Kerry claimed a narrow 1:0 victory over Wexford in the First Division regular season on Friday evening, with the result keeping them three points clear in seventh place. The hosts had been struggling recently, losing their last two league games before this hard-fought win at home.
The match remained goalless until the sixty-seventh minute when S. McGrath found the net to give Kerry the lead. It was a decisive moment, and here's the thing — the visitors had been pushing for an equaliser but couldn't find the breakthrough. M. Rowe had picked up a yellow card just before half-time, and the home side would have been pleased to go into the break with their advantage intact.
The second half grew increasingly tense. C. Brosnan received a booking in the seventy-second minute before being substituted himself in the seventy-ninth. Then came the dramatic late twist: K. Harnett was sent off with a red card in the eighty-sixth minute after also collecting a second yellow. L. Palmer was cautioned in the eighty-seventh minute as Kerry looked to see out the game.
Statistically, the match was remarkably even. Kerry held 49 per cent possession against Wexford's 51, while both sides registered similar attack counts — 92 for the hosts, 91 for the visitors. Kerry were more clinical with their shooting, hitting 44 per cent accuracy compared to Wexford's 20 per cent, and managed four shots on target to their opponents' two.
The victory extended Kerry's unbeaten run in a sense, though they had lost two consecutive games prior to this result. They now sit on 42 points, three ahead of Wexford in eighth place, with each side having played 32 matches this season. To be fair, neither team has dominated the division so far this campaign.
What matters most is that Kerry held on after Harnett's dismissal, and by then the momentum had shifted firmly in their favour. They have now won two of their last five league games, including this crucial point against a direct rival.
