy to eke out the win in Killarney, but is well aware there is still work to do Picture by Philip Walsh
Monaghan manager Malachy O'Rourke was happy to eke out the win in Killarney, but is well aware there is still work to do Picture by Philip Walsh Monaghan manager Malachy O'Rourke was happy to eke out the win in Killarney, but is well aware there is still work to do Picture by Philip Walsh

FOR the second successive time in the Kingdom, Monaghan got the better of Kerry in an Allianz League game as they ground out a hard-fought one-point win over the hosts in Killarney to go with their victory in Tralee two years earlier.

It was the Farneymen’s first victory in Fitzgerald Stadium since 1987 as Malachy O’Rourke cut a rather content figure after his side’s win.

“We’re delighted with the win, maybe even more so with the performance because there are times that you win and you don’t perform well on the day,” he said.

“We had a lot of setbacks out there today with injuries but we dug deep and showed great character to win.”

However, O’Rourke said that they won’t get too carried away.

“I was reminded going out the gate in Tralee two years ago it was only the League,” he said.

“There is a big difference between a Kerry forward line this time of year and one you face in the summer, but our defensive performance today has given us a good idea of our capabilities.

“We’re not thinking we’re top dogs yet though, there is still a gap there to the top teams that we have to try and close.

“We wanted an improvement from the Cavan game and the improvement we got brought us the win here today. Five out of six points is a tremendous start but we’re still only focussed on staying up. It’s great to have such a position heading into the Tyrone game with the injuries we’re likely to have.”

Kerry boss Eamon Fitzmaurice expressed disappointment with his side’s defeat – especially from a position of leading by five points coming into the last five minutes of the first-half.

“It was worrying at half-time because there was a strong breeze there, but we train here so often and we know the place so well that we figured we would be able to battle away against it, but we probably did not score enough in the first-half,” he said.

“We had chances and we did not take them and Monaghan worked very hard in the first-half. Both goals probably came at crucial times for them when we were on top and look we just did not score enough basically,” he added after a defeat that leaves them with just one win from their opening three games and a must-win encounter now away to Roscommon.

A game that had bright sunshine as well as driving wind and rain saw Monaghan cope with the conditions a lot quicker, scoring the opening two frees.

It took Kerry 13 minutes to find their first score, but a great one it was as Paul Murphy found David Moran with a fine pass for the opening goal.

The hosts led by 1-4 to 0-2 after 25 minutes, but the visitors found a way back with Conor McManus drawing a great save from Brendan Kealy.

However, John McCarron was on hand at the second time of asking in helping Monaghan trail by only 1-5 to 1-3 at the interval. Both McCarron and Kieran Hughes were influential in a win that saw the victors restrict Kerry to only two points from play in the entire match.

Five minutes after the restart came Monaghan’s second goal, McManus was involved again as he found Gavin Doogan for a great finish to level it at 2-3 to 1-6.

Hughes’s second point in the 57th minute was the one that gave the visitors a lead, 2-6 to 1-8, that they would not relinquish as McManus scored their final two points of proceedings.

They held their nerve and showed the strength to hold off some late Kingdom pressure before Bryan Sheehan was red carded almost straight after he came on in the 66th minute following a tangle with Hughes.

Injuries to captain Colin Walshe, Darren Hughes, James Mealiff and substitute Owen Duffy will be the only downside of this win as they prepare for the trip to Omagh to face Tyrone this weekend.

Kerry: B Kealy (0-1 free); S Enright, M Griffin, K Young; T Morley (0-1), P Crowley, R Shanahan; D Moran (1-0), J Barry; J Lyne, P Murphy (0-1),

K McCarthy; J Savage, P Geaney (0-3 frees), J O’Donoghue (0-3 frees)

Subs: S O’Brien for Savage (h-t), BJ Keane (0-1 free) for Geaney (50), A Spillane for McCarthy (53), D O’Sullivan for Crowley (61), B Sheehan for Moran (65).

Black card: Barry (56) replaced by A Maher

Red cards: B Sheehan (66)

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-1 free); F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie; K Duffy, J Mealiff, C Walshe; D Hughes, K Hughes (0-2); K O’Connell, S Carey, G Doogan (1-0); C McCarthy, J McCarron (1-3, 0-1 free), C McManus (0-2)

Subs: N McAdam for Walshe (28), R McAnespie for Mealiff (h-t),O Duffy for D Hughes (h-t), C McCarthy for Duffy (44),T Kerr for Malone (65)

Yellow cards: G Doogan (58)

Referee: D O’Mahony (Tipperary)

Attendance: 5,560