Allianz Football League Division 1 – Kerry 1-14 Monaghan 0-11

Kerry defeated Monaghan by 1-14 to 0-11 in Round 6 of the Allianz Football League Division 1 on Sunday at Inniskeen.

Monaghan 0-11 Kerry 1-14

From the GAA.ie web site

Monaghan slipped closer to relegation to Division Two of the Allianz Football League following a 1-14 to 0-11 defeat to Kerry in Inniskeen. Despite a spirited second half comeback, Kerry’s class was far too great for Eamonn McEneaney’s inexperienced side and they look doomed to the drop. The Farney men could yet survive in the top flight if they beat Mayo next week and finish level with Galway and Armagh on four points, at which point matters would be decided by scoring difference.

A fourth win of the campaign, combined with Cork’s defeat in Castlebar, sees Kerry slip quietly into contention for a place in the Allianz League Division One final ahead of the final game of the campaign against Down next weekend. It’s a prospect that looked highly unlikely after three rounds of the competition, when Kerry had just two points on the board following defeats to Cork and Dublin. But the Kingdom can now pip their great Munster rivals Cork to a place in the final against the Dubs after a third win on the trot, which was inspired by excellent performances from Declan O’Sullivan and Kieran Donaghy.

O’Sullivan scored 1-2 in the first half as Kerry made Monaghan pay dearly for their decision to play into the breeze by racking up a 1-9 to 0-1 lead. Kieran O’Leary opened Kerry’s account with a free in the tenth minute and from then on, Jack O’Connor’s side completely dominated the first half. Donaghy, who started at midfield, soon moved into the full forward line and he was the orchestrator and creator of much that was to be admired in Kerry’s play.

Declan O’Sullivan’s goal came in the 35th minute after he drifted into space on the edge of the square and fired a low shot past Mark Keogh, the Monaghan goalkeeper. Monaghan’s sole response in the first half was point from Eoin Duffy in the 32nd minute and they went into the break 11 points in arrears. Although Monaghan did win the second half by 0-10 to 0-5, with Conor McManus and Christopher McGuinness, they never really threatened to cause an upset.

Team News

The Kerry Senior Football team V Monaghan for Sunday 3rd April has been announced and is as follows:

1. Tomás Mac a t’Saoir (An Ghaeltacht)

2. Pádraig Reidy (Scartaglin) 3. Marc Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht) 4) Adrian O’Connell (St Michael’s Foilmore) 5. Aidan O’Mahony (Rathmore) 6. Killian Young (Renard) 7. Daniel Bohan (Austin Stacks)

8. David Moran (Kerins O’Rahilly’s) 9. Anthony Maher (Duagh) 10.Declan O’Sullivan (Piarsaigh Na Dromada) 11. Darran O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) 12. Paul Galvin (Finuge)

13 Kieran O’Leary (Captain) (Dr. Crokes) 14. Kieran Donaghy (Austin Stacks) 15. David Geaney (An Daingean)
The substitutes that will travel are as follows: Brendan Kealy (Kilcummin) Seamus Scanlon (Currow) Shane Enright (Tarbert) Brian Maguire (Listowel Emmett’s) Gary O’Driscoll (Skellig Rangers) Alan O’Sullivan (Tuosist) Niall O’Mahony (Spa) Johnny Buckley (Dr. Crokes) JB Spillane(Castlegregory) and Danny O’Sullivan (Kerins O’Rahilly’s)

Note: Eoin Brosnan, Tomas Ó Sé, Colm Cooper and Donnchadh Walsh are being rested. Bryan Sheehan is injured and TomO’Sullivan has the flu.

Bainisteóir: Jack O’Connor (Piarsaigh Na Dromada)

Traenálaí: Alan O’Sullivan (Kerins O’Rahillys)

Roghnóirí: Ger O’Keeffe (Austin Stacks) & Diarmuid Murphy (An Daingean)