Kerry and YCD Share Points in First Division Draw
Kerry and YCD played out a 1:1 draw in the First Division on Thursday evening, the 28th round of the regular season. The result leaves Kerry seventh with 39 points from 29 games and keeps YCD second on 48 points after 30 matches.
C. Akinrintayo gave Kerry the lead in the 15th minute, but the striker was booked for his troubles 29 minutes later. To be fair, the home side had been chasing the game for most of the first half, pressing forward rather than sitting back against a side that sits six points clear in the table.
N. Brookwell levelled matters for YCD in the 47th minute, and here's the thing — the equaliser came so soon after half-time that both teams needed to reset. Kerry had looked like they might hold on, but YCD's second-half approach changed the shape of the contest entirely.
There were four yellow cards in total during the match. E. Lee and M. McCullagh collected their cautions in the 59th and 60th minutes, while J. Goad went off the pitch with a booking in the 76th. By then the game had settled into a rhythm neither side could quite control.
Both managers made changes in the second half, with Kerry bringing on G. Ogbonna and C. Brosnan at the hour mark, followed by V. Borden and C. Brosnan at 72. YCD introduced S. McGrath in the 79th minute and R. Perez alongside M. McCullagh's replacement at 83 and 84 respectively.
The draw does little to shift the standings. Kerry remain seven points behind the automatic promotion places while YCD still sit comfortably in second, though the gap to the top is narrowing as the season reaches its final stages.