Kerry goals leave Down disappointed

Kerry goals leave Down disappointed

16 July 2025

FOUR weeks ago, on one of the wettest Saturdays of the summer, Kerry came to Liatroim and beat Down by 0-13 to 0-11 in a group game in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate championship.

Saturday’s semi-final, in the same competition, was played on one of the hottest days of the summer, and Kerry still prevailed.

This time, they were able to find the Down net on three occasions, bagging goals that had a huge impact on the game.

The first major came in the 15th minute and pulled Kerry back into contention after Down had opened well and gone four points up.

Down recovered and led by a point at the break, and they were still ahead when the second and third goals arrived within 40 seconds of each other, around the 40th minute. However, when the dust settled, Kerry were five points ahead and Down were left chasing them.

The Mourne County dominated possession for periods of the game, but, as it was in Liatroim, Kerry were a hard nut to crack and, once in front, they were very difficult to reel in.

It was the Ulster side that settled first and by the fifth minute, they led by four points. 

Paula O’Hagan pointed a 45 in the first minute and quickly added a free from more or less the same spot.

Aimee McAleenan hit a shot off balance, from around the middle of the pitch, and it split the posts, while O’Hagan added to her tally from distance.

Jackie Horgan and Patrice Diggin pulled a brace back, before O’Hagan and captain Beth Fitzpatrick restored Down’s four-point lead.

Kate Lynch scored a point for Kerry and although Down still seemed to be in charge of the game, a speculative shot from Amy O’Sullivan dipped under the crossbar for a goal. Scoring slowed in the second quarter, but Diggin and O’Hagan swapped frees to ensure the sides remained locked together. 

In first half added time, Horgan pointed to give Kerry the lead, only to see McAleenan and her Liatroim club-mate, Dearbhla Magee, nudge Down into an 0-9 to 1-5 advantage at the break.

The lead changed twice in the first five minutes of the second half, as Diggin (2) edged Kerry ahead and O’Hagan and Niamh McGrath replied for the Ulster side.

Annemarie Leen won a penalty in the 39th minute, with Dearbhla Coleman picking up a yellow card in the move. 

Diggin drove a low hard shot to the right of Cassie Fitzpatrick, who had saved a penalty the previous week against Meath.

Down had no time to compose themselves before Horgan chased a ball into the corner. It seemed that the situation was under control, until she brushed past a defender and raced along the end-line to fire into the roof of the net and give the Kingdom a 3-7 to 0-11 buffer.

Down dug deep and took the game to the leaders over the next 15 minutes, yet they only managed three points, through O’Hagan (45), Aimee McAleenan and Sara Louise Graffin, up until the 50th minute.

An O’Hagan free and one each from McAleenan and Graffin closed the gap at 0-14 to 3-8. Diggin tagged on a couple of scores on the counter-attack, leaving four points between the teams with 10 minutes to go.

O’Hagan ped a couple of frees short, but she soon hit the target twice to cut the margin to two points in the closing stages.

There was a strong finish from Kerry, with points from Caoimhe Spillane, Horgan and player of the match Diggin dragging them over the line and into the final.

Defeat meant Down’s season ended with just the U-23 All-Ireland title to show for their efforts. 

However, they are still in a better place than they were at the end of last season. The result they craved was not there at the end of a gruelling hour in extreme heat on Saturday, but they have proven to themselves that this competition is within their reach. They can perhaps take comfort from the fact that both the teams contesting the final on August 10 lost semi-finals this time last year.

Kerry: A Fitzgerald, M Costello, S Murphy, R McCarthy, R Quinn, N Leen, A Behan, P Diggin, R O’Connor, A O’Sullivan, K Lynch, A Leen, S Collins, J Horgan, C Spillane.

Subs: E O’Donoghue, Á O’Connor, E Conway.

Down: C Fitzpatrick, A McDowell, D Coleman, C McGilligan, O McCusker, B Fitzpatrick, B Savage, D Savage, S Sands, A McAleenan, SL Graffin, D Magee, S McGrath, N McGrath, P O’Hagan.

Subs: T Monan, G Cunningham.