All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Semi-Final – Kerry 3-13 Wexford 2-9

Kerry defeated Wexford by 3-13 to 2-9 in the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Semi-Final on Saturday July 25th at Fraher Field Dungarvan.

Kerry perform great late escape

By Kieran McCarthy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Kerry 3-13 Wexford 2-9: The full-time score gave a somewhat misleading representation as Kerry performed a late escape act in Dungarvan on Saturday afternoon to remain on course for a 16th All-Ireland junior title.

With 46 minutes on the clock, the Munster champions trailed by 2-8 to 0-9 after Michael Dwyer rammed to the roof of the net for Wexford, who were boosted by the arrival of Mattie Forde in the second half.

It forced the Kingdom to take drastic action. Manager Stephen Wallace sprung Brendan O’Sullivan and Thomas Hickey from the bench and the fresh legs powered them forward over the final quarter.

O’Sullivan and Liam Kearney managed to monopolise midfield while Hickey showed enthusiastically in the corner. On 49 minutes, leading marksman Conor Cox palmed to the net at the back post following a fluent passing move and Kerry were back in the game. Seven minutes later, Kearney produced a huge catch before Hickey sprayed across for Cox to punch home once again.

The comeback was complete when Killian Spillane finished another defence-splitting attack involving O’Sullivan and David Culhane in the final minute of normal time. A lethal injection of 3-4 in the space of 13 minutes. It could have turned out very differently as David Power’s Wexford fully deserved their five-point lead entering the last leg of the journey. A thumping drive from Paudie Barden to the top corner of Shane Murphy’s net on 16 minutes gave them encouragement.

Donal Shanley and Niall Harney also knocked over fine scores to leave them 1-6 to 0-7 in the clear at halfway. Only a late brace by Philip O’Connor prevented Wexford from holding a more sizeable advantage.

They kicked on further when Power sent in 2004 All-Star Forde for the second half. The Kilanerin man only needed 50 seconds to make an impression and measure a point from the right wing.

Although Cox and O’Connor pared down the arrears to one, Forde sprinkled more magic dust at the other end. He intercepted a stray sideline ball and slipped a pass inside for Michael Dwyer to finish emphatically past Murphy. A seven-point Kerry win looked implausible before Wallace’s rejig turned things round.

Scorers for Kerry: C Cox (2-4, 4 frees); K Spillane (1-0); P O’Connor (0-3); B O’Sullivan (0-2); T Hickey, L Kearney, J O’Donoghue, J Walsh (0-1 each).

Scorers for Wexford: P Barden (1-1); M Dwyer (1-0); D Shanley (0-3, 3 frees); N Harney (0-2); C Redmond, D Murphy, M Forde (0-1 each).

KERRY: S Murphy; D O’Donoghue, D Culhane, G Crowley; J Walsh, T Morley, E Kiely; G O’Sullivan, L Kearney; P O’Connor, J O’Donoghue, B Crowley; A O’Donoghue, C Cox, J Kiely.
Subs: K Spillane for J O’Donoghue (44); B O’Sullivan for G O’Sullivan (47); T Hickey for Kiely (47); A Barry for A O’Donoghue (56).

WEXFORD: R Cleary; P Curtis, J Rossiter, P O’Keeffe; S Doyle, R Vallejo, G Carty; G Malone, J White; N Harney, D Shanley, M Dwyer; M Rossiter, P Barden, K Rowe.
Subs: M Forde for Rossiter (HT); C Redmond for Rowe (33); A Maddock for Curtis (44); D Murphy for Malone (50); S Gaul for White (58).

Referee: J Bermingham (Cork)

A final quarter comeback has seen Kerry reach another All-Ireland junior football final. http://t.co/lhRZyHyIUL pic.twitter.com/1fpMpL3880

— The42.ie GAA (@The42GAA) July 25, 2015

Kerry Into All-Ireland Junior Football Final : http://t.co/tCJVT1xhfu

— Radio Kerry Sport (@radiokerrysport) July 25, 2015

Fixture Details

25.07.2015 (Sat)
GAA Football All-Ireland Junior Championship Semi Finals
Fraher Field, Dungarvan 14:00
Loch Garman v Ciarraí
Referee: James Bermingham (Corcaigh)
(E.T. if Necessary)

Team News

The Kerry Junior Football Team to play Wexford in the All Ireland Junior Football Semi final in Dungarvan on Saturday at 2pm shows one change in personnel from the side that defeated Cork in the provincial final with Listry’s Gary O’Sullivan, introduced as a sub in that game, coming in at midfield in place of Brendan O’Sullivan. Killian Spillane joins the match day panel instead of the injured Greg Gibson. The team, captained by Alan O’Donoghue of John Mitchels is as follows:

1 Shane Murphy Kilcummin
2 Dan O’Donoghue Spa
3 Jack McGuire Listowel Emmets
4 David Culhane Ballylongford
5 James Walsh Knocknagoshel
6 Tadhg Morley Templenoe
7 Gavin Crowley Templenoe
8 Gary O’Sullivan Listry
9 Liam Kearney Spa
10 Brian Crowley Templenoe
11 Jeff O’Donoghue Glenflesk
12 Philip O’Connor Cordal
13 Thomas Hickey Castleisland Desmonds
14 Conor Cox Listowel Emmets
15 Alan O’Donoghue (C) John Mitchels

Fir Ionaid:
16 Darragh O’Shea Ballydonoghue
17 Eamon Kiely Brosna
18 Brian Sugrue Renard
19 Michael Brennan Churchill
20 Brendan O’Sullivan Valentia
21 Jordan Kiely Dr Crokes
22 Adam Barry Brosna
23 David Griffin Ardfert
24 Killian Spillane Templenoe

Bainistíocht:
Bainisteoir: Stephen Wallace (Ardfert)
Roghnoirí: Fergus Clifford (Listry), Denis O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), Timmy O’Sullivan (Kerins O’Rahillys)

Additional Info:

Additional Squad Members:
Paudie Clifford Fossa
Roibeard Ó Sé An Ghaeltacht

On the Injured List:
Denis Daly St Marys
Greg Gibson Waterville
Patrick Clifford Templenoe
Liam Carey Beaufort
Brian Rayel Lispole