Kerry scraped an 0-18 to 1-13 win against Carlow in Tralee on Sunday afternoon, a result that gives the Kingdom their second win in Division 2A of the Allianz Hurling League while consigning the Leinster men to their second successive defeat.
Kerry manager Stephen Molumphy will know that this was a sub-par performance from his team, one that wouldn't be good enough to beat Offaly in Killarney in a fortnight, but equally the manager will be pleased that his players dug out the win while playing so poorly.
Molumphy’s counterpart Tom Mullaly has as much work and more to do on his team before they host Down in two weeks, but they might reflect on this game and pull a few positives from it: not least that they kept themselves in contention right through the second half despite losing centre-forward and free-taker Martin Kavanagh to a second yellow card two minutes into the second period.
Carlow finished with 13 players on the pitch after midfielder Kevin McDonald was dismissed on a straight red for a high tackle on Paudie O’Connor in the 69th minute, when the visitors trailed by four points.
A late goal from James Doyle’s free - in the last of four additional minutes - gave Carlow one last chance to snatch an unlikely victory but Kerry snuffed out a final attack and held on for an important win.
Carlow led at the interval by 0-09 to 0-07 but it was a first half littered with wides, handling errors and sloppy play from both sides.
The home side registered five wides before Eoin Ross clipped over their first point. Michael Leane and a Podge Boyle point helped Kerry to a 0-3 to 0-1 lead before Martin Kavanagh (free) and Diarmuid Byrne replied with Carlow points. A Kavanagh '65’ edged Carlow in front, a lead they would hold until the 43rd minute.
Boyle and Byrne struck the best of the points in the first half, but Kerry’s nine wides and Carlow’s five said much for the quality, or lack of, in the first half.
Early second half points from Cillian Trant and two Podge Boyle frees gave Kerry back the lead, 0-10 to 0-9, and with the wind advantage and numerical advantage - after Kavanagh received a second yellow for a chop on Mikey Boyle - it seemed as if the home side should have skated to victory.
Podge Boyle converted four more frees to make it 0-14 to 0-11 after an hour, but Kerry could never quite shake off a limited but defiant Carlow side. It was 0-16 to 0-12 when Carlow were reduced to 13 men on 69 minutes, and late points from Kerry substitutes Philip Lucid and Niall Mulcahy ensured the win despite Doyle’s late goal from a well struck free in the 74th minute.
Kerry: Louis Dee, Eric Leen, Evan Murphy, Kyle O’Connor, Cillian Trant 0-01, Michael Boyle, Eoin Ross 0-01, Fionan Mackessy 0-02, Daniel Collins, Shane Conway 0-01, Paudie O’Connor, Daithi Griffin, Michael Leane 0-01, Dan Goggin, Padraig Boyle 0-10 (0-08f, 0-01 ‘65’).
Subs: Keith Carmody for D Goggin (ht), Niall Mulcahy 0-01 for D Griffin (50), Brandon Barrett for C Trant (54), Sean Weir for K O’Connor (57), Philip Lucid 0-01 for F Mackessy (inj, 65).
Carlow: Ciaran Abbey, Paul Doyle, Conor Lawlor, Jack McCullagh, Paudie O’Shea, Diarmuid Byrne 0-02, Fiachra Fitzpatrick 0-01, Kevin McDonald 0-04 (0-03f), J Doyle 1-00 (1-00f), Jon Nolan, Martin Kavanagh 0-04 (0-02f, 0-02 ‘65’), Paddy Boland, Conor Kehoe 0-01 (0-01f), Tony Lawlor, Jack Treacy 0-01.
Subs: Ciaran Kavanagh for P O’Shea (52), Fiach O’Toole for D Byrne (68)
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary)
