Kerry players celebrate at the final whistle after victory over Kildare in the first round of the Joe McDonagh Cup.
Joe McDonagh Cup Round 1
KERRY 1-17 KILDARE 0-19
By Ger McNally at Cedral St. Conleth's Park
Kerry scored the last five points, including a 73rd minute point from captain Oisin Maunsell, to stage the ultimate smash and grab at Cedral St Conleths Park.
It was quite the turnaround after Kerry were defeated by 17 points in the league at the same venue in the opening round of the league but with half new team they were totally outfit.
It means that after winless campaigns in 2021 and 2023, Kildare’s wait for a first win in the McDonagh Cup goes on but they are unlikely to get much of a better opportunity than this.
With the wind behind them and Padraig Boyle in top form, Kerry were the better side and after Boyle’s 11th minute goal, led 1-7 to 0-9 at half time.
A scoring burst of four points in a row, including three by David Qualter, put Kildare 0-16 to 1-9 with 15 minutes to go.
Kerry replaced Boyle with the equally excellent Dylan Moriarty and his first involvement after walking in from the sideline was to score a free from the halfway line to spark a bit of life into the Kingdom’s challenge once again.
Kerry got back to within a point but Kildare answered back with a run of three points, including a brilliantly worked point when Cian Boran fed Gerry Keegan who finished on the run. That made it 0-19 to 1-12 with six minutes to go but instead of inspiring Kildare, it actually proved to be their last score.
Kerry scored the last five points of the game while Kildare hit wides from Keegan, Qualter and Cuirtin and it was Maunsell’s 73rd minute point that proved to be the winner.
Scorers for Kildare: D Qualter 0-10 (1’65, 4fs), C McCabe 0-3, G Keegan 0-2, D Melville 0-2, P Dolan 0-1, C Boran 0-1.
Scorers for Kerry: P Boyle 1-7 (5fs), D Moriarty 0-5 (3fs, 1’65), O Maunsell 0-3, K Goulding 0-2.
KILDARE: Paddy McKenna; Liam O’Reilly, Simon Leacy, Rian Boran, Paul Dolan, Cian Boran, Daniel O’Meara; Cathal McCabe, Daire Guerin; David Qualter, Gerry Keegan, Darragh Melville; Jack Sheridan, James Burke, Jack Higgins. Subs: Muiris Curtin for Higgins, 46; Jack Travers for Guerin; 54; Jame Dolan (Celbridge) for Melville, 70+1
KERRY: Louis Dee; Kyle O’Connor, Flor McCarthy, Dara Kearney, Darragh Shanahan, Kevin Goulding, Darragh Conway; Paudie O’Connor, Daithi Griffin; Tom Doyle, Killian Hayes, Luke Crowley, Ronan Walsh, Padraig Boyle, Oisin Maunsell. Subs: Shane Nolan for Crowley, 48; Seanie Brosnan for Griffin, 57; Dylan Moriarty for Boyle, 59; Adam Segal for Hayes, 68; Rory Mahony for Walsh, 70
Ref: Colum Cunning.
