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David Moriarty reports on a historic night for Kerry FC at Mounthawk Park…
KERRY FC 4-1 TREATY UNITED
Kerry FC had probably the biggest fixture in their brief history on Monday evening as they took on Treaty United for the second time in just three days in the semi-final of the Munster Senior Cup.
Treaty came out the winners of the league game on Friday night in a closely contested match. The goal from Yousef Mahdy was enough for the away side on the night despite a last-kick penalty from Ryan Kelliher going over the crossbar.
Conor McCarthy rotated his squad slightly with Ethan Kos, Ronan Teahan, Nathan Gleeson, and Victor Udeze all starting in place of Andy Spain, Daire McCarthy, Daniel Okwute and Ryan Kelliher.
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Three of the four started the match from the bench with Andy Spain out of the squad as a chance for rest ahead of Friday night’s trip to Athlone Town in the League.
Kerry FC were looking for revenge after Friday’s cruel defeat and the thought of a first final in the club’s second season was more than enough for the boys to get themselves amped up for the game.
Kerry started very strongly in the game, and it only took Ronan Teahan thirteen minutes to bag his first senior goal for Kerry FC. It was fantastic work from Nathan Gleeson on the right wing that picked out Teahan on the cut back who finished his opportunity with great composure.
A few minutes later Teahan was involved again as he was taken down in the area by Conor Carew. The referee Chris Sheehan believed it was not enough to point to the spot and play was waved on.
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Treaty United kept plugging away and played some great football with such a youthful side and just over the half-hour mark they got back into the game through an equaliser from Mark Byrne.
A ball was played into the area which Antonio Tuta could not fully claim and the loose ball found its way back to Byrne who finished the chance calmly.
It was evident from the opening half that Kerry FC were the dominant side, and they got their reward before the closing stages of the first forty-five through a Sean McGrath double.
His first was from sheer persistence as he latched on to a loose ball and drove thirty yards with it before cheekily dinking it over Micheal Dike bagging his first of the season.
His second was worked around the box before he received the ball on the edge of the area and stuck it into the bottom left corner giving Dike absolutely no chance.
An unbelievable way to finish the half from the Kingdom and they only looked like adding to the goal tally from there on in.
Just four minutes after the restart, Daniel Okwute made it four and two for him overall in the Munster Senior Cup.
A brilliant over-the-top pass from Steven Healy who ran rings around the Treaty United team set Okwute on his way who took his goal superbly through the legs of Micheal Dike.
Kerry looked to the bench for fresh legs and added the likes of Ferdia O’Brien and Finn Barrett who were both making their debuts for the Kerry FC senior outfit.
Daniel Okwute had a shout for another penalty with twenty minutes remaining but unlike the game against Treaty just four days ago, this one was not awarded.
Kerry did not back away from the game and were eager to add more. Ryan Kelliher who came on in the seventy-first minute used great trickery to gain space for himself on the left side of the area before his shot rattled the crossbar.
Kerry went out comfortable and deserving 4-1 winners on the night and booked themselves a spot in the Munster Senior Cup final.
A truly fantastic achievement from the club as a whole. From Conor McCarthy, James Sugrue and all the coaching staff to the players and everyone involved in a club that only started playing competitively at senior level just eighteen months ago to reach a cup final in such a short amount of time is a huge achievement.
Kerry FC will hope to bring this performance to Athlone Town who they play this coming Friday night in League of Ireland action.
A place where Kerry FC got their first-ever League of Ireland win with the desire to get the first win of this year’s league campaign.
KERRY FC TEAM: 1. ANTONIO TUTA, 15, KEVIN WILLIAMS, 18. SAM ALADESANUSI, 6. ETHAN KOS, 3. SEAN O’CONNELL, 8. RONAN TEAHAN (GOAL ’13), 15. STEVEN HEALY, 7. SEAN MCGRATH (GOAL ’42, ‘43), 12. KENNEDY AMECHI, 13. NATHAN GLEESON, 22. VICTOR UDEZE.
SUBS: AARON O’SULLIVAN, FINN BARRETT, DAIRE MCCARTHY, DANIEL OKWUTE (GOAL ’49), RYAN KELLIHER, FERDIA O’BRIEN, EDISON RRAMANI.
TREATY UNITED TEAM: 13. MICHAEL DIKE, 9. YOUSEF MAHDY, 14. ALEC BYRNE, 16. ADAM O’HALLORAN, 18. DAVID TARMEY, 21. CONOR CAREW, 23. FIONN DOHERTY, 27. ROBBIE LYNCH, 28. LEON KIRRANE, 29. MARK BYRNE (GOAL ’32), 30. MARK MURPHY.
SUBS: COREY CHAMBERS, NIKODEM KOZLOWSKI, MARK O’HALLORAN, 26. RICHKOV BOEVI, SEAN COSTELLOE.
