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Mike O’Halloran was in Austin Stack Park yesterday for another fantastic victory for the Kerry hurlers…
Kerry 2-27
Laois 1-19
Job done… John Griffin and Tommy Casey after the final whistle. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
The boys and girls of Tralee Parnells Hurling club were the exhibition game at half time in this Division 1B play off game.
What a game they chose to show off their talents to the present Kerry hurling team and vice versa. What an exhibition the Kerry team put on to enthuse the hurlers of the future.
Outside the gate of Austin Stack Park, the women of Kerry camogie were fundraising for the future, a camogie organization that is young in years but well down the road to establishing Kerry camogie on the hurling map.
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I had said in my preview in this publication that ‘The Real Kerry’ hurling team would have to show up to remain in Division 1B. A surreal Kerry team showed up and put the invaders from the midlands to the sword in no uncertain fashion.
Laois’s Joe Phelan tries to break away from Jack Goulding and John Egan of Kerry. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Kerry were on another planet from beginning to end. I was on the heart tablets during the game in Birr, but in Tralee I could have brought the armchair and a cup a tea to sip during this display of total hurling from Kerry.
Shane Nolan returned to the fold for Kerry to start this game and I had hoped he would put in an hour of solid work and boy did he do just that working his new short socks off and scoring one goal and three points from play plus six points from the still ball.
Micheal O’Leary climbs for the sliotar. Photo by Gavin O’Connor. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
John Egan, the hurling superstar that the national press have suddenly discovered after some ten years, was also on fire with his lightning rod camas, driving six balls over and one under the white bar.
Kerry began with Aiden McCabe driving all his pucks out down the middle almost as far as the D into the hands of the Colossus that is Michael O’Leary.
He either struck it over himself or distributed it to those around him. Mike ended up with three points with his brother Brendan adding one.
Kerry led 1-08 to 17 points at halftime and left the field to a standing ovation by the large crowd in the satnd.
Laois started the second half well with two points and seemed to be on the up until young Jack Goulding, who replaced the hardworking Jordan Conway at halftime, found Egan one touch later, the green flag was in the hand of the umpire.
If the game wasn’t up for Laois, then it certainly was when Laois lost two men to dark coloured cards from a rather fussy referee.
John ‘Tweek’ Griffin looks to pick out a pass. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
They were eventualy to finish with twelve, but I think that if Kerry had only twelve they would have beaten Laois such was their steely determination and skill.
Shane Nolan added another goal and Jack Goulding scored two peaches from acute angles running at speed from left and right of the posts.
Kerry had eight different scorers two of them subs, which shows the strength of this panel.
John Egan sticks the ball in the back of the net. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Kerry now head into the Leinster Round Robin series with the favourites tag firmly attached to them, given their defeats of Laois twice and also Offaly.
With two home games in that competition and the remaining game away to Offaly, Kerry could see themselves in a Leinster quarter-final with a bit of luck.
The final score Kerry 2-27 Laois 1-19, the boys and girls of Tralee Parnells as well as getting an exhibition of hurling to inspire them also got a free maths class with Kerry scoring 29 times with Laois scoring 20 times, Kerry’s total 33 points to 22 points.
And by the way if you live in Tralee and you wish your child to play the beautiful game of hurling with Tralee Parnells, just show up to the GAA pitch in Caherslee on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7.00pm to join in the future.
Scroll down for photos…
Kerry’s, Tom Murnane pursues John Lennon of Laois. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Scorers – Kerry: S Nolan 1-9 (0-6 frees), J Egan (1-6), M O’Leary 0-3, J Griffin 0-2, B O’Leary 0-2, M Boyle 0-2, J Goulding 0-2, C Harty 0-1.
Laois: PJ Scully 0-7 ( 0-3, 0-1 ’65), S Maher 1-1, C Dwyer 0-4, C Healy 0-2 W Hyland 0-2 , E Rowland (0-1 f), P Purcell 0-1, W Dunphy 0-1
Kerry: Aidan McCabe; Bryan Murphy, Patrick Kelly, Keith Carmody; Jason Diggins (Brendan Brosnan), Darren Dineen, Tom Murnane; John Griffin, Daniel Collins (Thomas Casey); Brendan O’Leary (Colum Harty 0-1), Michael O’Leary, Shane Nolan; Jordan Conway (Jack Goulding 0-2), Michael Boyle, John Egan (James O’Connor).
Laois: Enda Rowland; Tom Delaney (Joe Phelan) , Darren Maher, Cahir Healy; Leigh Bergin(Brendan Reddin), Matthew Whelan Neil Foyle), Ryan Mullaney; Patrick Purcell, Colm Stapleton; Charles Dwyer, Stephen Maher, Willie Dunphy; John Lennon (Ross King), Willie Hyland, P J Scully.
The Kerry panel that faced Laois in the relegation playoff. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Shane Nolan has his eyes on the post. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Tralee Parnells U10 players provided the half time entertainment. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Kerry’s Colm Harty spots a gap in the Laois defence. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Shane Nolan and John Egan celebrate Shane Nolan’s second half goal. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Jack Goulding comes under pressure from Darren Maher of Laois. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Laois’s Patrick Purcell drives out with the slitter with Jack Goulding.
Kerry’s John Egan tries to put in a block on Darren Maher from Laois. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
