DERRY are facing in to a Division One relegation battle after All-Ireland Champions Kerry beat them by seven points at Celtic Park today.
There’s a saying that playing Kerry in February is the best time to play them as they are such slow starters to the league campaign.
But at sunny Celtic Park today – on their first ever visit – Kerry were no slouches as they ran out 1-17 to 0-13 winners to a Derry side who lost captain Mark Lynch to a harsh straight red card in the second half.
Kerry’s intent was clear from the start; they had the ball over the bar twice in inside the first 54 seconds, Geaney and O’Brien taking both scores from play.
That lifted the Kerry fans among the 2,991 crowd in the city; but Derry responded well.
Johnston pulled one back from play before captain Mark Lynch levelled matters from a free.
Kerry’s Brian Sheahan however pointed twice either side of a Mark Lynch wide to move the visitors 0-04 to 0-02 ahead.
Derry however remained in touching distance before Lynch levelled matters again at five points each.
Derry remained disciplined throughout the first half in face of persistent Kerry fouling, the Kingdom conceding no less than 19 frees in the first half.
Sheahan hit his fourth point of the day to take Kerry into the lead again, before the impressive Jack Sherwood scored twice to help his side lead by 8 points to 5.
The sides exchanged points to leave the half-time score Derry 0-07, Kerry 0-10.
The second half promised renewed hope for the Oak Leaf county as Eoin Bradley converted two frees to narrow the gap to a point.
But Paul Geaney scored twice as Kerry led 13 to 9; then came to big talking point of the game as captain Mark Lynch was given a straight red card in the 50th minute. From the sidelines it looked like a very harsh decision by the referee.
It wasn’t clear what Lynch was alleged to have done; a shoulder clash Jonathan Lyne off the ball.
Derry responded well despite being down to 14 men and could have levelled it in the following minutes.
Eoin Bradley pointed to reduce the deficit to two points (13 to 11 for Kerry) and pounced on a poor kick-out to slam the ball towards goal, but the ball went harmlessly wide.
The miss was costly as Brian Sheahan converted another free at the other end to take Kerry 3 points clear once again 0-11 to 0-14 before Derry lost possession again and Paul Geaney finished to the back of the net to move the visitors six points clear in the 61st minute.
Brian McIver can take some heart from the way Derry responded once again.
Kerry’s Fionn Fitzgerald was black-carded for a foul on Lynn and Eoin Bradley pointed from the free; hitting another point a minute later from another free to leave Derry trailing by four 1-14 to 0-13.
But the brilliant Sheehan and Geaney pointed four more between them to finish off Derry.
Sheehan hit seven points today; Geaney 1-05; that was 1-12 of Kerry’s 1-17.
Final score Derry 0-13, Kerry 1-17.
Next up: v Tyrone in Omagh, February 28
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