*Clare’s Stephen O’Neill. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CLARE’s involvement in the Munster minor football championship has been ended by Kerry after they were outscored 1-13 0-3 on Monday evening.
Kerry 1-21
Clare 0-11
Venue: Austin Stack Park, Tralee
By Mortimer Murphy
Level at half time, Clare could and should have been ahead at the break but failed to take two great goal chances.
Following a ten point defeat at the hands of Cork for the first time since 2023, Kerry minor boss Marc Ó Sé was forced into making sweeping changes to both his starting fifteen and the squad itself, for this tie which was effectively a provincial semi-final.
Kerry made six changes in personnel from the Cork game Sean Sargent, Daithi Laide, Daniel Cronin, Cillian O’Donoghue, Fionn O’Dowd and Cillian Moynihan all entering the first fifteen.
Clare had been buoyed by their Darcy Cup win over Waterford in Lemybrien so this was a must win game for both sides and a Munster MFC semi-final in all but name. Manager Joe Hayes made one change to their starting fifteen with Jack Lavin replacing John Greene at right half back.
Clare had a strong breeze to their backs in the opening half and while the Banner retired on level terms at half time, they butchered two excellent goal scoring opportunities that if taken, then it might well have placed a different reflection on what was occurred in the second stanza.
Kerry were dominant at midfield with Maidhc Ó Sé ruling the aerial collisions while Daithi Laide was making some incisive incursions from wing back but the Kerry attack were being met by staunch defending by Caelum Killeen and Stephen O’Neill.
Fionn O’Dowd opened the Kingdom’s account with an early point and by the tenth minute Kerry had built a 0-4 to 0-0 lead thanks to points from Lúc Mac Gearailt, Conor Clifford and Daragh Keane (f) but then Clare struck for the first of their two pointers from Thomas Dillon which was followed a point from Rian Cotter and another monster two pointer from Sean O’Callaghan.
Suddenly Clare were back in the contest on 0-5 apiece but points from Cillian O’Donoghue and Lúc Mac Gearailt saw Kerry move two clear but Cotter and O’Callaghan with points ensured that the sides retired level on 0-8 apiece at the interval.
Clare had a goal chance straight after half time when Sean O’Callaghan struck the post and the Kerry defence scrambled the ball clear.
But once Jack Collins from Ballymac entered the fray in the 34th minute, the game changed in Kerry’s favour as he kicked two points and provided assists for two more from Danny Murphy and Danny Leane and suddenly Kerry were 0-12 to 0-8 in front and Clare just could not contain the Ballymac dynamo.
Clare lost Niall Burke to a black card and Kerry made hay in the evening sunshine outscoring Clare 1-6 to 0-1 with Danny Lane rattling the Clare net in added time but despite the winning margin, Cork are unlikely to be quaking in their boots for now.
Scorers: Kerry: D Lane (1-3), D Keane (3f) and F O’Dowd (0-4 each). D Murphy (0-3), J Collins and L Mac Gearailt (0-2 each), C Stack C Clifford and C O’Donoghue (0-1 each)
Scorers Clare: S O’Callaghan ( 0-3,tp), R Cotter and T Dillon ( tp) ( 0-2 each) T Bane, S Cahill, L Keane and M Normoyle ( 0-1 each)
Teams: KERRY: C O’Donnell ( Churchill); E Mangan ( Austin Stacks), J Breen ( Listowel Emmets), C Clifford ( Dr Crokes); D Murphy ( Listry), M Corridon ( Ardfert), D Laide ( Finuge); M Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht), D Cronin ( Firies); Lúc Mac Gearailt (An Ghaeltacht), D Keane Kilcummin), C O’Donoghue ( Listry); D Lane (Austin Stacks), F O’Dowd ( Dingle), C Moynihan ( Rathmore) .
Subs: J Collins (Ballymac) for D Cronin ( 35), C Stack ( Kilcummin ) for M Corridon ( 40), T Slattery ( Na Gaeil) for C O’Donoghue ( 42), T Kennelly ( Listowel Emmets) for M Ó Sé ( 55), S Scroope ( Legion) for L Mac Gearailt ( 55)
CLARE: C Griffin (Ennistymon ) , G Browne ( Cooraclare), S Neenan ( Kildysart), T O’Loughlin ( St Brackens); J Lavin( Ennistymon ) , C Killeen ( Lissycasey), S O’Neill ( Eire Óg Ennis); T Bane ( The Banner ), P Neylon (Shannon Gaels ); R Cotter (Kilrush Shamrocks ), S Cahill (Kilmurry-Ibrickane ), T Dillon ( Doonbeg); R Kelly ( Kildysart), L Keane ( Lissycasey), S O’Callaghan ( St Josephs ( Doora Barefield).
Subs: M Normoyle (St Brackens) for T Bane (35), J Greene (Corofin) for R Cotter (40), Z O’Shea ( Doonbeg) for R Kelly ( 43), N Burke ( Kilmurry—Ibrickane) ( 48), R Brody (Ennistymon ) for S O’Callaghan ( 53)
Referee: B Crowley (Cork)
