David Moriarty reports on Kerry FC’s defeat against UCD at Mounthawk Park last night…

KERRY FC 0-1 UCD AFC

On Friday evening Kerry FC returned to league action in Mounthawk Park as they took on UCD AFC in Tralee.

The last time the two faced each other was on the seventh of June when a last-minute Eanna Clancy header took all three points for the side from the capital.

Each time the sides have faced off against one another they have been tight affairs and Friday looked no different.

The first time the two faced was on April Fool’s Day when they shared the points as Daniel Okwute got the equaliser and Ryan Kelliher was denied a late winner for offside that was dubiously given on the evening.

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It was UCD who took all three points in their first outing in Tralee with two quick-fire goals from Mikey McCullagh cancelling out Sean McGrath’s seventh-minute strike.

Kerry returned to Mounthawk Park for the first time since their heroic efforts in the third round of the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup against Bohemians where they unfortunately lost on penalties.

Kerry FC have been very impressive at home this season and would like to take a huge performance like that in their stride as they come up to the final few matches of the 2024 season.

The first chance of the game came the way of Nathan Gleeson who started on the right side of the front three for the game. Gleeson received the ball twenty yards out and decided to curl an effort but unfortunately, it went well over the bar and well clear of any danger for Kian Moore.

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In the twenty-second minute, UCD got on the stat board with their first shot on target from Jake Doyle.

The cross came into the area with great accuracy and found Doyle brilliantly. Doyle had the aim on his header but not enough power as Antonio Tuta did brilliantly to catch the effort and collect the ball with pure ease.

Ryan Kelliher had a shout for a penalty in the thirty-first minute when he was seemingly dragged down in the box when going for the ball in an attacking position. Play was waved on and Alan Patchell did not hesitate in doing so.

UCD controlled the pace of the game towards the end of the first half. Jake Doyle tried a couple of long-range shots about twenty-five yards from goal.

Although they did not trouble Tuta, he was getting closer and closer with each effort to put his side ahead at the break. A fairly lacklustre half-ended level with very few clear-cut chances for either side.

If it was to get any more exciting and more of an edge-of-the-seat affair both sides would need to take more attacking choices and take a few more chances when it came to the final third.

Kerry FC started well in the second half and Oran Crowe had a chance to put the home side ahead nine minutes into the half.

A free kick far out from Sean O’Connell was delivered deep to the back post onto the head of Ryan Kelliher who headed it back across the box to Crowe. Crowe leaned back slightly which drove his shot over the crossbar but it was a lot more positive from Kerry FC.

Three minutes later, even with Kerry FC’s slight increase in possession, UCD took the lead through Michael Raggett.

A pinball bit of play led to Raggett getting a free shot on goal inside the area. It seemed on the eye to be a fairly easy shot but it took great composure from Raggett to rifle the chance into the bottom right corner.

The game was fairly even to the end but unfortunately, Kerry FC created very few chances and UCD were very professional in their approach to the end of the game and made sure Kerry FC could not come back into it.

UCD eventually ran out 1-0 winners and took six points out of six against Kerry FC in Tralee.

It’s back to the drawing board for Kerry FC who head to Limerick next Friday to take on Treaty United with the third last Munster Derby of the season and the first of back-to-back games against Munster opposition

KERRY FC TEAM: 1. ANTONIO TUTA, 24. CIAN BARRETT, 6. ETHAN KOS, 18. SAMUEL ALADESANUSI, 3. SEAN O’CONNELL, 8. RONAN TEAHAN, 7. SEAN MCGRATH, 4. ORAN CROWE, 13. NATHAN GLEESON, 9. RYAN KELLIHER, 10. VALERII DOLIA.

SUBS: AARON O’SULLIVAN, ANDY SPAIN, TOGOR SILONG, VICTOR UDEZE, BOBBY AMADASUN, DANIEL OKWUTE, CIAN BROSNAN, KENNEDY AMECHI, FINN BARRETT

UCD TEAM: 1. KIAN MOORE, 3. ADAM WELLS, 4. EANNA CLANCY, 6. SEAN BRENNAN, 8. RONAN FINN (C), 9. MICHAEL RAGGETT (GOAL ‘55), 18. NIALL HOLOHAN, 22. SAM NORVAL, 26. LUKE O’REGAN, 24. ADAM VERDON, 29. JAKE DOYLE.

SUBS: FINTAN AGNEW, ALEX DUNNE, MICHAEL MCCULLAGH, DONAL HIGHINS, HARRY CURTIS, COLIN BOLTON, HUGH PARKER, STEPHEN MOHAN, ADAM BRENNAN.

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