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Kerry reach final after football replay

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Mark JonesKerry 2-15, Armagh 1-15 (extra-time)

DUBLIN — Epic is a word that should be used carefully, but no one can deny that this summer’s All-Ireland football semifinal has had an epic quality. There were more than three hours of unrelenting action, seven goals and 52 points, and in the end it was Kerry who emerged victorious following last Saturday’s replay at Croke Park.

Not surprisingly, it took extra time to settle the issue as Kerry hustled their way back into contention during the second half. However, it was Armagh who wilted during the added half-hour of a compelling contest as the Munster champions appeared fitter and stronger.

On reflection, Mike Frank Russell’s 2-3, Oisin McConville’s 1-9, and another cameo from substitute Maurice Fitzgerald were all factors in the mix, but if anyone was looking for a turning point, it came toward the close of extra time with Armagh trailing by two scores.

At that stage, most of the 50,000 crowd would have been backing Kerry to go and win the game with relative ease, such was their level of control. But when sub Ger Houlahan broke a ball down to McConville, Armagh were suddenly entitled to sense salvation. After all, what other player could they have wished for to find himself right in on Declan O’Keeffe’s goal. There had been a couple of unconvincing championship performances in the past, but here was the Crossmaglen forward in the form of his life with 1-9 already in the bag.

If the shot was crisply taken, it was also straight at O’Keeffe, who managed to pull off a reaction save. The chance was gone, and with it went Armagh’s hopes of a first All-Ireland final since 1977.

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"Probably the save of the save of the season," mused a dejected Armagh manager, Brian McAlinden. As for O’Keeffe, he was being more modest. "I just put my two hands up [and] luckily enough it stayed out and Seamus Moynihan caught the rebound," he said.

In an instant, Fitzgerald and Dara O Se had kicked points and Kerry were in the clear and looking ahead to the decider against Galway on Sept. 24.

As the Kingdom celebrated, there was no consolation for Armagh captain Kieran McGeeney. "This very difficult to take," he said. "A couple of open goal chances, balls dropping short, it’s heartbreaking. Kerry took their chances, while we missed ours. We have the players to come back again, but it’s devastating to gift a team victory and I thought we gifted them this."

True, there were opportunities squandered, but Armagh also made the fatal error of dropping back into defensive mode every time they pinched the lead in the closing stages. Perhaps they lacked the reserves of energy to press on and finish the job, but for all Kerry’s artistry, and for all Seamus Moynihan’s outstanding football at the back, they had been carried until extra time by the brilliant finishing of Russell.

A live wire in the drawn game, Russell was even better on this occasion as he proved almost impossible for the Armagh defenders to track. Drifting off his marker, he was superbly placed by Fitzgerald for the first goal in the 63rd minute. Once he had collected Fitzgerald’s delivery, Russell had precious little space in which to work, but he somehow threaded the ball through the only gap available and into the corner of the net.

That strike saved Kerry’s bacon, and his second — a powerful shot early in extra time — opened up a 5-point lead and set his team on the way to victory. So it wasn’t vintage Kingdom, but there was the sort of determination and character that manager Paidi O Se has been looking for.

"We really dug in and helped each other out," O’Keeffe said. "Armagh brought out the best in us even though it took a long time for the best to come out."

Kerry: D. O’Keeffe; M. Hassett, S. Moynihan, M. McCarthy; T. O Se, E. Fitzmaurice (0-1), T. O’Sullivan; D. O Se (0-1), D. Daly (0-1); D. O’Dwyer, D. O Cinneide (0-3), N. Kennelly (0-1); M.F. Russell (2-3), A. MacGearailt (0-1), J. Crowley (0-1). Subs: L. Hassett (0-1) for MacGearailt, 34 mins.; M. Fitzgerald for O’Dwyer, 39 mins.; T. Griffin for O’Sullivan, 44 mins.; A. MacGearailt for O’Cinneide, 81 mins., E. Galvin for Crowley, 92 mins.

Armagh: B. Tierney; E. McNulty, G. Reid, J. McNulty; K. Hughes, K. McGeeney, A. McCann; J. McEntee (0-1), P. McGrane; C. O’Rourke (0-1), B. O’Hagan (0-1), P. McKeever; D. Marsden (0-1), T. McEntee, O. McConville (1-9). Subs: A. O’Neill for O’Hagan, 56 mins.; S. McDonnell (0-2) for O’Rourke, 65 mins.; J. Donaldson for T. McEntee, 74 mins.; G. Houlahan for McKeever, 90 mins.; A. O’Rourke for McGrane, 97 mins.

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