Colm Cooper injury not as bad as feared as Kerry cruise by Tipp

Kerry 3-17 Tipperary 2-10

Kerry at a canter in Killarney. The Kingdom claimed a fourth successive Munster SFC title at Fitzgerald Stadium but it was a mixed bag of a day for manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice.

He lamented the concession of two goals at full-time, hailed the performances of Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Tadhg Morley in their first Munster finals and indicated that a shoulder injury suffered by Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper in the first half isn’t as bad as first feared.

Cooper will be assessed this week as Kerry prepare for an All-Ireland quarter-final in a month’s time, with opponents Tipperary just one successful hurdle away from the same stage of the competition.

The undoubted highlight from a Kerry perspective was the performance of lethal full-forward Paul Geaney. He scored 2-3 from play – the same as Tipp – and both goals were picture-book scores.

One with the right boot in the first half, the second with the left to effectively kill the game in the 49th minute.

Geaney’s second goal opened up a 3-10 to 1-5 victory and a rout looked on the cards.

Credit Tipp for cutting the gap back to six points before the finish, before Kerry won pulling up by ten, in front of 21,512 spectators.

James O’Donoghue came off the bench for his first appearance since last year’s All-Ireland final – and the former footballer of the year bagged four points by full-time.

Robbie Kiely responded with a Tipp goal within a minute of Geaney’s strike but the visitors weren’t adventurous enough, despite a bright start.

They had a goal inside a minute, Jimmy Feehan on target, but Kerry were level at 0-4 to 1-1 by the eleventh minute.

At half-time, they were 2-7 to 1-4 ahead as first Paul Murphy and then Geaney supplied the goals.

After the Feehan goal, Tipp didn’t score again from play in the first half.

Indeed, they didn’t manage a point from play until the 53rd minute, a Kevin O’Halloran score from distance that brought them to within six, trailing by 2-7 to 3-10.

Kerry, sensing a modicum of danger, stepped on the gas and cruised for home.

It was their 78th Munster senior football title and the first time that four-in-a-row has been annexed since eight were necklaced between 1975 and 1982.

But Kerry won’t dwell too long on this one with bigger fish to fry down the road.

They’ve beaten two Division 3 teams en route to provincial glory and no matter who the opposition next time out, they’ll be tested more.

There’s no backdoor either for Fitzmaurice and his charges from here on in but Tipp showed enough to suggest that Kerry’s defence can be got at.

Feehan and Kiely slipped in for goals and Michael Quinlivan could have had another, denied by an excellent Brian Kelly save.

Around the middle third, Kerry flooded the area with bodies and Tipp struggled to break through.

Tipp won the vast majority of their kick-outs – aimed to the corner backs on the flanks – but their build-up was slow and ponderous, allowing Kerry to get their shape right and stop much of the danger at source.

Fitzmaurice reflected: “We’re delighted to have won the game, to have won the Munster championship.

“To be going through to the quarter finals, into Croke Park through the front door, it’s the preferred route. We’ve a couple of weeks now again to work on areas from the game today.”

There’s plenty to work on but aspects that Fitzmaurice will be pleased with, too.

Much bigger tasks lie in store and Tipp’s next outing – a qualifier in three weeks time – is a challenge for them.

Can they rouse themselves for one more big effort? There was a hope that they would be more competitive after shocking Cork in the Munster semi-final but Kerry, on their home patch, were a much different proposition.

Josh Keane, one of their better players, was black-carded in the second half but Tipp’s visiting fans were annoyed by some of referee David Gough’s decision-making.

In truth, the referee didn’t lose this one for Tipp. Kerry were better on the day and rule the southern province again. Sam Maguire is the one they want, however, and on basis of what we saw here, it won’t come easy.

KERRY: B Kelly; S Enright, M Griffin, B Ó Beaglaoich; A O'Mahony, K Young (0-1), T Morley; K Donaghy, B Sheehan (0-4f); D Walsh, C Cooper, P Murphy (1-1); D O'Sullivan (0-1), P Geaney (2-3), S O'Brien (0-1). Subs: M Geaney (0-1) for Cooper (inj, 20), D Moran for Donaghy (46), J Lyne for Ó Beaglaoich (46), B.J. Keane (0-1) for O'Sullivan (49), J O'Donoghue (0-4, 3f) for O'Brien (58), A Maher for Sheehan (66).

TIPPERARY: E Comerford; C McDonald, A Campbell, C O'Shaughnessy; B Maher, R Kiely (1-0), J Feehan (1-0); P Acheson, G Hannigan; J Keane, K O'Halloran (0-6, 4f, 1 45), B Fox; P Austin, M Quinlivan (0-3, 2f), C Sweeney. Subs: S O'Connell for Keane (b/c 58), A Moloney (0-1) for Austin (63), M Dunne for Hannigan (68), S Leahy for O'Shaughnessy (70+1).

Referee: D Gough (Meath).