MUNSTER MFC: CLARE 0-11 KERRY 1-21
Forty minutes into this Munster championship game the sides were deadlocked at eight points apiece. Indeed the Banner probably should have been ahead but two missed goal opportunities ultimately proved costly.
The opening stages belonged to the hosts who raced out of the starting blocks landing the first four points before a beautiful Thomas Dillon orange flag ignited the Banner into life. That two point trick was repeated moments later with Sean O’Callaghan nailing a peach and after eighteen minutes the sides were level at five points apiece. The kingdom responded with the next two scores before three successive Clare white flags gave the Banner the lead for the first and indeed only time.
Fortune didn’t favour the Banner though as a Sean O’Callaghan point attempt at the start of the second half came down off the upright, rolled across the goal hit the post and was subsequently cleared.
Kerry went to their bench introducing Jack Collins and the substitutes impact was immediate with the Kingdom landing four points in two minutes to open up a lead they would never relinquish.
Clare to their credit hung on in there and indeed only trailed by six with seven minutes to play but a black card for Banner substitute Niall Burke reduced Clare to fourteen for the remaining seven minutes.
Seven minutes that saw the Kingdom raid for 1-5 with Danny Murphy scoring the goal with the very last kick of the contest.
Clare: Conor Griffin, Gavin Browne, Siney Neenan, Tristan O’Loughlin, Jack Lavin, Caelum Killeen, Stephen O’Neill, Tadhg Bane, Paddy Neylon, Rian Cotter, Shane Cahill, Thomas Dillon, Robbie Kelly, Liam Keane, Seán O’Callaghan
Subs: Michael Normoyle for T Bane (37), John Greene for R Cotter (40), Zak O’Shea for R Kelly (45), Niall Burke for P Neylon (49), Ryan Brody for S O’Callaghan (53)
Scorers: Sean O’Callaghan 0-3 (TP), Rian Cotter, Thomas Dillon (TP) 0-2 each, Tadgh Bane, Shane Cahill, Liam Keane, Michael Normoyle 0-1 each
Kerry: Sean Sargent, Eoin Mangan, John Breen, Conor Clifford, Danny Murphy, Mikey Corridon, Daithí Laide, Maidhc Ó Sé, Daniel Cronin, Lúc Mac Gearailt, Daragh Keane, Cillian O’Donoghue, Danny Lane, Fionn O’Dowd, Cillian Moynihan
Subs: Jack Collins for D Cronin (35), Cian Stack for M Corridon (40), Tom Slattery for C O’Donoghue (45), Samuel Scroope for L Mac Gearailt (54), Timmy Kenneally for M O’Shea (54)
Scorers: Danny Lane 1-3, Fionn O’Dowd (F), Darragh Keane (3 F) 0-4 each, Danny Murphy 0-3, Jack Collins, Luc Mac Gearailt 0-2 each, Cian Stack, Conor Clifford, Cillian O’Donoghue 0-1 each
Referee: Brian Crowley (Cork)
