Dillon and Crowley save Kerry blushes against plucky Tipperary
Tomás Ó Sé on the sidelines.
A far from impressive Kerry side eventually got the better of a plucky Tipperary side at the Austin Stack Park to book their place in the Munster Final against Cork in seven days time.
Tomás Ó Sé rested five of the side that beat Cork a week earlier but after a relatively inept opening half Ó Sé was forced to spring Cormac Dillon and Luke Crowley from the bench. Kerry never looked in any danger after this.
Dillon kicked 0-4, Crowley 0-2, and Eddie Healy made it 0-7 off the bench. In the end that was the difference between the sides.
Tipperary, despite losing, will be happy that they put it up to the Kingdom in the opening half. Albeit outplayed by Kerry in the third quarter, they rallied late on with the impressive Orrin Jones and substitute Daithi Hogan adding 1-4 to the Tipp total.
The first half was a drab affair as players on both sides turned the ball over with regularity. Ian O’Sullivan converted two frees while Daniel Kirby kicked a point. Tipperary replied with two points from placed balls.
Kerry added points from Tomas Kennedy and Odhran Ferris but wasted numerous scoring chances in the first period. Tipp were denied two goal chances by brilliant saves from Michael Tansley, the first from a Micheal Freaney effort, the second from Shane Ryan from point blank range.
Tipperary finished the half strongly with points from Orrin Jones and a forty five from keeper Robbie McGrath that saw them only a point adrift going in at the break (0-5 to 0-4). One can only imagine what Tomás Ó Sé said in the dressing room at half time. His facial features leaving the pitch had anger written all over them.
However, it was a different Kerry side in the second half with the introduction of Crowley and Dillon. Two early Dillon points from play and an Ian O’Sullivan free saw Kerry move 0-8 to 0-5 in front.
Kerry put the result to bed with Luke Crowley setting up Tomas Kennedy for superb goal. It was essentially game over by the end of the third quarter as Kerry led 1-10 to 0-5. Daithi Hogan scored 1 -1 in added time but it was too little too late.
Kerry are through to the Munster Final but a massive improvement will be required to beat the Rebels next week.
T Kennedy 1-2, I O’Sullivan 0-4 (0-3fs), C Dillon 0-4 (0-1f), L Crowley 0-2, D Kirby, O Ferris, E Healy 0-1 each.
O Jones 0-4 (0-2fs), D Hogan 1-1, R McGrath 0-2 (‘45s), S Ryan (f), M Freaney, C Smith 0-1 each.
M Tansley; M Lynch, R Diggin, G Evans; C Keating, C Lynch, D O’Connor; R Stack, C Brosnan; F Murphy, O Ferris, D Kirby; I O’Sullivan, T Kennedy, P Lane.
L Crowley for Murphy (ht), C Dillon for Lane (ht), E Healy for Brosnan (37), A Crowley for Kirby (42), A Segal for Keating (50).
R McGrath; J O’Neill, E O’Connell, D Spillane; C King, S O’Meara, D O’Brien; J Higgins, E Doocey; T Charles, J Lawrence, M Freaney; O Jones, T O’Connor, S Ryan.
K Butler for O’Meara, inj (11), D Hogan for Ryan (ht), P O’Keeffe for Higgins (44), C Smith for O’Connor (49), N O’Connor for O’Brien (52).
C Maguire (Clare).
