In what was Stephen Molumphy's last game as Kerry manager, the Kingdom finished off the Waterford man’s three-year tenure in style with a comfortable nine-point win over 14-man Meath at a rain-soaked Austin Stack Park in Tralee on Saturday afternoon.
A dead-rubber following Meath’s relegation and Kerry’s defeat to Offaly last weekend, both sides were playing for pride and bragging rights in this Joe McDonagh Cup final round-robin game from the get-go but showed no signs of an end-of-season hangover.
Having comfortably led by 2-07 to 1-05 at half-time thanks to goals from Michael Leane and Gavin Dooley and with the numerical advantage after Meath’s Eoin Donegan saw red just shy of the half hour mark.
Kerry extended their lead to nine points by the full-time whistle.
Kerry were duly rewarded for their efforts as early as the fourth minute as towering Ballyheigue forward Michael Leane rose highest to direct a superb Brandon Barrett high ball into the back of the net.
Meath, however, brought the game back to within a point of Kerry by the 10th minute when target man Damien Healy drew a foul as he swung for a point. James Murray slotted home the resulting penalty as the rain started to fall heavily in Tralee.
Just shy of the midway point of the opening half Kerry got their second goal, putting six points between the sides, as the lively Dan Goggin set up Gavin Dooley who made it 2-05 to 1-02 in favour of the Kingdom with a powerful shot to the back of the net.
Meath were reduced to 14 men in the 28th minute when Donegan saw red after a frontal collision with Michael Leane.
All of Meath’s opening half scores came through impressive half-forward James Murray as the Royals failed to score from play in the opening 35 minutes.
In the 45th minute, Meath got their first point from play, coming from none other than Murray who’d scored all 1-06 of Meath’s tally at this stage.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, Kerry put the result beyond any doubt when Dooley raised the green flag for the second time.
Kerry were reduced to 14 themselves two minutes later when Tomás O’Connor, who was only on the pitch six minutes, saw red for an off the ball incident.
A late double block on the line from Bill Keane denied Meath a certain second goal, before substitute Karl Rogers slotted over to reduce the deficit to nine.
Mackessy and Seán Geraghty exchanged late points as Kerry ended Molumphy’s tenure on winning terms.
Kerry: Louis Dee; Eric Leen, Daithí Griffin, Flor McCarthy; Bill Keane, Evan Murphy (0-01), Kyle O’Connor; Ronan Walsh, Colin Walsh; Gavin Dooley (2-03), Dan Goggin (0-01), Killian Hayes; Brandon Barrett (0-04, 0-04f), Fionán Mackessy (capt.) (0-02, 0-01 ’65), Michael Leane (1-00)
Subs: Luke Crowley for Leane (temp 29-h/t), Darragh Shanahan for Walsh, Tom Doyle for Leen, Crowley (0-02) for Walsh (all h/t), Niall Mulcahy for Hayes (46), Tomás O’Connor for McCarthy (56), Dara Kearney for O’Connor (68)
Meath: Philip O’Brien; James Kelly, Shane Whitty, Ronan Byrne; Eoin Donegan, Daire Shine, Seán Geraghty (0-01); Ethan Devine, Kris Gorman; James Murray (1-07, 1-0 penalty, 0-6f), Tom Shine, Damien Healy; David Murtagh, Éamon Óg Ó Donnachadha, Mark Horan
Subs: Simon Ennis (0-01) for Murtagh (h/t), Michael Burke for Devine (49), Niall McLarnon got Horan (55), Seán Martin for Ó Donnachadha (59), Karl Rogers (0-01) for Healy (63)
Referee: Conor Doyle (Tipperary)
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