Kerry just manage to see off Tipp

McGRATH CUP/Kerry 0-13 Tipperary 1-9:WHILE THIS McGrath Cup semi-final meeting of Jack O'Connor's Kerry and the John Evans-led Tipperary was slow to get going, there was enough bite in the second half to satisfy both Kerry men, but this one-point win for Kerry will have little bearing when the sides lock horns next May in the Munster senior football championship.

Both managers are still tinkering with their sides, as Kerry started with only four of the side who started in last September’s All-Ireland final, though Paul Galvin made his entrance at half-time, and Micheál Quirke, Donnacha Walsh and Kieran Donaghy and Pádraig Reidy all played some part in the championship last season.

The search for Diarmuid Murphy’s successor goes on as O’Connor used his third goalkeeper in as many games, when former Kerry minor and under-21 goalkeeper Brendan Kealy played in goal.

O’Connor was pleased with the win and the way some of the younger players have taken their chance: It has worked out well for us, we are able to train away during the week and having a game at the weekend to look forward to is good.”

One of the main talking points of the game was the mark and Mike Quirke managed seven.

“Micheál (Quirke) catches a lot of ball and he was particularly good today,” said O’Connor, “as I said last week the mark certainly has possibilities, but overall the rules were not a big issue today, the game itself was a good lively game.”

The first quarter of the match was poor as Quirke and Séamus Scanlon ruled the roost at midfield but the distribution and passing by both sides was poor and typical January fare.

Kerry led by 0-7 to 0-3 at half-time, but Tipperary brought it back to 0-7 to 0-6 within five minutes of the restart.

Kerry, with Reidy, Tommy Griffin and Aidan O’Mahony solid upped their game, had points from Scanlon, Maurice Corridan and Paul O’Connor with a free pushed them four clear with just 15 left.

However, Tipperary refused to give up and two Sweeney frees were followed by a well-taken George Hannigan goal in the 55th minute to give Tipp the lead on 1-9 to 0-11 and there was a whiff of an upset in the air.

Then Kerry dug deep and experience told as firstly youngsters James O’Donoghue and Barry John Keane combined for the latter to kick the equaliser and then in the final minute a Donaghy ground pass was picked up by Donnacha Walsh who kicked the winning point.

KERRY: B Kealy; P Reidy, T Griffin, A O’Connell; M Corridan (0-1), A O’Mahony, K Young; S Scanlon (0-2), M Quirke; D Walsh (0-2), Declan O’Sullivan (0-2), B Looney; K O’Leary (0-1, free), K Donaghy, P O’Connor (0-4, three frees). Subs: P Galvin for B Looney (half-time), J O’Donoghue for K O’Leary (50 mins), BJ Keane (0-1) for D O’Sullivan (50 mins), Alan O’Sullivan for S Scanlon (58 mins)

TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; C Morrissey, N Curran, A Morrissey; C McGrath, R Costigan, C Aylward; G Hannigan (1-0), C Dillon; S Carey, S Hahessy (0-1, free), P Acheson; C Sweeney (0-4, frees), B Coen, B Grogan (0-1). Subs: A Rockett (0-1) for C Dillon (28 mins), S Grogan (0-2) for S Hahessy (half-time), J Cagney for S Carey (39 mins), H Coghlan for C McGrath (50 mins), E Kearney for P Acheson (58 mins).

Referee: M Collins (Cork).

Kerry will take on UCC in the decider next weekend.