February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Kerry 2-17
Leitrim 0-13
Gerry Doohan got it started for Leitrim with a beautifully struck 45-yard free with 3 minutes gone. Kerry marksman Bingo O’Driscoll quickly matched Doohan’s effort when he hit the first of his 0-9.
Both teams were coming off victories the previous week, and although Kerry were the more dominant team, with their 5-10 to 1-11 demolition of Westmeath, it was Leitrim who had impressed.
Topping Cavan in a 1-18 to 1-15 thriller, Leitrim were hoping to carry that effort into Sunday’s match. Instead, it was Kerry that scaled the heights. Kerry crowded the midfield with some big men in Kenneth Dillon, Kieran Brosnan, and Michael O’Shea, a nominal wing forward.
Lietrim, accustomed to having their own way in the middle of the field, found the going tougher against Kerry. Kenny O’Connor and Aiden Power had their moments, but Kerry, particularly O’Shea, held sway. Larry Keenan started in the No. 14 jersey after sitting out last week before moving to midfield after the interval. Still Leitrim were always chasing.
Kerry edged out to a 0-3 to 0-1 lead with Ed “Tattler” O’Sullivan and O’Driscoll the scorers. Leitrim got some good wing forward play from Eamon Reilly and Finbar O’Reilly and points from Doohan and Reilly brought Leitrim level at the 11-minute mark.
The rest of the opening half saw Kerry assert their dominance as they pushed their advantage to double scores, 0-10 to 0-5, at the half. Kerry were defending well with Barry Dillon leading the way with a good job on Keenan and Paddy O’Connor his usual pesky self.
The second half saw the lamented return of a disturbing Gaelic Park practice as the band broke into full swing just as play resumed. Leitrim fought their way back into the match as Finbar O’Reilly pointed. Two more excellent Leitrim scores, a long Doohan free and an Aiden Power point from play closed the gap to 0-10 to 0-8 with 20 minutes remaining.
Kerry answered with an O’Driscoll point after a full-field Kerry move. Then Kerry struck with the first half of a devastating one-two punch when O’Sullivan pounced on O’Driscoll’s rebound for a Kerry goal.
Leitrim came right back with a point but then O’Sullivan struck again. O’Shea set the play in motion winning possession and feeding Eugene McGrath. McGrath got the ball to O’Sullivan and his goal shook the twines.
Again Leitrim responded well. The Connacht crew ran off four straight points. O’Reilly, Power, Reilly, and Ken O’Connor were the scorers as Leitrim fought back to 2-12 to 0-13. O’Driscoll, however, responded by banging over a 50.
Kerry began to pull away. Points followed from Willie O’Donnell, O’Driscoll twice, and Kieran Brosnan.
Man of Match: Ed O’Sullivan.
Kerry: Kieran Traynor, Paul Galvan, Barry Dillon, David Heasman, Cathal O’Shea, Paddy O’Connor, Sammy Finn, Kenneth Dillon, Kieran Brosnan (0-2), Michael O’Shea (0-1), Eugene McGrath (0-1), Willie O’Donnell (0-2), Dave McCarthy, Bingo O’Driscoll (0-9, 4 free, 1 50), Eddie O’Sullivan (2-2). Sub: Dave McSweeney.
Leitrim: Martin O’Connor, Mike Lynch, Donal Kavanagh, Dessie White, Andy O’Connor, Keith Murray, Brian McCafferty, Aiden Power (0-2), Ken O’Connor (0-2), Eamon Reilly (0-3, 1 fr), Jim Donohue, Finbar O’Reilly (0-3), Gerry Doohan (0-3, all frees), Larry Keenan, Kieran Power. Subs: John Donohue, Mike Coyle.