2023 Allianz Hurling League Division 2A – Kerry 0-18 Carlow 1-13

Kerry defeated Carlow by 0-18 to 1-13 in Round 2 of the Allianz Hurling League Division 2A on Sunday February 12th at Austin Stack Park Tralee.

Kerry hang on for victory against 13-man Carlow https://t.co/Fun707INLs

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) February 12, 2023

Kerry hang on for victory against 13-man Carlow

Allianz Div 2A Hurling

Kerry 0-18 Carlow 1-13

Report by Murt Murphy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

A win is a win as far as Kerry manager Stephen Molumphy is concerned but this was a case of the result concealing a poor display by the Kingdom.

The hosts fell over the line against a Carlow side who finished with 13 players in their Allianz Hurling Division 2A game at Austin Stack Park, Tralee.

Kerry who enjoyed a opening-round win away to Derry, playing with 14 players for most of the game, just never performed as they can.

They notched 16 wides over the 70 minutes and were unable to create a single goal chance in what proved a tough watch for Kerry management and supporters.

Carlow had the wind in the opening half and after 20 minutes they led 0-5 to 0-3 thanks to three points from Marty Kavanagh from placed balls and one each from play from Diarmuid Byrne and Kevin McDonald. All Kerry could muster was points from Eoin Ross, Michael Leane and a Podge Boyle free as well as six wides.

Kerry continued with their profligacy in front of goal until half time and trailed 0-9 to 0-5 by the 33rd minute with Carlow adding points from Marty Kavanagh, Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Diarmuid Byrne and Jack Treacy while Shane Conway and Podge Boyle were on the mark for an otherwise misfiring Kerry attack.

Fionan Mackessy and another Boyle free saw Kerry retire only 0-9 to 0-7 down at half time but they can thank Mikey Boyle, Kyle O’Connor and Eric Leen at the back for being still in the game.

When Carlow’s top marksman Marty Kavanagh picked up a second yellow a minute into the second half for a chop on Mikey Boyle, it appeared as if the Kingdom would cruise to victory. But the intensity and accuracy was not there and they could never shake off a dogged Carlow side. It was the stick of Podge Boyle who kept converting frees that saw Kerry hold a narrow 0-12 to 0-11 lead by the 55th minute.

Boyle hit three frees in a row and a 65 as Kerry moved 0-15 to 0-12 clear by the 65th minute and then Carlow had Kevin McDonald sent off with a straight red but still Kerry could not secure the win. Points from substitutes Philip Lucid and Niall Mulcahy seemed to have settled Kerry nerves in added time only for Carlow to score a goal from a free by James Doyle and it was a two point game. Then in the second last play of the game, Paudie O’Connor denied Carlow a goal and a win when he flicked the ball off the stick of James Doyle as he was unleashing a bullet-like drive.

Mikey Boyle then cleared the final Carlow attack as Kerry just did enough to win but it was far from convincing.

Scorers: Kerry: P Boyle (0-10, 8 fs, 1x;65), F Mackessy (0-2), C Trant, E Ross, S Conway, M Leane, N Mulcahy and P Lucid (0-1 each) Carlow: K McDonald 0-4 (0-3fs), M Kavanagh 0-4 (0-2 ‘65s, 0-2fs, J Doyle (1-0), D Byrne 0-2, F Fitzpatrick, C Kehoe (f) and J Treacy (0-1 each)

KERRY: L Dee; E Leen, E Murphy, K O’Connor; C Trant, M Boyle, E Ross ; F Mackessy, D Collins; S Conway, P O’Connor, D Griffin; M Leane, D Goggin, P Boyle.
Subs: K Carmody for Goggin (ht), N Mulcahy for Griffin (51), B Barrett for Trant (54), S Weir for K O’Connor (57), P Lucid for Mackessy, inj (65).

CARLOW: C Abbey; P Doyle, C Lawlor, J McCullagh; P O’Shea, D Byrne, F Fitzpatrick; K McDonald, J Doyle; J Nolan, M Kavanagh , P Boland; C Kehoe , T Lawlor, J Treacey.
Subs: C Kavanagh for O’Shea (53), F O’Toole for Treacey (68).

REFEREE: M Kennedy (Tipperary).