Kerry pushed all the way by Cavan in thrilling All-Ireland MFC quarter-final
A patchy Kerry were put to the absolute pin of their collar before edging out a never-say-die Cavan in an exciting Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC quarter-final played in windy conditions at O'Moore Park in Portlaoise.
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RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Kerry to face Kildare for place in All-Ireland semi-finals
All-Ireland champions Kerry will face Kildare for a place in the semi-finals of this year's women's football championship. Following the conclusion of the group phase, the draw made for 2025 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-finals was made on Saturday. Dublin will take on Cork, Meath meet Tipperary and Galway face Waterford, with all games taking place on the weekend of 5-6 July. Quarter-final draw (first team enjoy home advantage) 1. Kerry v Kildare 2. Dublin v Cork 3. Meath v Tipperary 4. Galway v Waterford Semi-finals Winner QF 1 v winner QF 3 Winner QF 2 v winner QF 4
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Jack O'Connor says Croke Park return will lift pressure after David Clifford hat-trick sinks Cavan
JACK O'CONNOR expects next weekend's return to Croke Park to ease the pressure on his Kerry side after they held off a second-half resurgence from Cavan to take their place in the last eight of the Sam Maguire race. David Clifford bagged a hat-trick in Killarney as the hosts put themselves on a quarter-final collision course with All-Ireland champions Armagh. Advertisement 2 Kerry manager Jack O'Connor is in confident form after Kerry's win over Cavan 2 David Clifford bagged a hat-trick in the win over Cavan If Donegal and Galway advance from today's meetings with Louth and Down respectively, Kerry will face the Orchard in a repeat of last year's semi-final. Although the Kingdom kept Cavan at arm's length, their wastefulness in attack kept the door ajar for the visitors to reduce the gap to four points with 12 minutes remaining. In the context of their shock defeat to Meath seven days earlier, O'Connor cited intensity and tackling as areas where his team showed improvement. However, he also felt they 'got a bit frantic at times and made poor decisions with the ball' as they allowed Cavan to chip away at the ten-point half-time buffer. Advertisement read more on gaa O'Connor admitted: "There's a lot of pressure on Kerry players from the supporters. That was a difficult environment for the lads to play football in today. After their performance last week, there was huge pressure on them to perform and that can be a difficult environment. 'Often it's easier to go to Croke Park, away from home, and actually express yourself and play without fear and play with a bit of abandon. That's what we're planning on next weekend." Having played with the breeze, Kerry looked comfortable as they led by 2-12 to 0-8 at the interval. Clifford netted twice inside the opening 19 minutes and Cavan were also handicapped by a black card to Niall Carolan. But the Munster champions were repeatedly guilty of butchering goal chances. Gavin White struck the post in the first half when he sought to raise a green flag. Dylan Geaney also gathered a rebound to tap over a point after Clifford's first attempt to claim his hat-trick was kept out by Liam Brady, who made a string of fine saves. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Exclusive Clifford left two more goal chances go to waste in the third quarter. Conor Geaney also had a couple thwarted and Graham O'Sullivan squandered one too. At the other end, the Cavan charge was spearheaded by Paddy Lynch, whose final tally of 0-12 included four two-pointers. 'Just in time for Father's Day' - Dublin GAA legends welcome the birth of precious baby daughter When he landed a huge effort from nearly 50 metres out, the natives briefly grew restless at the sight of the 2-16 to 1-15 scoreline. Evan Crowe had punched home a 51st-minute goal for Cavan which kickstarted a spell that saw them outscore the opposition by 1-6 to 0-1. Advertisement Clifford then gave Kerry more breathing room by finally claiming his third goal, having been teed up by Killian Spillane after Joe O'Connor saw another opportunity for his side foiled by Brady. Cavan responded with a Lynch two-pointer but Kerry saw out the game by firing 0-5 without reply. That included a point for Leaving Cert student Tomás Kennedy, who came off the bench for his senior debut. Injury-hit Kerry can now look forward to a first Croker date since their National League final win over Mayo. O'Connor said: 'It's a great footballer's pitch. It's a huge pitch and there's space there and that's why you want to play football. Advertisement 'This is a good pitch here in Fitzgerald Stadium as well. I just thought there were times today when it looked like the pressure got to the lads a bit and they didn't express themselves the way they could have." The Kerry boss lamented the latest injury setback to namesake Diarmuid O'Connor, who was forced off after injuring his shoulder in the throw-in. He joins Mike Breen, Tony Brosnan, Paul Geaney and Barry Dan O'Sullivan on the sidelines. Kingdom chief O'Connor also responded to comments from Darragh Ó Sé, who claimed 'the mood isn't great' in Kerry and that Armagh will bring their season to an end