By Eoghan Cormican, Fraher Field
Kerry 2-21 Waterford 1-2
Kerry cruised to a 22-point victory over Waterford in this terribly one-sided Munster MFC quarter-final.
The reigning All-Ireland champions had victory sewn up by half-time, the scoreboard reading 1-13 to 0-1 in their favour.
The home outfit required a decent start if they were to have any chance of springing an upset, or, indeed, of simply making a game of it.
Instead, they found themselves 0-11 to 0-0 in arrears after just 13 minutes of action. It could have been worse. Waterford ‘keeper Aaron Beresford produced a fine save to tip over the bar Sean O’Shea’s shot on 13 minutes.
By this juncture, six Kerry players – Mike Breen, Dara Moynihan, Sean O’Shea, Diarmuid O’Connor, David Clifford and Ferdia O’Brien – had etched their names onto the scoresheet. Corner-forward O’Brien, set-up by Clifford, registered the Kerry goal on 23 minutes; the visitors providing a swift response to Waterford’s opening score from Shane O’Meara a minute earlier.
Kerry had a second goal within 30 seconds of the restart, Ferdia O’Brien capitalising on a defensive error to slot his second. The game as a contest petered out, thereafter.
Cathal Curran kicked a Waterford goal on 43 minutes, but it did little in adding respectability to the final scoreline.
Teams and Scorers
Scorers for Kerry: F O’Brien (2-1); D Clifford (0-5, 0-2 frees); S O’Shea (0-4, 0-2 frees); D Moynihan (0-3); B Friel, D O’Connor (0-2 each); M Breen, M Potts, T O’Connor, D Casey (0-1 each).
Scorers for Waterford: C Curran (1-0); S O’Meara (0-1 free), C Walsh (0-1).
Kerry: S Ó Luing (An Ghaeltacht); G O’Sullivan (Piarsaigh Na Dromoda), N Collins (Listowel Ennetts), M Reidy (Ballymacelligott); D Naughton (Dr Crokes), D O’Brien (Glenflesk), M Foley (Ballydonoghue); M Breen (Beaufort), M Ryan (Rathmore); D O’Connor (Na Gaeil), S O’Shea (Kenmare), D Moynihan (Spa); F O’Brien (Austin Stacks), D Clifford (Fossa), B Friel (Rathmore).
Subs: M Potts (Dr Crokes) for Naughton (27 mins, inj), B Sweeney (Listowel Emmetts) for Ryan (HT), D Shaw (Dr Crokes) for O’Connor (37), T O’Connor (Ballymacelligott) for Moynihan (47), D Casey (St Mary’s) for O’Brien (52), C Teehan (Glenbeigh Glencar) for Foley (55)
Waterford: A Beresford (Ballinacourty); A O’Sullivan (Clashmore/Kinsalebeg), J Skehan (Sliabh gCua), J Mulcahy (The Nire); C Ó Cuirrín (An Rinn), M Daly (Brickey Rangers), C Curran (Brickey Rangers); D Guiry (The Nire), J Beresford (Ballinacourty); B Power (Rathgormack), S Martin (Tramore), T Barron (The Nire); C Kirwan (Kill), S O’Meara (The Nire), P Prendergast (Clashmore/ Kinsalebeg).
Subs: T Collins (Ballinacourty) for O’Sullivan (28 mins), C Walsh (The Nire) for Ó Cuirrín (48), C Gough (Stradbally) for Power (51), L Connolly (Rathgormack) for Daly (54), R O’Neill (Brickey Rangers) for Barron (57), C Kennedy (Kill) for J Beresford (59).
Referee: D Grogan (Tipperary).
In Miltown-Malbay, Joe McGann kicked the winning score for Clare in a one-point victory over Limerick.
James Ryan got the only goal of the game for the Treaty county in the first-half, but Clare earned a narrow victory, 0-9 to 1-5.
