February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Mark Jones
DUBLIN — Even though Kerry and Dublin are rooted at the bottom of Div. 1A of the National Football League, Kerry’s glass is half full following their 2-9 to 0-10 victory at Killarney. True, the Kingdom have some way to go stave off the threat of relegation after four previous defeats. However, there were signs last Sunday that Paidi O Se’s players are returning to championship form.
As for Dublin, they too have just one win from five games, but injuries rather than points were on manager Tom Carr’s mind. Ian Robertson had to cry off with a hairline fracture of the leg, while Colin Moran pulled a hamstring.
"Ian’s a huge concern for the championship," Carr said. "It’s a battle for us now."
Dublin had their moments, most notably late in the game at midfield, where Ciaran Whelan and Enda Sheehy won some ball, and the veteran Vinny Murphy managed to give Seamus Moynihan some difficult moments. But it was Kerry who discovered some meaningful form with Mike Frank Russell coming to life during the second half.
Dara O Cinneide’s goal kept a lethargic Kerry in the hunt before the interval, and despite a late Dublin revival, Russell and substitute William Kirby combined to put Aodan MacGearailt through for an injury-time goal that settled the result. It was an important win and with Maurice Fitzgerald back in the starting lineup, maybe Kerry are back on track.
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Other games
Elsewhere in football, Meath edged Westmeath by 1-11 to 0-11 in the O’Byrne Cup final at Mullingar, where a late Ray Magee goal made the difference, and Galway captured a second Connacht League title with a 1-11 to 1-10 win over Roscommon at Hyde Park.