REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION
MATCHDAY 7: Kerry FC 0-1 UCD AFC
This Friday, after a two-week break, Kerry FC returned home to take on UCD AFC in Mounthawk Park. Off the back of a fantastic away win last week against Wexford FC, Kerry FC’s main aim now is to gather both momentum and consistency, and you could argue there is no better time to get back-to-back wins than now as they face a student’s side who sit bottom of the first division.
Kerry FC have not won back-to-back games in the same League of Ireland season since the club entered the league at senior level in the 2023 season and will feel a real possibility of achieving that feat this week.
As for UCD, they have not been able to pick up a single win in the five games they have played this season and will hope that a trip to Tralee can finally put them back on the straight and narrow. UCD have a good track record in Tralee as they won both games last season in front of the Kingdom faithful. This however is a different Kerry FC side and have shown great resiliency in games this season where they have come up short which was something they struggled with over the previous two seasons.
FIRST HALF
Brian McManus had the opening chance of the game when his effort from close range was saved brilliantly from Kerry’s shot-stopper Tim-Oliver Hiemer inside just three minutes.
Kerry were then awarded a free kick just outside the eighteen-yard box a couple of minutes later and despite Joe Adams’ best efforts, it went over the crossbar.
Close to the half-hour mark, Daniel Okwute was the next man to have a chance on goal when he tried to delicately curl his shot goalwards but it unfortunately went wide of Kian Moore’s right-hand post.
Tim-Oliver Hiemer was called into action once again when his agility and great reflexes kept out Niall Holohan from close range. It was a half with very little intensity from both sides. UCD had the better of the possession but it could be argued that Kerry FC had the better of the chances. Whatever you thought of it, one thing was for sure, we all hoped the second half would be a better showcase of skill.
SECOND HALF
A minute after the restart Sean O’Connell had possibly Kerry FC’s best chance of the night when the number three put a low cross across the six-yard box and went narrowly wide. On another day it may have crept in but an oncoming attacker would have put Kerry FC in the lead on that occasion.
Eight minutes later the visitors took the lead through an unfortunate own goal from O’Connell. The ball went across the area and despite the best efforts of Hiemer and O’Connell, they could not keep the ball from crossing the line.
The game became quite cagey from then on out with neither of the sides creating anything special. The yellow cards were flying out as both sets of players received five yellow cards in the space of twenty-five minutes.
Killian Cailloce came close to putting the game to bed when he went around Tim-Oliver Hiemer but his touch just went away from him and could not tuck it away into the back of the net.
Kerry FC had a flurry of chances in the final ten minutes of normal time with Eemeli Honkola, Ronan Teahan and Niall Brookwell all being kept out by a solid UCD defence.
Eanna Clancy was sent off in added time as he took one for his side dragging down Daniel Okwute who was in on goal for a great chance at an equaliser.
It finished after five minutes of added time with UCD taking the three points back to Dublin. A disappointing result for the home team who wanted to get on a good run, especially after last week’s result. They now travel to Limerick next Friday night to take on Treaty United in the Markets Field for just the second Munster Derby of the season for the Kingdom.
KERRY FC TEAM: 1. Tim Oliver-Hiemer, 2. Alex Dunne, 5. Chris McQueen, 3. Sean O’Connell (OG ‘54), 28. Niall Brookwell, 4. Oran Crowe, 7. Sean McGrath (C), 8. Ronan Teahan, 11. Daniel Okwute, 21. Luke Palmer, 10. Joe Adams.
SUBS: Mathyas Randriamamy (GK), Carl Mujaguzi, Kevin Williams, Cian Brosnan, Finn Barrett, Robert Keane, Stevan Stanic-Floody, Samuel Aladesanusi, Eemeli Honkola.
UCD AFC TEAM: 1. Kian Moore, 3. Adam Wells, 4. Eanna Clancy (C), 6. Sean Brennan, 7. Michael McCullagh, 10. Ciaran Behan, 11. Brian McManus, 18. Niall Holohan, 24. Adam Verdon, 26. Luke O’Regan, 29. Jake Doyle.
SUBS: Dara Kavanagh (GK), Carl Lennox, Matthew Alonge, Mikey Raggett, Adam Brennan, Colin Bolton, Killian Cailloe, Odhran McLaughlin, Cathal McCarty.
