REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
MATCHDAY 16: Kerry FC 2-1 Wexford FC
Kerry FC were back at home for the first of back-to-back Friday nights in the Kingdom as they took on Wexford FC in Mounthawk Park.
Kerry FC came into the game disappointed that they couldn’t carry the momentum from Bank Holiday Monday into their trip to Finn Harps in Ballybofey last Friday night. They left Finn Park unlucky not to get at least a point from their travels, in what was an even game throughout.
For Wexford FC, they came to Tralee in a slight bad patch too, losing on the Bank Holiday Monday away to Treaty United, and they suffered just their second home loss of the season to Longford Town in Ferrycarrig Park.
Kerry FC have a great opportunity to try and boost themselves up the table in the coming couple of weeks with two home games and an away trip to Cobh before the week-long summer break comes into play. Colin Healy and his men wanted to recapture the performance against Cork City and knew they needed to do it fast.
FIRST HALF
The Kingdom started brightly after kick-off in Tralee, immediately looking to settle into possession and push Wexford back into their own half. The visitors created the game’s first opening in the third minute when Adam Verdon attempted to catch Matthew Connor off his line with a speculative free kick from distance on the left-hand side, but the effort drifted safely wide.
Kerry responded well and almost opened the scoring in the seventh minute through an excellent attacking move. Sean McGrath produced a perfectly weighted pass through the Wexford defence to release Cian Brosnan, whose effort was smothered well by Alex Moody as the visitors survived an early scare.
A minute later, Wexford threatened at the opposite end when Jake Doyle fired over the crossbar from inside the area. Doyle would not have to wait long to make his mark on the contest, however. In the ninth minute, the Wexford attacker picked up possession on the edge of the box, rode a challenge and rifled an unstoppable strike into the top-right corner to hand the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Kerry reacted superbly to going behind and restored parity almost immediately. In the twelfth minute, excellent approach play from the hosts culminated in Sean McGrath delivering the ball to Ryan Kelliher. The Kerry number nine controlled brilliantly, swivelled sharply and fired a clinical finish into the top-left corner to level the match at 1-1.
The equaliser lifted the atmosphere around Mounthawk Park, and Kerry continued to press forward in search of a second goal. In the eighteenth minute, Jonas Häkkinen came agonisingly close when he met another dangerous Sean McGrath delivery with a powerful header that crashed against the crossbar.
Kerry maintained the pressure and, in the twentieth minute, Sean McGrath embarked on a surging run through the middle that looked destined to produce a clear opportunity, only for Jamie Wynne to recover superbly with a last-ditch challenge.
Ryan Perez then tried his luck from distance in the twenty-fourth minute, but his ambitious effort sailed over the crossbar. Kerry’s attacking intent remained clear despite Wexford continuing to threaten sporadically on the counterattack.
Cian Brosnan entered the referee’s notebook in the twenty-ninth minute after a robust challenge in midfield. Shortly afterwards, Sean O’Connell tested Alex Moody with a well-struck effort from the edge of the area, but the Wexford goalkeeper gathered comfortably.
Despite both sides showing attacking quality throughout an entertaining opening period, neither team could find another breakthrough before the interval, and the sides went in level at 1-1 at half-time.
SECOND HALF
The second half began in much quieter fashion, with both teams struggling to create meaningful openings during the early exchanges. Samuel Aladesanusi received a yellow card in the fifty-second minute, while the game briefly became scrappy in midfield as challenges flew in from both sides.
In the fifty-fifth minute, the tempo remained subdued, with very few chances emerging for either side. Kerry gradually began to regain control, however, and they fashioned the best opportunity of the half three minutes later. Sean O’Connell delivered an excellent ball from the left that found Samuel Aladesanusi inside the area, but his header was kept out by an impressive save from Alex Moody.
Wexford attempted to respond in the sixty-third minute when Jamie Wynne tried his luck from long range, but his effort flew comfortably over the crossbar.
Colin Healy turned to his bench in the sixty-seventh minute, introducing Matthew Britton in place of Cian Brosnan as Kerry looked for renewed energy in the final third. Moments later, the visitors came desperately close to regaining the lead when Mikie Rowe struck the post with a dangerous effort.
That warning sign sparked Kerry back into life. In the seventy-second minute, Jonas Häkkinen forced another save from Moody, who parried the ball into the path of Kilian Cantwell. The Kerry captain reacted quickly to send the ball back into the danger area, where Ryan Kelliher’s header drifted narrowly wide.
The decisive moment arrived in the seventy-sixth minute. Kerry worked the ball forward once more, and Ryan Kelliher’s low strike headed towards the bottom-left corner. There was a suggestion that substitute Matthew Britton may have applied the final touch as the ball crossed the line, but the goal was ultimately credited to Kelliher as Mounthawk Park erupted in celebration.
Kerry defended resolutely during the closing stages as Wexford searched for an equaliser. Ryan Perez was shown a yellow card in the eighty-third minute before Sean McGrath was replaced by Vince Borden two minutes later. Luke Palmer also entered the action in the eighty-eighth minute, replacing Perez as Kerry looked to see out the contest.
Six minutes of additional time were indicated at the end of the match, ensuring a tense finish in Tralee. Wexford pushed bodies forward and almost found a dramatic leveller when Adam Verdon’s strike flashed across the goal and wide in stoppage time.
That proved to be the visitors’ final opportunity, and the full-time whistle sparked celebrations around Mounthawk Park as Kerry FC secured a deserved 2-1 victory and consecutive home wins in front of their supporters. Seven points in four games for the Kingdom is definitely progress as they now look ahead to next Friday again as they welcome Bray Wanderers to Tralee.
Kerry FC Team: Matthew Connor; Sean O’Connell, Kilian Cantwell (C), Ryan Kelliher (GOAL ‘13, ‘76), Sean McGrath, Jonas Häkkinen, Cian Brosnan, Samuel Aladesanusi, Ryan Perez, Niall Brookwell, Ewan Lee.
Subs Used: Vince Borden, Matthew Britton, Luke Palmer.
Wexford FC Team: Alex Moody; Max Murphy, Evan Osam, Adam Verdon, Robert McCourt, Mikie Rowe (C), Zayd Abada, Kaylem Harnett, Jamie Wynne, Dylan Hand, Jake Doyle (GOAL ‘9).
Subs Used: Liam Doyle, Ryan Ritchie, Gavin Hodgins.