REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
MATCHDAY 24: Kerry FC 2-1 Finn Harps
Kerry FC took on Finn Harps on Friday night in Mounthawk Park in league action. They were back to the scene of yet another special night in the Kingdom where they beat Premier Division opposition in Shelbourne FC to make it into the next round of the FAI Cup after what was an extraordinary penalty shootout victory last weekend.
Kerry FC were by far the better side on the night and deserved to be in the pot for the draw, where they will once again take on Sligo Rovers, this time at The Showgrounds in the third round.
The last time Kerry FC took on Finn Harps, it came in a narrow 1-0 loss in Ballybofey; that was after the Kingdom beat Finn Harps, also by a goal to nil in Tralee, to win their first game of the season back in March.
Finn Harps, before the night, sat bottom of the First Division and have had just one win since that last meeting against Colin Healy’s side.
Kerry FC are on an unbelievable stretch of eight games unbeaten at home, and after last week’s euphoric result, all the confidence would be with The Kingdom heading into this one.
FIRST HALF
Kerry made a bright start from the opening whistle and immediately looked to impose themselves on the contest. Inside two minutes, Sean O’Connell delivered a dangerous free kick into the Finn Harps penalty area where Cian Murphy rose highest, but his header was followed by a foul from Niall Brookwell, allowing the visitors to clear their lines.
The home side continued to press and came close again in the fourth minute. Cian Murphy found space at the near post but could only guide his effort over the crossbar as Kerry looked to make their early dominance count.
That breakthrough arrived in the ninth minute. A corner delivered by Cian Bargary could have been tucked home by Vince Borden or Sam Aladesanusi, but it was cleared out as far as Sean McGrath, who made no mistake inside the area.
McGrath found the finish to send Mounthawk Park into celebration, giving the hosts a deserved 1-0 advantage inside the opening ten minutes.
The momentum remained with Kerry, and they nearly doubled their lead in the thirteenth minute. Cian Bargary delivered an excellent ball to the back post where Cian Murphy arrived, but he was unable to steer his effort on target.
Finn Harps struggled to contain Kerry’s attacking movement and Bernardo Monteiro became the first player cautioned in the nineteenth minute following a late challenge.
Kerry continued to create opportunities. In the twenty-third minute, Daniel Okwute produced a superb cross-field pass to find Cian Bargary. The winger intelligently squared the ball back into the path of Sean McGrath, whose first-time effort flew over the crossbar.
Just a minute later, Kerry came within inches of extending their lead. Vince Borden met a delivery with a powerful header, only to see his effort brilliantly cleared off the goal line by the Finn Harps defence.
The second goal eventually arrived in the thirtieth minute, and it was no more than the home side deserved. Sam Aladesanusi reacted to a loose ball and played in Cian Bargary, who was in space and fired into the roof of the net to double Kerry’s advantage after another positive attacking move, putting Colin Healy’s side firmly in control.
Finn Harps responded in the thirty-sixth minute when Guilherme Rego Priosti reduced the deficit, finishing well to make it 2-1 and bring the visitors back into the contest.
The visitors nearly found an equaliser just two minutes later as Bernardo Monteiro struck the post from inside the penalty area, giving Kerry an important warning before the interval.
Sean O’Connell received a yellow card in the forty-fourth minute as the game became increasingly competitive approaching half-time, but Kerry held firm to take a deserved 2-1 lead into the break after an entertaining opening forty-five minutes.
SECOND HALF
Finn Harps emerged after the interval looking to build on their late first-half goal and the contest became far more evenly balanced. While Kerry continued to threaten on the counter-attack, possession was shared much more evenly than during the opening half.
The visitors created the first opening after the restart in the fifty-fifth minute when Nathan Lumingo tried his luck from outside the penalty area, but his effort sailed over Matthew Connor’s crossbar.
By the fifty-sixth minute, the increased balance of possession reflected the competitive nature of the second period as Finn Harps pushed higher up the pitch in search of an equaliser.
Colin Healy made his first change in the fifty-eighth minute, introducing Cian Brosnan in place of goal scorer Sean McGrath to add fresh energy in midfield.
Kerry continued to look dangerous whenever they broke forward. In the sixty-eighth minute, Daniel Okwute surged down the left flank before producing an inviting low cross across the six-yard box, but no Kerry player was arriving to apply the finishing touch.
Five minutes later, Cian Murphy won possession impressively from Max Hutchinson before attempting an ambitious lob over Lorenzo Barbosa. The effort had the goalkeeper beaten but drifted just wide of the target.
Kerry remained a threat and almost restored their two-goal cushion in the seventy-eighth minute. Daniel Okwute struck a powerful effort from outside the penalty area that forced Lorenzo Barbosa into an excellent save.
With eight minutes remaining, Colin Healy introduced fresh legs as Luke Palmer and Matthew Britton replaced Cian Bargary and Cian Murphy, helping Kerry maintain their intensity for the closing stages.
Three additional minutes were indicated at the end of normal time, setting up a tense finish as Finn Harps threw players forward in search of a late equaliser.
The decisive moment of stoppage time came when Matthew Connor produced a magnificent save to deny Max Hutchinson from close range, preserving Kerry’s narrow advantage and ensuring the home side remained in front.
After a resilient defensive effort in the closing moments, the final whistle confirmed another memorable evening at Mounthawk Park. First-half goals from Sean McGrath and Cian Bargary laid the foundation for victory, while a disciplined second-half display and Matthew Connor’s late heroics secured all three points. The 2-1 success extends Kerry FC’s unbeaten home run to nine matches and continues the positive momentum for Colin Healy’s side in front of their supporters in Tralee.
They now sit just two points off the playoff places and will want to take their home momentum into next week’s away fixture as they travel to the Carlisle Grounds to take on Bray Wanderers next Friday night.
Kerry FC Team: Matthew Connor; Sean O’Connell, Sean McGrath (GOAL ‘9), Cian Murphy, Daniel Okwute, Jonas Häkkinen, Samuel Aladesanusi, Vince Borden, Niall Brookwell (C), Ewan Lee, Cian Bargary (GOAL ‘30).
Subs Used: Cian Brosnan, Matthew Britton, Luke Palmer.
Finn Harps Team: Lorenzo Barbosa; Joel Bradley-Walsh, Bernardo Monteiro, Max Hutchinson, Tony McNamee (C), Gavin McAteer, Darragh Coyle, Guilherme Rego Priosti (GOAL ‘36), Nathan Lumingo, Alex-Mathis Tiego, Odhran McHugh.
Subs Used: Adam McDaid, Bridel Bosakani, Conor Tourish, Lukas Doherty.