Munster MFC: Kerry set to be major force at minor again

Kerry 0-14, Clare 0-3: All-Ireland Minor champions Kerry served notice that they well be a force again this year, as they put Clare to the sword in the opening half of this Munster Minor Football quarter-final in Tralee.

It was a game littered with errors but Clare were poor on the night and did not manage a point from play in the hour with just three pointed frees their meagre return.

Kerry were on top at midfield where Chorca Dhuibhne’s Hogan Cup winning captain Mark O’Connor, and John Mark Foley ruled the roost, and with another survivor from last year Conor Geaney and Stephen O’Sullivan, tormenting the Clare fullback line, it was all one way traffic in the opening half.

Geaney kicked four points from play and Stephen O’Sullivan and Cormac Linnane each added two, meaning that Kerry’s inside line, contributed 0-8 of their total, with Clare’s sole reply being a Keelan Sexton free. Kerry were wasteful in the extreme in the second half but coasted to victory.

KERRY: B Courtney (0-1f), D Brosnan, J Foley, T L O’Sullivan, G White (0-1), M Breen, D O’Brien, M O’Connor (0-1), J M Foley, B O Seanachain, B Sweeney (0-1), S O Shea, S O’Sullivan (0-2), C Linnane (0-2), C Geaney (0-4). Subs: E Cronin (0-1f) for C Linnane ( 47), D O’Shea for T L O’Sullivan ( 52), G O Sullivan for G White ( 52), B Barrett for S O Shea ( 54), M Foley (0-1) for B O Seanachain (55), R Buckley for J M Foley ( 57) . CLARE: K Roche (0-1f), K Killeen, P Lillis, N McCarthy, K Burke, C Downes, C Pyne, C Hehir, S O’Donoghue, P McNamara, K Sexton (0-2f), C O Halloran, C Murray, E Tubridy, A Sweeney. Subs: C Brennan for K Burke ( h/t) N Murray for P McNamara ( h/t), J Morrissey for E Tubridy ( 47),C Tevlyn Tubridy for A Sweeney ( 55), D Furan for C Pyne ( 55). Referee: John Ryan (Cork)