Allianz Hurling League Division 1B – Kerry 3-14 Laois 0-19

Kerry defeated Laois by 3-14 to 0-19 in Round 1 of the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B on Sunday February 12th at Austin Stack Park Tralee.

REPORT: @Kerry_Official hit three second half goals against @LaoisCLGhttps://t.co/6K65F9Mv7C

— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 12, 2017

Allianz HL Div 1B: Kerry stage dramatic comeback

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

KERRY 3-14 LAOIS 0-19

Report by Paul Brennan for GAA.ie

Kerry pulled off a remarkable comeback against Laois with a double goal strike in the 60th minute helping them overturn a nine-point half time deficit to earn what could be a hugely significant win this afternoon.

Trailing for most of a contest against a sharper Laois team at a very cold Austin Stack Park, three second half goals gave new Kerry manager Fintan O’Connor a crucial win in front of a small crowd.

Padraig Boyle’s 37th minute penalty goal made a small inroad into Kerry’s 0-4 to 0-13 half time deficit but the Kingdom still trailed by six points in the 60th minute. Boyle pulled first on a loose ball to raise his and Kerry’s second green flag, and when Colum Harty found the Laois net 50 seconds later Kerry, somehow, found themselves level.

Mikey Boyle’s point two minutes later gave Kerry the lead for the first time, and with Laois left reeling, the home side closed out the comeback with late scores from the Boyle brothers, Shane Nolan (free), Harty and Paudie O’Connor.

The first half was a free-ridden affair largely reduced to a free taking contest between Stephen Maher and Shane Nolan, with the former winning that contest by six points to three, as Laois dominated much of the half.

Nolan’s frees had kept the home side in touch, but a few errant strikes meant Kerry trailed 0-4 to 0-13 at the break, with the impressive Willie Dunphy scoring four points from play for Laois in the first half.

Kerry had played against a stiff breeze in that first half, but it still looked like they had left themselves too much to do.

Padraig Boyle won the 37th minute penalty he converted, but trailing 1-9 to 0-18 after 60 minutes Kerry were staring at an opening day defeat.

Then came that double goal strike, however, and geed up by a small, but vociferous home support Kerry kicked on and found their scoring touch to five off the last six points to hand Kerry an important win over their former boss Eamonn Kelly.

Scorers for Kerry: P Boyle 2-1 (1-0 pen), S Nolan 0-6 (5fs) C Harty 1-2, M Boyle 0-2, D Collins 0-2, P O’Connor 0-1

Scorers for Laois: S Maher 0-11 (11fs), W Dunphy 0-4, P Whelan 0-1, B Conroy 0-1, N Foyle 0-1, PJ Scully 0-1 (sl).

KERRY: A McCabe, S Weir, R Horgan, B Murphy, P Costello, P Kelly, D Dineen, P O’Connor, C Harty, J Goulding, M Boyle, D Collins, J Conway, P Boyle, S Nolan
Subs: K Carmody for J Conway (53), J O’Connor for J Goulding (70).

LAOIS: E Fleming, D Palmer, R Mullaney, P Lawlor, L Bergin, M Whelan, P Whelan, P Purcell, B Conroy, C Taylor, N Foyle, R King, W Dunphy, C Dwyer, S Maher
Subs: PJ Scully for C Taylor (57), E Lyons for P Whelan (60), S Downey for R Mullaney (63), C Healy for N Foyle (66).

REFEREE: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).

Team News

The Kerry Senior Hurling Team to play Laois… https://t.co/6W9gKutGqB

— Kerry GAA (@Kerry_Official) February 10, 2017

The Kerry Senior Hurling Team to play Laois in the opening round of the Allianz Hurling League on Sunday next in Austin Stack Park at 2 pm captained by Aiden McCabe of Kilmoyley is as follows:

1 Aiden McCabe (C) Kilmoyley
2 Sean Weir Crotta O’Neills
3 Rory Horgan St Brendans
4 Bryan Murphy Causeway
5 Paud Costello Ballyduff
6 Patrick Kelly Clarecastle
7 Darren Dineen St Brendans
8 Paudie O’Connor Kilmoyley
9 Colum Harty Causeway
10 Jack Goulding Ballyduff
11 Mikey Boyle Ballyduff
12 Daniel Collins Kilmoyley
13 Jordan Conway Crotta O’Neills
14 Padraig Boyle Ballyduff
15 Shane Nolan Crotta O’Neills

Fir Ionaid:

16 Martin Stackpoole Lixnaw
17 James O’Connor Abbeydorney
18 Keith Carmody Causeway
19 John Griffin Lixnaw
20 James Godley Kilmoyley
21 John Buckley Lixnaw
22 Tomás O’Connor Crotta O’Neills
23 Philp Lucid Ballyheigue
24 Billy Lyons Causeway
25 Sean Nolan Kilmoyley
26 Daniel O’Carroll Ballyduff