Bord Gais Energy GAA Hurling All Ireland U21 B Championship Final – Kerry 1-21 Kildare 4-10

Kerry defeated Kildare by 1-21 to 4-10 in the Bord Gais Energy GAA Hurling All Ireland U21 B Championship Final on Saturday September 14th at Semple Stadium Thurles.

Boyle’s late goal swings it Kerry’s way

Kerry 1-21 Kildare 4-10

By Diarmuid O’Flynn for the Irish Examiner newspaper

How quickly the pendulum swings in hurling! Fourth minute of injury-time in this All-Ireland U21 B final in Semple Stadium on Saturday Kildare were in the driving-seat, ahead by two points and with one hand on the trophy. Then came one last high ball into Kerry danger man Podge Boyle on the edge of the Kildare square and in an instant the ball was in the net and the Kingdom were ahead by a point. Seconds later, from the Kildare puckout, sub Phillip Lucid iced the cake with a fine point. Having had a bye all the way to the final (with no other B team in Munster, and a walkover from Tyrone in the semi-final), Kerry were All-Ireland champions after just one game, adding to the minor B title won last weekend in similar late and dramatic fashion.

“Unbelievable!” was the reaction of manager Jim Walsh. “I thought we were going to run out of time with the last puckout, but I was hoping we’d get one more chance, and Podge (Boyle, full-forward) is the right man in those situations. He was unlucky in the first half and could have had two goals. But look, that’s the kind of thing that can happen in hurling. Those things are possible. We conceded four goals but kept plugging away, got 21 points which is a fine score.” For the same Podge that last high ball was just what the doctor ordered. “We robbed them in the end but I think we deserved it; the goals kept them in it but we were the better team all the way through. That’s what I wanted all day, a high ball into the square. I hurt my ankle earlier in the game and couldn’t really move after that.”

Truth be told, in a game that was tied at the break (0-14 to 3-5) Kerry were marginally the better side and 22 scores to 14 tells a tale. Even Kildare manager Noel McMahon admitted as much, though the manner of the defeat left a sour taste. “Two points up in injury-time, a blatant penalty ignored — I don’t know, what can you do? We were here again last year against Roscommon, a referee who didn’t give us one free inside their half bar one in the first minute. Today we get done again by a refereeing decision. Niall Kenny (the player fouled) is only 17, man-of-the-match by a mile, that would have crowned it for him, but what do you do? They were possibly that little bit better than us but we got the goals, led for most of the match and they got one four minutes into injury-time, when it should have been done and dusted at the other end.”

Scorers for Kerry: P Boyle (1-7, three frees); B Brosnan (0-4, two frees, one 65); P McGrath (0-3); D Collins (0-3); B O’Leary (0-2); P Connolly, P Lucid (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kildare: N Kenny (2-3); M Delaney (0-5, two frees, one 65); R Casey (1-0); P McKenna (1-0, pen); E Dempsey (0-2).

KERRY: N Leen; TB McElligott, A Fealy, K Orpen; T Casey, B Murphy, D Fitzell; B Brosnan, B O’Leary (c); P McGrath, D Collins, M O’Leary; PJ Costello, P Boyle, D Leahy.

Subs: K Carmody for Connolly (25); T Barrett for McElligott (25); S Weir for Leahy (41); P Lucid for Carmody (53).

KILDARE: P McKenna; C Farrell, C Gordon, S O’Flynn; K Murphy, D Flaherty, K Connor; P Kennedy, J Byrne; N Kenny, F Conway, R Casey; M Delaney (c), G Keegan, E Dempsey.

Subs: E Doddy for Keegan (51); D Keane for Kenny (63).

