Allianz Football League Division 1 – Kerry 1-13 Down 1-11

Kerry defeated Down by 1-13 to 1-11 in Round 7 of the Allianz Football League Division 1 on Sunday at Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney.

Kerry 1-13 Down 1-11

From the GAA.ie web site

Kerry rounded off their 2011 Allianz League campaign with a fourth successive win, but it was not enough to secure a place in the final of the competion. Down, too, had designs on meeting Dublin in the League decider later this month and both sides served up an entertaining and competitive game in Killarney. However, Cork did the necessary and beat Armagh at home, so ultimately the result of this game determined little more than who finished third and fourth in the table.

Kerry led by 0-8 to 0-5 at the break, having scored the first four points of the game through Colm Cooper (two frees), Donnacha Walsh and Kieran Donaghy. They soon extended that advantage when Darran O’Sullivan snatched a goal early in the second half. The Glenbeigh man fisted the ball to the back of the net after Bryan Sheehan had found him with a clever pass. In the first half alone, Down had wasted at least two great goal chances, with Declan Rooney and Mark Poland the guilty parties.

Kerry consolidated their advantage with further points from Declan O’Sullivan and his namesake, Darran, leaving the Munster champions in apparent control as the game entered the final quarter. Down finally got the goal that probably should have arrived much sooner when Benny Coulter hit the back of the net after Kerry midfielder Eoin Brosnan had smacked the Down crossbar seconds earlier. Things looked grim for Kerry when defender Tom O’Sullivan was sent off and Martin Clarke brought Down to within a point with the resultant free. Sheehan settled Kerry with a late free and Jack O’Connor’s side held on for a two-point win, gaining a measure of revenge for last year’s GAA All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to the Mourne men.

Team News

The Kerry team to play Down on Sunday at 2.30pm in Fitzgerald Stadium is as follows:

1. Brendan Kealy, (Kilcummin)

2. Shane Enright (Tarbert) 3 Marc Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht) . 4 Tom O’Sullivan (Rathmore)

5 Tomas Ó Sé, (An Ghaeltacht )6 Killian Young (Renard) 7. Aidan O’Mahony(Rathmore)

8 Eoin Brosnan (Dr. Crokes), 9 Anthony Maher (Duagh)

10. Donnchadh Walsh (Cromane), 11. Darran O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) 12. Paul Galvin (Finuge)

13. Colm Cooper (Dr. Crokes)14 Kieran Donaghy(Austin Stacks) 15. Declan O’Sullivan (Piarsaigh Na Dromada)

Subs: Tomás Mac a t’Saoir (An Ghaeltacht) Seamus Scanlon (Currow) Kieran O’Leary (Dr. Crokes) Bryan Sheehan (St. Mary’s) 20 Padraig Reidy (Scartaglin) Brian McGuire (Listowel Emmetts) Daniel Bohan(Austin Stacks) , Adrian O’Connell (St Michaels Foilmore) Niall O’Mahony (Spa)

Bainisteóir: Jack O’Connor (Piarsaigh Na Dromada)

Physical coach: Alan O’Sullivan (Kerins O’Rahillys)

Coach: Donie Buckley (Castleisland Desmonds)

Selectors : Ger O’Keeffe (Austin Stacks) & Diarmuid Murphy ( Daingean Uí Chúis )