Barry John Keane goal seals Kerry’s victory over plucky CIT

Kerry 2-12 CIT 0-13

Kerry as expected advanced to face the old enemy Cork in next Sunday's McGrath Cup final but it was workmanlike more than impressive against a very fit-looking CIT side in this entertaining semi final t the John Mitchels Complex, Tralee.

Kerry always looked in control of this contest and if they had taken some of the goal chances they created the game would have been over much earlier than it was.

Again the Black Card was not an issue, when none was being required and probably a more contentious topic afterwards was the use of the advantage rule.

Kerry can once again thanks Bryan Sheehan for his unerring accuracy from frees as he kicked seven and added two points from play, while CIT were reliant on corner forward Cathal Vaughan who kicked 0-8, 0-6 from frees.

But he missed three kickable frees in the second half when the game was still up for grabs.

Five frees

Kerry led 1-7 to 0-6 at the interval with Stephen O Brien scoring the goal in the sixth minute when Sheehan and Alan Fitzgerald set him up. Sheehan added five frees and points from Donnchadh Walsh and Alan Fitzgerald completed Kerry's haul. Paul Murphy gae an eye-catching display at corner back, while David Moran was the dominant midfielder on view.

Cathal Vaughan had five first half points for CIT, who were denied a goal in the 30th minute by a great double, save by Brendan Kealy.

Kerry huffed and puffed in the second half, without ever putting CIT away until a 50th minute goal, scored by Barry John Keane after Sheehan and O'Callaghan worked a quick free.

Then came the highlight for many of the home crowd when Paul Galvin was introduced to centre back, in the 58th minute. Kerry boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice confirmed afterwards that Galvin will continue to be used as a defender, for the foreseeable future.

“ Yes we are considering playing Paul Galvin at the back but we are considering a lot of things at the moment,” said Fitzmaurice.

Kerry will need to improve to have any chance against Cork in the final, but will have Aidan O Mahony back.

KERRY: B Kealy, P Murphy, M Griffin, S Enright, M Geaney, J Sherwood, B Maguire, A Maher, D Moran, J Lyne, B Sheehan (0-9, 0-7 frees), D Walsh (0-1), BJ Keane (1-1), A Fitzgerald (0-1), S O'Brien (1-0). Subs: P Crowley for M Geaney (half-time), S O Callaghan for A Fitzgerald (inj, 42 mins), M Reen for D Walsh (54 mins), B Shanahan for A Maher (58 mins), P Galvin for B McGuire (58 mins), M Geaney for J Lyne (66 mins).
CIT: A O Donoghue, P Kilkenny, E Byrne, T J Brosnan, R O'Sullivan (0-1), P Daly, J Collins, B O'Sullivan, K O'Connor, S Finn, S McCarthy, D Treacy (0-1), C Vaughan (0-8, 0-6 frees), D Og Hodnett, J Walsh (0-2). Subs: T Hegarty for K O Connor (half-time), J Corkery for S Finn (38 mins), S Cahill for J Collins (54), C O'Sullivan for B O'Sullivan (58 mins), G Fannin for T J Brosnan (66 mins), L Prendergast for P Daly (68 mins).
Referee: R Moloney ( Limerick).