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Mike O’Halloran saw Kerry take a beating against Limerick yesterday in their Allianz Hurling League Division 1B game at the Gaelic Grounds…
Limerick 6-21
Kerry 3-8
The Kerry panel before the game on Sunday. Photo by Mike O’Halloran
Kerry travelled to Limerick on Sunday to take on a Limerick team that hammered them on a scoreline of 4-28 to 0-16 points in the Munster League a few weeks ago.
They must have hoped that they would not ship such a huge defeat this time around.
Alas this was not to be, as before throw-in they were holed just above the water line with the withdrawal of Daniel Collins.
For six or seven minutes Kerry were competing savagely and four minutes later they were in the lead when Padraig Boyle shook the net.
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That was as good as it got for those aboard the Kerry hurling ship, Boyle hit the net again ten minutes later, all to no avail as the Limerick forwards kept picking at the hole in the Kerry hull, to go in at halftime leading by ten points 2-13 to 2-3.
We hoped that while the team was in dry dock at halftime that running repairs would be carried out – as happened last week – but no. The keel was completely burst open with Michael Boyle unable to return for the second half with a broken hand, as well as that the Limerick ship added more coal to their boiler when Ronan Lynch blasted a twenty metre free to the net.
On and on went the coal shovelling in the Limerick engine room until they rammed the Kerry ship that was already floundering.
Limerick added three more goals, that tally could have been four more were it not for two great saves by Aiden McCabe, a penalty that hit the crossbar and a screamer from Tobin which should have ended in the Kerry net.
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To sail the seas of Division 1B with the big ships like Limerick, Galway and Wexford, Kerry need to have 20 players fighting like pirates to plunder and pillage, that was not the case on Sunday as not many players could be happy with their performances.
All credit to Padraig Boyle with his three goals, but with only three of the six cylinders of the forward engine working it is very hard to get a result.
Padraig needs to be kept close to the goals and the forwards outside and beside him need to win ball to supply him.
At midfield, Kerry were not happy and at the back they were to say the least leaking for most of the voyage. Credit too to Sean Weir who was quiet in the first half but he was brave, tenacious and aggressive in the second half and was one of the few Kerry boys that hoisted the skull and crossbones to try to stem the Limerick warship.
Now Kerry will have to depend on defeating Offaly at home in the final game to stay afloat in Division 1B, because it is impossible to see anything other than defeats at the hands of Wexford and Galway.
Limerick: N Quaid; S Cahill, R McCarthy, R English; C Ryan, S Hickey, D Hannon; J Fitzgibbon (P Ryan), J Ryan (0-01); K Hayes (W O’Donoghue), T Morrissey (1-03), C Lynch; G Mulcahy (1-01) (A La Touche Cosgrove), R Lynch (3-11, 2-05f, 0-02 65s, 0-01 pen)(D Donovan), S Tobin (0-04) (K O’Brien 1.00)
Kerry: A McCabe; B Murphy R Horgan, S Weir; P Costello (Johnny Buckley), P Kelly (0-01)(James Godley), D Dineen; P O’Connor, C Harty; S Nolan (0-05f), M Boyle (James O’Connor, J Conway (0-01)Stephen Murphy); K Carmody (Jason Wallace), P Boyle (3goals), J Goulding (0-01f).
