Kingdom push Rossies to edge of relegation with Hyde Park win

Indeed, they will need Kerry to be on their game again next Sunday when Galway head to Killarney to take on the Kingdom. Should Galway lose there, then Roscommon can survive if they can go to Derry next Sunday and win in Celtic Park. That’s a big ‘if’ though.

Roscommon showed in patches the team they can be, and a late Joe O’Connor goal for Kerry put a slightly better complexion on the final score from Kerry’s perspective, but Roscommon’s fate may well lie in how much Derry want to win next week and force their way into the final.

For Kerry, this was a workmanlike victory, built on a solid first half performance that gave them a four-point lead at the interval, but they had to be on point right through the second half as Roscommon came out fighting for their Division One lives.

A goal from Roscommon substitute Cathal Heneghan just before the hour mark brought the Rossies to within three points of Kerry, but they couldn’t get any closer, and Jack O’Connor’s team were able to keep the home side at arm’s length to see out a fairly comfortable win, boosted by O’Connor’s goal in additional time.

O’Connor said he was looking for a “controlled performance rather than a champagne performance” and that is exactly what he got from his team, with Gavin White excellent coming out of defence, Barry Dan O’Sullivan and Joe O’Connor combining for 1-3 from midfield, and David Clifford scoring six points, five from play.

Notably, Kerry’s only score from 18 not coming from play was Clifford’s point from the penalty, while Paul Geaney came off the bench to kick two points, though a late and serious looking ankle injury for Jason Foley had his manager in anxious mood after the game.

It remains to be seen if Kerry can sneak their way in the League final in a fortnight – or, indeed, if they really want that visit to Croke Park on Easter Sunday – but this win keeps them in the conversation for a top two finish after next weekend’s final round of games.

Kerry were always largely in control in the first half, with Joe O’Connor punching them into the lead in the first minute, and the visitors opening up a 0-6 to 0-1 lead by the 18th minute with Barry Dan O’Sullivan, Sean O’Brien, Darragh Roche and David Clifford (twice) raising the flags.

It was all fairly pedestrian stuff at that stage, with Roscommon keeping most of their players back behind the ball forcing Kerry to be lateral and ponderous in possession but, at the same time, patient and precise too.

The penalty arrived in the 30th minute when Sean O’Shea was fouled by David Murray, and though the Kenmare man managed to scoop the ball into the goal, no advantage ensued, and Clifford’s spot kick was too high and it felt like two points denied for the Kingdom. Nevertheless, Kerry led 0-8 to 0-4 at half time and were good value for the lead.

Roscommon kicked the first two points of the second half, from Enda Smith and Daire Cregg, but Kerry hit back in kind through Barry O’Sullivan and David Clifford, and then opened up a six-point lead through Dara Moynihan and Clifford again.

Roscommon were always going to need a goal to have any chance of turning this game around and it arrived just before the hour when Diarmuid Murtagh burned Sean O’Brien down the right flank, cut in and teed up Heneghan to slap the ball past Shane Ryan to make it 1-7 to 0-13.

The home side really needed the next score but it was Stephen O’Brien who got it at the other end, and Kerry were able to manage the game out from there, with Paudie Clifford and Paul Geaney (2) tacking on points before Geaney set up O’Connor for his 74th minute goal to send Kerry home content if not ecstatic.

Roscommon’s mood, needless to say, was a lot more deflated but they are still hanging on.

Scorers:

Roscommon: E Smith 0-3, C Henaghan 1-0, D Smith 0-3 (2f), R Daly 0-2, D Cregg 0-2, C Carroll 0-1

Kerry: D Clifford 0-6 (1 pen), J O’Connor 1-1, B O’Sullivan 0-2, P Geaney 0-2, Sean O’Brien 0-1, P Clifford 0-1, D Moynihan 0-1, D Roche 0-1, S O’Shea 0-1, Stephen O’Brien 0-1

TEAMS:

ROSCOMMON: Conor Carroll, David Murray, Brian Stack, Niall Higgins, Niall Daly, Conor Hussey, Ronan Daly, Enda Smith, Tadhg O'Rourke, Ruaidhrí Fallon, Shane Cunnane, Dylan Ruane, Daire Cregg, Diarmuid Murtagh, Donie Smith.

Subs: Ultan Harney for T O’Rourke (31), Patrick Gavin for N Higgins (ht), Conor Cox for S Cunnane (ht), Cathal Heneghan for C Hussey (46), Cian Connolly for M Murtagh (55)

KERRY: Shane Ryan; Graham O'Sullivan, Jason Foley, Paul Murphy; Sean O'Brien, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; Barry Dan O'Sullivan, Joe O'Connor; Adrian Spillane, Paudie Clifford, Dara Moynihan; David Clifford, Darragh Roche, Sean O'Shea.

Subs: Stephen O’Brien for A Spillane (52), Paul Geaney 0-2 for D Roche (58), Dylan Casey for S O’Brien (59), Armin Heinrich for J Foley (inj, 60), Keith Evans for D Moynihan (68)

REFEREE: Noel Mooney (Cavan)