Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Semi-final
Kerry 3-12 Down 0-16
By Séamas McAleenan
There were no goals in the group game between Down and Kerry in Liatroim last month. On Saturday in Newbridge, there were three — and all three were scored by Kerry, each one a hammer blow to a gallant Down effort.
The first came in the 15th minute after Down had opened well and gone four points up. The Kerry goal was of the rather fortunate variety — a hit-and-hope effort from well out on the wing that caught Cassie Fitzpatrick slightly off her line and dipped into the net at the far post as the Clonduff goalkeeper back-pedalled.
Down recovered from that and were in the lead when the other two arrived in quick succession around the 40-minute mark. The first was from a penalty after Dearbhla Coleman was booked for a tackle on Annemarie Leen. Patrice Diggin fired low and hard past Fitzpatrick, who had saved a penalty last week against Meath. Before Down could recover, Jackie Horgan won possession in the right corner, cut in along the sideline, and hit the net off her left. From being a point to the good, Down were now chasing the game. They put in a big effort and twice reduced the gap to two points over the last ten minutes.
However, Kerry, under pressure for the whole of the last quarter, managed to break for scores and finished the game with three points in injury time. Neither Paula O’Hagan nor Aimee McAleenan had played in last week’s quarter-final win over Meath, but both started on Saturday and between them contributed 12 of Down’s 16 points. Last week, the half-forwards — Saoirse Sands, Sara Louise Graffin, and Dearbhla Magee — contributed 2-12. Their return on Saturday was a point each from Graffin and Magee.
It wasn’t that Down had many wides over the hour — it was just that they had to work really hard for every score they got, apart from the opening five minutes when they had four shots at the target and registered four points. Paula O’Hagan settled nerves with a point from a 45 after just 30 seconds. Then Saoirse Sands won a free that O’Hagan pointed. Aimee McAleenan took a pass in midfield and, off her back foot, launched a point from 60 metres. O’Hagan did something similar less than a minute later.
Kerry needed a response and got it from two of their most experienced players — a point each for Jackie Horgan and Patrice Diggin. But back came O’Hagan from a free and then Beth Fitzpatrick from distance. At 0-6 to 0-2, Down were comfortable, but Kate Lynch then pointed, and the teams were tied after Amy O’Sullivan’s rather fortunate goal.
Down had the breeze behind them, and Sands chased a no-hope ball in the right corner, won it, and set up O’Hagan for a point. Although Diggin (free) and Horgan responded, points in added time from Liatroim pair Aimee McAleenan and Dearbhla Magee nudged Down ahead 0-9 to 1-5 at the break.
The second half exploded into action with four points inside three minutes. Diggin, with a monster free and then one from play, edged Kerry ahead, only for Paula O’Hagan and Niamh McGrath to win the lead back for Down.
The second and third goals were the next scores in the contest, and that opened a lead of five points for Kerry, now playing with the breeze in temperatures over 30 degrees. Down dug deep and over the next 15 minutes probably dominated general play, without reward on the scoreboard. An O’Hagan free and one each from McAleenan and Sara Louise Graffin closed the game down to 0-14 to 3-8 with ten minutes to play.
However, Kerry tagged on a score from Diggin, while there were a couple of O’Hagan frees that dropped short. Eventually, the Clonduff veteran reduced the gap to two points with five minutes of added time to come. Again, the experienced Kerry players stepped up. Horgan freed Caoimhe Spillane for a fine point and then bagged another herself. Diggin’s late free simply iced the cake and confirmed the Clanmaurice star as Player of the Match.
Teams
Down: C Fitzpatrick, A McDowell, D Coleman, C McGilligan, O McCusker, B Fitzpatrick (capt) (0-1), B Savage, D Savage, S Sands, A McAleenan (0-3), SL Graffin (0-1), D Magee (0-1), S McGrath, N McGrath (0-1), P O’Hagan (0-9, 7 frees)
Subs: T Monan for S McGrath (39), G Cunningham for N McGrath (53)
Kerry: A Fitzgerald, M Costello, S Murphy, R McCarthy, R Quinn, N Leen, A Behan, P Diggin (capt) (1-7, 1-0 pen, 0-4 frees), R O’Connor, A O’Sullivan (1-0), K Lynch (0-1), A Leen, S Collins, J Horgan (1-3), C Spillane (0-1)
Subs: E O’Donoghue for K Lynch (43), Á O’Connor for R Quinn (48), E Conway for S Collins (51)
Referee: P Murphy (Carlow)
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