Gareth Murphy holds off Eoghan Joy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
A savouring first half gave way for a sobering second as Clare’s Munster Final hopes were decisively shattered by a rampant Kerry in Páirc Naomh Mhuire in Quilty.
Kerry 3-15
Clare 1-06
Venue: Páirc Naomh Mhuire, Quilty
Having produced a remarkable second half turnaround highlighted by a rousing Gareth Murphy goal to power four clear, Joe Hayes’ side even had a healthy three point half-time cushion to cling to against the conditions.
However, despite a bright start to the new half, some unforced errors proved costly for the home side as within 90 seconds Kerry talisman Gearoid White had wiped out Clare’s advantage before teeing up Kevin Griffin for a second goal by the 34th minute.
Suddenly Kerry moved swiftly through the gears to up the pace and intensity to heights that Clare simply could not compete with as the Banner found it difficult to even get the ball out of their own half for the majority of the half.
With Ben Kelliher (2) and White fleshing out the margin with frees, the Kingdom had stretched the gap to double scores by the turn of the final quarter thanks to a 2-5 unanswered blitz at 2-10 to 1-05.
Indeed, Clare only had one shot at the posts in the second half as a Donncha O’Dwyer free over the top broke to Conor Burke to fire over entering the final ten minutes.
However, it only seemed to anger the defending champions even more as between braces for substitutes Nick Lacey and Padraig Ó Mainnín, the elusive Gearoid White punished another lapse in concentration to fire a third goal.
Such a dominant and devastating finish certainly couldn’t be envisaged at half-time as while the wind was stiff enough and there was even a drop of rare precipitation, Clare had taken the game to the visitors in what was their fifth championship tie.
Kerry had started how they left off in their ten point triumph over Cork, scoring three of the first four points through David Sargent, Tadhg O’Connell and Kevin Griffin to ease 0-3 to 0-1 clear by the end of the opening quarter.
However, opening scorer Donncha O’Dwyer would also win a kick-out to play in Conor Burke for a potential goal chance in the 15th minute which he gladly took a point to settle his side.
The hosts did test goalkeeper Ruairi Murphy two minutes later when a Conor Burke free dropped shot for Gareth Murphy to turn and shoot, only to see his shot smothered albeit that Liam Casey did grab an equalising point from the rebound.
A Burke free did nudge Clare in front for the first time in the 19th minute but the shot-in-the-arm that the home support craved arrived in the 22nd minute when Ruben Fallon’s delivery was caught by Murphy to turn and boot to the left corner of the Kerry net at 1-4 to 0-3.
Without a score in nine minutes, Gearoid White and Mark O’Carroll did halve the arrears almost immediately, only for Clare to go in with a three point edge after Cathal McNamara completed a one-two with captain O’Dwyer to arrow over at 1-5 to 0-5.
That was as good as it got for Joe Hayes’ side though who got increasingly war-weary as the second half developed and even had O’Dwyer harshly dismissed in injury-time with a second yellow just to compound their disappointment.
Kerry march onto to their 13th Munster Minor Final in 14 years on Friday week but despite this gut-wrenching reverse, it isn’t the end of the road for Clare either as they have an All-Ireland Minor Phase 3 Championship Quarter-Final to come this weekend.
Scorers for Kerry: Gearoid White 2-2 (2f); Kevin Griffin 1-2; Ben Kelliher 0-3 (3f); Nick Lacey, Padraig Ó Mainnín 0-2 each; David Sargent, Tadhg O’Connell, Mark O’Carroll, Danny Murphy 0-1 each
Scorers for Clare: Conor Burke 0-3 (1f); Gareth Murphy 1-0; Donncha O’Dwyer, Liam Casey, Cathal McNamara 0-1 each
Kerry
1: Ruairi Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahilly’s)
4: Tadhg Ó Slatara (Churchill)
3: Eoghan Joy (Ballymacelligott)
2: Ronan Sheridan (Duagh)
5: Danny Murphy (Listry)
6: David Sargent (John Mitchells)
7: Marcus Clifford (Firies)
8: Maidhc Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht)
9: John Curtin (Ballyduff)
10: Mark O’Carroll (Dr. Croke’s)
11: GFearoid White (John Mitchells)
12: Alex Tuohy (Austin Stacks)
13: Ben Kelliher (Dr. Croke’s)
14: Kevin Griffin (St Michael’s Foilmore)
15: Tadhg O’Connell (Tarbert)
Subs
17: Nick Lacey (Kerins O’Rahilly’s) for O’Connell (39)
20: Padraig Ó Mainnín (Lios Póil) for Griffin (48)
19: Liam O’Brien (Glenflesk) for Kelliher (54)
21: James Kissane (Moyvane) for Ó Sé (54)
22: Tadhg O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh Glencar) for Tuohy (55)
Clare
1: Oisin Tierney (Corofin)
2: Cian Corry (Cooraclare)
3: Aidan O’Connell (Éire Óg)
4: James Rafferty (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
19: Rian O’Neill (St Breckan’s)
5: Eoin Murphy (Cooraclare)
7: Ajay Daly (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
8: Donncha O’Dwyer (St Breckan’s)
9: Ruben Fallon (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
15: Cathal McNamara (St Breckan’s)
11: Conor Burke (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
12: Danny Lyne (Éire Óg)
6: Shane Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
24: Gareth Murphy (Cratloe)
14: Liam Casey (Kildysart)
Subs
20: Aaron Kelly (Cratloe) for O’Neill (41)
10: Liam Keane (Lissycasey) for McNamara (49)
21: Jack O’Loughlin (St Breckan’s) for Daly (57)
22: Ollie Sherlock (Cratloe) for Casey (60)
18: Sean McMahon (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Fallon (60)
Referee: Ciaran Murphy (Cork)
