Kerry 4-10 McAnespies 3-15

Kerry blew a 9 point lead with just 10 minutes remaining in the opening round of the senior championship in Boston on Sunday in a game that will be talked about for the remainder of the season. Most teams would have thrown in the towel being 9 points behind but not McAnespies. Kerry were well on top for the opening 3 quarters. This was a cracking game of football and both sides traded goals in the first four minutes of play. McAnespies struck first after 2 minutes but Kerrys Phil O'Sullivan had the teams level at a goal apiece and then scored 3 points each.  Kerry were winning most of the breaks around the middle and Robbie Croft laid off a pinpoint pass to John O'Keefe and the Rathmore man buried the ball in the back of the McAnespies net giving the goalie no chance. Robbie Croft extended Kerrys lead with 3 pointed frees but Jamie Cox pointed twice for McAnespies and Diarmuid Spratt added another to leave the half time score Kerry 2-6 McAnespies 1-5.

The second half started with a Colly Donnelly point for McAnespies but Kerry responded a minute later when a high ball found John O'Keefe and he had his second goal of the game. It was all Kerry for the next several minutes and they should have added another goal but Paddy Coakley saved a point blank shot. Kerry added 3 more points, 2 from Robbie Croft and one by John O'Keefe. Brian Shaughnessy and Colly Donnelly pulled 2 points back for McAnespies but Kerry struck for their fourth goal of the game. Once again it was Robbie Croft who set up Joe O'Shea for the goal. At this stage Kerry were up by 9 points and looked like sure winners but McAnespies showed the  never say die attitude and they were awarded a penalty and Jamie Cox raised the green flag. Ryan Kennedy added a point and then a major mistake by the Kerry goalie when a short kick out was picked off by Seannie McConville and he put the ball in the back of the Kerry net.  Donnelly and Shaugnessy then had the sides level at 3-13 to 4-10. Kerry had several additional chances but failed to raised another flag while McAnespies added 2 points and victory in a most entertaining game of football.

 

Teams

 

Kerry

Stephen Kelly

John O'Keefe

Jamie Barry

Joe O'Shea - 1-0

Laurence Healey

Ronan Driscoll

Daren Foley 0-1

Phil O'Sullivan - 1-1

John O'Keefe - 2-1

Robbie Croft  - 0-7

James Long

Andy Menton

Ciaran Wallace

Subs

Brain Driscoll

Frank O'Sullivan

Mike Taylor

Sean Driscoll

McAnespies

Paddy Coakley

Marty Bogue

Micky Boyle

John Carney

Collum Comiskey

Brain Shaughnessy

Johnny Brickland

Colly Donnelly

Diarmuid Spratt

Seanie McConville

Jamie Cox

 

Subs

Dan Kennedy

Sean O'Kane

Pual Daly

Ruairi O'Domhnail

Shane McKenna

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