Luckless Tipperary fall to heavy defeat against Kerry in round one clash in New Inn

Dalata Hotel Group Munster U20 Football Championship - Phase 2 - Round 1

Tipperary 1-10

Kerry 2-19

A wasteful Tipperary side were eventually put down by a more clinical Kerry outfit in the first-round clash of the Premier and Kingdom in New Inn on a cold and blustery spring evening.

Coming away from the West Tipperary venue with the scoreline showing a twelve-point victory for Kerry, the layman amongst the crowd, or passers-by could be forgiven for thinking this was one-way traffic.

However, it was anything but as Tipperary created so many chances to make this a closer contest on the scoreboard than it ended up being, especially when you consider that Niall Fitzgerald’s men left at least three guilt-edged goal chances behind and also had one green flag chalked off early in the first half.

It was a game that always seemed to be stacked against the home team as they trailed by 1-9 to 0-4 at the break after playing into the face of a fierce gust and agonisingly, the elements completely died in the second half for Tipperary, losing the advantage of a big wind that Kerry profited from, while it also allowed for more scoring threat for the visitors late in the second half.

As a result, Tipp were always playing catch up, and despite Ben Carey lashing home a left-footed effort to the back of the net in the 46th minute to bring the game back to five points, the deficit was too much to make up as Kerry’s good fortune with the elements meant they could break at pace and punish a Tipperary team that were pouring forward to find the scores to get back into the game.

More to follow……..

Scorers: Tipperary: Daithí Hogan (0-6, 0-4f); Ben Carey 1-1; Billy Tierney, Joe Higgins, Darragh O’Connor all 0-1 each.

Kerry: Tomás Kennedy (1-4, 0-2m); D Kirby 1-3; Paddy Lane (0-5, 0-2f); Evan Boyle 0-2; Ben Murphy, Ciarán Collins, Odhrán Ferris, Liam Evans all 0-1 each, Jack Tagney 0-1f.

Tipperary: Robbie McGrath (Galtee Rovers); Billy Tierney (Clonmel Commercials), Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore-Castleiney), Emmet Bonner (Galtee Rovers); Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers), Charlie King (Ballina), Jack O’Keeffe (Clonmel Commercials); Joe Higgins (Clonmel Commercials), Darragh O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials); Dylan Cotter (Thurles Gaels), Ben Carey (Ballylooby Castlegrace), Thomas Charles (Clonmel Commercials); Daithi Hogan (St Patrick’s), Paddy O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers), JP Mbokha Tansia (Ballina)

Subs used: Liam Freaney (Kilsheelan Kilcash) for Cotter (42); Thomas O’Connor (Kilsheelan Kilcash) for Charles (53); Cillian Ryan (Ballina) for Tierney (56, inj).

Kerry: Michael Tansley (Austin Stacks, capt); Maidhcí Lynch (Dr Crokes), Dara Stack (Kilcummin), Gearóid Evans (Keel); Ben Murphy (Austin Stacks), Darragh O’Connor (Kenmare Shamrocks), Eeddie Healy (Listowel Emmets); Evan Boyle (Ballyduff), Aaron Kennelly (Listowel Emmets); Ciarán Collins (Rathmore), Donagh O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), Daniel Kirby (Austin Stacks); Odhrán Ferris (Ardfert), Tomás Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahillys), Paddy Lane (Austin Stacks).

Subs used: Liam Evans (Keel) for Kennelly (41); Aodhna Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht) for Ferris (45); Ronan Carroll (Austin Stacks) for Collins (49); Jack Tagney (Kenmare Shamrocks) for O’Sullivan (54); Jack Murphy (Austin Stacks) for Lynch (58).

Referee: Cormac Dineen (Cork)