Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC semi-final
Derry 1-13 1-12 Kerry
THEY were made to swim the choppy waters once again, but Derry twice dug themselves out of tight corners to book another final berth after a pulsating hour in Mullingar.
The reigning champions found Kerry goalkeeper Kacper Robak in inspired form with a string of fine saves that could’ve ended the Oaks’ title hopes.
The scoreline doesn’t do Derry justice. Outside of a spell before half-time when they couldn’t buy possession on their own kick-out against the breeze, they played with maturity and purpose.
Kerry – short of injured midfielder Killian Dennehy – were four points ahead on the cusp of half-time but a James Sargent 45 ended the Ulster champions’ scoreless 10-minute spell.
“The whole thing was about composure,” boss Damian McErlain said of this side’s win.
“In the first half, we had a two or three goal chances and we didn’t take them.”
The Derry boss outlined how playing into the wind left it difficult for his side to break from the back with their trademark overlaps.
After Kerry opened the scoring, Derry went ahead in the sixth minute with their goal. It was all about Luke Grant’s run and when the ball was spooned across, Dylan Rocks blasted to the net.
Derry’s joy was short-lived with Kerry finding the net in the next attack. A Seán Ó Cuinn diagonal ball from the flank was perfectly flighted, hanging long enough for Eoin O’Flaherty to flick over goalkeeper McCloy to the net.
Dara McGuckin levelled matters before the game morphed into a game of tennis. It was end to end. You score, we score. Grant and Sargent were on target for Derry, while Gearóid White (free) and Éanna Murphy kicked Kerry’s scores.
Then came the Munster men’s purple patch. Four points in five minutes pushed them 1-7 to 1-3 ahead – but Derry had the last say. After Rocks and Sargent were denied goals in the same move, the latter drilled the 45 over the bar to break the Kingdom’s momentum.
“We were content going in three down,” McErlain admitted, pointing to getting 12 shots from their 13 attacks.
“We knew that if we just kept our heads and kept the composure, we would tap over the points... we did it really quickly.”
Within 25 seconds of the restart, Eamon Young had the ball over the bar before adding a free and Derry were back in business.
Ger Dillon tied the game in the 34th minute from a free but Kerry squeezed ahead once again, 1-9 to 1-7.
Rocks had another goal chance saved by Robak with influential sub Caomhan McNally having a fisted effort cleared in the Kerry defence.
When the game began to change, it was typified by Derry’s control in the middle sector. McNally plucked a vital ball on the way to Cody Rocks kicking Derry level.
Kerry edged ahead again with White’s fifth point before Young (2) and Dillon put Derry two points ahead, Dillon’s point coming after Grant hoovered up another ball in the midfield zone.
As the game went on, Sargent began to control the key moments. His monster free put Derry two clear.
Still Kerry came snapping at their heels but when Aodhna Ó Beaglaoich’s point took shaved the margin back to one, Sargent won McCloy’s final kick-out. Game, set and match.
Derry
J McCloy; P O’Kane, R Canavan, P Haran; L Grant (0-1), C Ó Mianáin, D McGuckin (0-1); T McHugh,C McBride; E Young (0-4, 0-2 frees), J Sargent (0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-1 45), C Hargan; G Dillon (0-2, 0-1 free), R Biggs, D Rocks (1-0)
Subs C Rocks (0-1) for Biggs (36), C McNally for Haran (38)
Yellow card P Haran (4)
Kerry
K Robak; F Ryan, M Lynch, R Donovan; S Ó Cuinn, A Ó Beaglaoich (0-1), G O’Keeffe; B Murphy (0-1),E O’Flaherty (1-1); G White (0-5, 0-4 frees), J McCarthy (0-1 free), É Murphy(0-1), J Joy (0-1), R Carroll, M Horan (0-1)
Subs R O’Driscoll for Carroll (44), C Mac Gearailt for É Murphy (52), D Sargent for Ryan (54), D O’Sullivan for Ó Cuinn (59)
Black card: R Donovan (63)
Yellow card: M Horan (35)
Referee: A Coyne (Westmeath)
