Munster U20FC: final-bound Kingdom crush Na Deise

June 22, 2018

Kerry's Donal O'Sullivan.
©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

A turkey shoot at sunny Tralee tonight as Jack O'Connor's charges eased to a landslide 3-22 to 0-1 victory over Waterford.

Twenty-eight-point victors over Limerick in Newcastlewest last Friday night, Kerry wnet two better as they prevailed by 30 in this painfully one-sided semi-final to seal a provincial final date with Cork (who edged out Clare in tonight's other semi-final) on June 29th. The visitors were completely out of their depth in a sad mismatch at Austin Stack Park, classy Kerry showing some of the fruits of their four successive All-Ireland minor victories.

With 666 in attendance, it sure was a devilish night to endure for Na Deise. The winners lorded the opening period and led at the break by 14 clear points, 1-11 to no score.

The Kingdom effortlessly reeled off six unanswered points from play inside the first ten minutes, Donal O'Sullivan - the first Kilgarvan clubman to captain a Kerry team - slotting their sixth score of the night. The lively David Shaw, in the other corner, fired over a couple of early points for the rampant hosts. The full forward line was superb.

Intensity levels completely disappeared out of the game thereafter and, after eleven minutes without a score at either end, during which the outclassed visitors seemed content with damage limitation, Dara Moynihan clipped over his third point to stretch the gap to seven.

Both sides landed a series of poor wides, which was hardly surprising considering that the atch was over a contest, and O'Sullivan fly-kicked the ball to the roof of the Waterford net six minutes from half time, after his initial effort had been saved by busy Waterford 'keeper Aaron Beresford - 1-7 to no score.

Laune Rangers ace Fiachra Clifford added to the winners' tally, with the powerful Bryan Sweeney causing all kinds of trouble on the edge of the square. Shaw converted a free and, in injury time at the end of the first half, midfielder Diarmuid O'Connor started and finished the move that culminated in the next score before adding his second. Done and dusted at the short whistle.

Midfielder Mark Ryan dummied his man to fire over the first score after the resumption as the Kingdom eased further clear; Sweeney followed up with his second; Moynihan's fourth quickly left 17 between the sides.

Shaw's left peg delivered the winners' 15th point and a point from half-time substitute Brian Friel soon had the margin out at 20.

Om 44 minutes, Na Deise landed their first and only point via substitute Aodhan MacGearailt before Moynihan replied and substitute Ciaran Kennedy made it 1-19 to 0-1.

Friel and Shaw were involved in the move that led to Kennedy's goal with ten minutes left, Friel then bagged his second and the excellent Shaw nonchalantly netted a penalty into the Mitchels end of the ground six minutes from the end as Kerry powered 28 points clear. Another sub, Michael Potts, hit the next score, the massacre continuing unabated.

Micheal Foley closed the scoring a minute from the end, O'Connor having emptied his bench before the three-quarters stage.

Kerry - B Lonergan; D Naughton, S Okunbar, M Reidy; C Gamell, M Breen, D O'Brien; M Ryan (0-1), D O'Connor (0-2); F Clifford (0-1), C Linnane, D Moynihan (0-5); D O'Sullivan (1-1), B Sweeney (0-2), D Shaw (1-4, 1-0pen, 0-1'45). Subs: B Friel (0-2) for F Clifford, S O'Leary for M Reidy, M Potts (0-2) for C Linnane, C Kennedy (1-1) for D O'Sullivan, E Horan for D O'Connor, M Foley (0-1) for M Ryan.

Waterford - A Beresford; T Barron, J Skehan, L Cooney; C O Cuirrín, C Walsh, M Twomey; C Kennedy, D Booth; J Beresford, D Fitzgerald, J Devine; S Whelan Barrett, B Lynch, B Power. Subs: C Gough for L Cooney, J Harrington for J Beresford, S Herne for D Booth, A MacGearailt (0-1) for M Twomey, R O'Neill for B Power, R Coffey O'Shea for B Lynch.

Referee - D Murnane.


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