next time out. O'Connor said: "Darragh would be as well off now to go away and do a bit of coaching himself." Advertisement KERRY: S Ryan 0-3, 1tpf, 1 '45; P Murphy, J Foley, T O'Sullivan; B Ó Beaglaioch, T Morley, G White; D O'Connor, S O'Brien; J O'Connor, G O'Sullivan 0-1, S O'Shea 0-4, 1tp, 1f; C Geaney 0-1, D Clifford 3-7, 2tp, 1f, D Geaney 0-2. Subs: M O'Shea for D O'Connor 3 mins, D Casey for Morley 43, P Clifford for C Geaney 56, K Spillane 0-1 for D Geaney 56, E Looney for G O'Sullivan (temp) 61-ft, T Kennedy 0-1 for Ó Beaglaioch CAVAN: L Brady; C Reilly, N Carolan, B O'Connell; J McLoughlin 0-1, C Brady, P Faulkner 0-1; E Crowe 1-0, O Kiernan 0-2, 1tp; D McVeety, G Smith, O Brady; S McEvoy, P Lynch 0-12, 2tp, 2tpf, 4f, C O'Reilly. Subs: L Fortune for Reilly 8 mins, C Madden for McEvoy 43, R O'Neill 0-1 for O Brady 56, R Donohoe for McLoughlin 60, K Brady for O'Connell (temp) 64-66. REFEREE: J Henry (Mayo) Advertisement
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
David Clifford hat-trick helps Kerry beat Cavan
All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final: Kerry 3-20 Cavan 1-17 Kerry march on to the last eight but plenty of questions remain unanswered following this win over a Cavan side who came from 13 down to just four before running out of gas in Killarney. At half-time, Kerry, having played with the wind, led by 10 points, which flattered Cavan. The final score of the half was a monster two-pointer from 50 metres by Paddy Lynch; to that point, Cavan had registered just three shots from play – one wide, one blocked, one point – while Kerry squandered a hatful of chances. To their credit, Cavan dug in after the break and, implausibly, cut the gap to four points at one stage and certainly had the Kingdom rattled. However, they couldn't push on and Kerry regrouped, closing it out comfortably but certainly not boosting their All-Ireland credentials in the process. Kerry kicked eight first-half wides and hit the woodwork twice as they completely dominated the opening 35 minutes, despite losing Diarmuid O'Connor to injury just three minutes in. READ MORE Once David Clifford scorched along the end-line, holding off Niall Carolan, and rolled home the opening goal, there was a sense of inevitability about things. GOAL🚨 David Clifford rips through defence and jersey ‼️ Let's get these GAA Football Premlinary Quarter-Finals started with — The GAA (@officialgaa) Dylan Geaney fisted over to make it 1-3 to 0-2 and when Carolan went off on a black card, Kerry tacked on 1-3 unanswered and put things to bed early. A two-pointer from Clifford, who had five metres to spare, was followed by the Fossa man's second goal. Cavan coughed up possession in the full-forward line and Clifford orchestrated the move, playing a one-two with Paul Murphy before smashing home via the post. Nineteen minutes, 2-6 to 0-2 – game, set and match, or so it seemed. A 47-metre free from Lynch stopped the bleeding but Cavan were forced into last-ditch defending on several occasions as Kerry came at them in waves. Sean O'Shea, working tirelessly, knocked over a stylish two-pointer and after Liam Brady denied Clifford a hat-trick, Dylan Geaney pointed to put 13 between them. Lynch knocked over a free and then a huge 50-metre point from play just before the break to leave 10 in it with a Cavan comeback looking highly unlikely at this stage. Clifford fisted over on the resumption, Lynch replying with a free, as Kerry continued to create – and miss – goal chances. 🚨 GOAL 🚨 A lightning Football clips brought to you by — GAA+ (@GAAPlusOfficial) A Shane Ryan 45 and another easy point for Clifford saw Kerry stretch their advantage again but the match took an unexpected turn with 20 minutes to go when an Oisin Brady shot dropped short, Padraig Faulkner got a fist to it and Evan Crowe palmed home a goal. Suddenly, Cavan were buoyed and they quickly added a two-pointer from Oisin Kiernan and were almost in for another goal, Faulkner blasting over. The gap was back to six; Kerry looked to suck the sting out of Cavan's bite and worked a Conor Geaney score but Cavan came again, Ryan O'Neill firing over and then Lynch landing the point of the game from 50 metres to make it 2-16 to 1-15 on 58 minutes. But Kerry were able to send for the cavalry and Paudie Clifford, along with his brother, and Killian Spillane steered the ship home, with David stroking home his third goal after Liam Brady saved from Joe O'Connor and Shane Ryan (free) and Mike Breen adding further scores. Kerry: S Ryan (0-1-1, 45, 2ptf), P Murphy, J Foley, T O'Sullivan, B Ó Beaglaoich, T Morley, G White, J O'Connor, S O'Brien, D O'Connor, S O'Shea (0-1-1, 2pt), G O'Sullivan (0-0-1), D Clifford (3-2-3, 1f), C Geaney (0-0-2), D Geaney (0-0-2). Subs: M O'Shea for D O'Connor (3 mins), D Casey for T Morley (43 mins), P Clifford for C Geaney, K Spillane (0-0-1) for D Geaney (both 56 mins), M Breen (0-0-1) for B Ó Beaglaoich (66 mins) Cavan: L Brady, N Carolan, O Kiernan (0-1-0), C Reilly, B O'Connell, C Brady, P Faulkner (0-0-1), J McLoughlin (0-0-1), E Crowe (0-1-0), G Smith, D McVeety, O Brady, C O'Reilly, P Lynch (0-4-4, 2 tpf, 4f), S McEvoy. Subs: L Fortune for C Reilly (8 mins), C Madden for S McEvoy (43 mins), R O'Neill (0-0-1) for O Brady (56 mins), R Donohoe for J McLoughlin (60 mins), K Brady for B O'Connell (temp 64 mins, reversed 66 mins) Referee: J Henry (Mayo)
