Mike O’Halloran was at the Allianz Hurling League Division 2A game in Carlow where Kerry emerged victorious…

Kerry 0-20

Carlow 0-13

A very impressive win by Kerry given the tragic events prior to the game, my thoughts are with the family.

Kerry went into a two point lead within two minutes with pointed frees from Shane Conway.

The next three scores came from Carlow with Kevin McDonald, Dean Tobin and Richard Coady firing over a point each.

Continued below…

Padraig Boyle replied for Kerry but again Carlow put four scores on the board three from McDonald and one from Chris Moran to leave the score Carlow 0-07 Kerry 0-03 with twenty two minutes on the clock.

Carlow were playing with a pretty strong wind in the first half and I was hoping that Kerry would not go in at halftime too far behind.

I need not have worried because up stepped Gavin Dooley he drove towards the the Carlow goal he was fouled and Shane Conway pointed the free.

Four minutes later Conway had pointed another free, then on twenty eight minutes Carlow were awarded a penalty.

It was poorly hit by Diarmuid Byrne, saved by Louis Dee and cleared, a couple of minutes later Padraig Boyle had reduced the margin to one point, a red card followed for Carlow and on the stroke of halftime Gavin Dooley drew Kerry level with a fine point, seven points all.

Kerry started the second half in whirl wind fashion when they rattled off five points without reply from the sticks of Paudie O’Connor, Paudie Ahern, Shane Nolan, Shane Conway and the impressive Padraig Boyle, to leave the score after six minutes of the second half Kerry 0-12 Carlow0-07.

Kerry looked as if they were going to cruise home, but Carlow had other ideas they drove over four points in a row McDonald with three and one from Chris Nolan.

Kerry were reduced to fourteen on seventeen minutes losing a player to a second yellow.

Padraig Boyle stopped the rot with another fine point, two more points followed from Conway with a beautiful side line ball and Ahern pointing from play, John Mike Nolan interrupted the Kerry scoring, three more points followed for the Kerry men.

On 29 minutes Padraig Boyle drove over his fourth point, Shane Conway pointed again after the brilliant Colin Walsh was fouled bringing his tally to eight.

With thirty seven minutes on the clock Niall Mulcahy made it Kerry 0-19 before Conway had the final say with point number ten to leave the final score Kerry 0-20 Carlow 0-13.

There were many stand out performances but Padraig Boyle was my player for the game with four brilliant points from play.

Next up for Kerry is Meath in Tralee next Sunday.

Kerry introduced Darragh Slattery, Dan Collins, Niall Mulcahy, Mark Heffernan, Flor McCarthy and Niall Mulcahy. Paudie O’Connor started instead of Darragh Slattery.