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New York have upper hand vs. visitors

February 17, 2011

By Staff Reporter

This was a highly entertaining clash between the New York senior football squad and the Kerry county champions. The visitors were short-handed so they co-opted a number of New York-based Kerry players. The O’Connor brothers, Ken and Adrian, Donal Hartnett, and Dan Doona lined out with the champs from the Kingdom. Aidan Power also changed his allegiance, becoming an honorary Kerryman for the evening. Once the lineouts were sorted out, the Big Apple squad played with purpose and panache early on as Declan Reilly, Kevin McGeeney, and Robbie Moran had points. At the other end, the industrious and skillful Kieran Foley got the visitors on the scoreboard. The Kerrymen had weathered the early blitz from New York and responded with a great point from Bernard Murphy. Ross Donovan slotted over a free after Reilly was fouled but Foley landed two to leave the score tied at 4 points after 10 minutes. Shane Clifford did well to deny Foley, Kerry’s best forward, a goal, as he parried a goal bound shot to safety. A minute later, Terry O’Sullivan put Kerry ahead with a point but Robbie Moran restored parity with a fisted effort, climaxing good support play by Paddy Kelly and Conor Hunter. Kelly, a former Kerry player now in the Big Apple, showed his class as he cut in for a fine score. He was involved in the next score as well as he released Hunter to fire to the net at the twenty-minute mark. However the genesis of this score began with a very timely intervention by Anthony Glacken at fullback. Further points from Donovan and Foley left New York leading by 1-7 to 0-6 at the break.
New York began to substitute liberally in the second half while still trying to maintain their cohesion. Early on both sides swapped a brace of points, Reilly and Barry McElduff for New York while Foley and Liam Sheehan did likewise for Kerry. Some fine fetches by Adrian O’Connor coupled with penetrative running by Aidan Power began to sway the action. Foley, Power, and O’Sullivan hit points to leave just the minimum between the sides with ten minutes left. Then Doona leveled from long range with a fine effort. A minute later, Gary Dowd, regained the lead with a fine left-footed shot. Incidentally, Dowd was on the New York team that played against Mayo ten years in Castlebar. At the other end, keeper Hearty brought off a fine save from Foley after he was well set up by Shane Murphy. New York stepped up the temp and responded with points from McElduff and McGeeney before Reilly struck for a goal. Kerry replied with a similar strike as big Kenny, operating at full forward, won a high ball and cleared a path for Power to shoot to the net. Paul Walsh finished the scoring to leave New York deserving winners. I’m sure the management will be reasonably happy with the degree of commitment and motivation of most of the players. Also the new acquisitions to the squad acquitted themselves well.
New York Shane Clifford, Dennis McCarthy, Anthony Glacken, Patsy Martin, Dermot Keane, Alan Raftery, Brendan Reilly, Paddy Kelly (0-1), Kevin McGeeney (0-2), Ross Donovan (0-2), Robbie Moran (0-2), Johnny Goldrick, Conor Hunter (1-0), Declan Reilly (1-3), Shane Carty
Subs: Alan Hearty, Gary Dowd (0-1), Barry McElduff (0-2), Alan Carolan, Eoghan O’Mahoney, Gerard McCullough, Derek Courtney, Paul Mulhern, Paul Walsh (0-1), Marty Hamill, Steve Keating, Vinnie Gavin, Kieran Bergin
Mid Kerry: Peter O’Sullivan, Damian Murphy, Alfie Giles, Niall Colgan, Fergal Griffin, Aidan Power (1-1), Bernard Murphy (0-1), Kieran O’Shea, Adrian O’Connor, Shane Murphy (0-1), Kieran Foley (0-7), Dan Doona (0-1), Liam Sheehan (0-1), Terry O’Sullivan (0-2), Ian Twist
Subs: Donal Hartnett, Colum Kerins, Ken O’Connor
Referee: John Fitzpatrick

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