Referee: F Horgan (Tipperary)

Fixture Details

14.09.2013 (Sat)

Bord Gais Energy GAA Hurling All Ireland U21B Championship Final

Semple Stadium Thurles 15:00

Ciarraí v Cill Dara

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tiobraid Árann)

(E.T. if Necessary)

Match Coverage

This game will be shown live by TG4

Team News

Kildare: P McKenna; S O’Flynn, C Farrell, C Gordon; K Murphy, D Flaherty, K Connor; P Kennedy, J Byrne; N Kenny, F Conway, M Delaney; R Casey, G Keegan, E Dempsey

The Kerry Team to play Kildare in the Bord Gais Energy GAA Hurling All Ireland Under 21 B Final on Saturday next in Semple Stadium Thurles is as follows:

1 Nicky Leen Ballyduff

2 T.B. McElligott Crotta O Neills

3 Anthony Fealy Causeway

4 Kevin Orpen St Brendans Ardfert

5 Dougie Fitzell Kilmoyley

6 Brian Murphy Causeway

7 Thomas Casey Causeway

8 Brendan Brosnan Lixnaw

9 Brendan O’Leary Abbeydorney (Capt.)

10 Micheal O’Leary Abbeydorney

11 Daniel Collins Kilmoyley

12 Paul McGrath Causeway

13 Pat Joe Connolly Ballyduff

14 Padraig Boyle Ballyduff

15 Darren Leahy Causeway

Subs:

16 Kieran Fitzgibbons Kenmare

17 Tommy Barrett Causeway

18 Sean Weir Crotta O’Neills

19 Chris McCarthy Abbeydorney

20 Keith Carmody Causeway

21 Philp Lucid Ballyheigue

22 Daniel O’Leary Abbeydorney

23 Stephen O’Connor Abbeydorney

24 David Goulding Ballyduff

25 Tommy Maunsell Kilmoyley

26 Jason Bowler Ballyduff

27 David Griffin St Brendans Ardfert

28 Kevin O’Sullivan Kenmare

29 Alan O’Leary Kenmare

Other panel members out through injury

Kevin O’Connor Ballyduff

Colman Savage Kilmoyley

Manager: Joe Walsh (Kilmoyley)

Selectors: D. J. Leahy (Causeway) John Lucid (Ballyheigue), Tom O’Connell (Abbeydorney)

Medical / Physio: Maura Griffin, Stephanie O’Sullivan

Liason Officer: Ger McCarthy

Kerry Under 21 Hurling Panel – Did You Know?

1. Brotherly Love – Three O’Leary brothers from the Abbeydorney club are part of this Kerry panel; Daniel, Brendan & Michéal. Brendan and Micheal played on last year’s minor team that won the All Ireland B with Michéal wining his 2nd Minor medal last Saturday. Brendan captains the side & all three are under age again next year.

2. Nine of the panel were part of the 2011 Under 21winning team.

3. Thirteen of the panel are still involved in the senior county hurling championship semi -finals.

4 Michéal O’Leary, Keith Carmody & Philp Lucid were members of last years and this years winning All Ireland Minor B teams.

5. Manager Joe Walsh and selectors D.J. Leahy, and Tom O’Connell were members of the Kerry senior team that beat Waterford in the Munster senior championship in 1993 and played all grades with the county.

6. Selector John Lucid played all grades with Kerry from underage to senior.

7. Darren Leahy is son of present selector D.J.

8. Seven of the panel were part of the Christy Ring team who lost to Down in the final earlier in the year.

9. Most of this panel have played with Causeway Comprehensive School and were very successful at Colleges level in Munster.

10. Padraig Boyle and Daniel Collins have also played Minor football for the county.

11 Kerry have seven U21 titles 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011,

12 Michéal O’Leary from the Abbeydorney club is captain of the team.

Kerry Manager Joe Walsh – A Profile

Joe is a member of the Kilmoyley Hurling club and played at all grades for both club and county. He holds 4 county senior championship medals along with a Munster senior league with the club. Along with his brother Christy, he was a member of the Kerry senior hurling team when Kerry beat Waterford in the Munster championship in 1993. Joe coached the Kerry minor team to All Ireland success in 2009 and also coached underage club teams for many years. He is also coach to the local camogie team, Cillard Under 14s and 16s.

Joe was the first hurling officer to be elected to Coiste Chontae Chiarrai in 2008, a position he held for 5 years. During his term Kerry won the Christy Ring Cup in 2011, three U21 and 2 Minor titles, he also set up a new hurling club in Tralee town in 2012 and Tralee Parnells have since been a great success. Joe is married to Margaret and they have three children, Clodagh. Sarah and Ronan.