Kerry FC’s final last home game of the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division season saw them go down 2-0 to Wexford.
Words by David Moriarty…………..
Kerry FC played their final game at home in Mounthawk Park for the 2025 season on Friday night as they took on Wexford FC. Coming into this one, Kerry FC last Sunday played Shamrock Rovers in the Sports Direct FAI Cup Semi Final, and although the result did not go the way everyone would have wanted, it was a day that will be long in the memory of this fast-growing, young and energetic football club.
Kerry FC can still finish eighth with their three games remaining, with trips to Finn Harps and Bray Wanderers on the horizon, but recent results mean that it will be Kerry’s highest finish since entering the first division, a small but quite significant achievement.
For the away side, Wexford FC, a win was needed to keep their playoff hopes alive. It was sure to be a season-defining game for the yellowbellies in Tralee.
FIRST HALF
The game kicked off at Mounthawk Park amid an electric atmosphere, as fans turned out in full voice for Kerry’s last home fixture of the season. The opening exchanges were lively, with Kerry looking to establish early control and Wexford pressing high to disrupt their rhythm.
In the tenth minute, Cian Brosnan came close to giving Kerry an early lead when he struck the side netting following an excellent build-up involving several neat passes. The move lifted the home support, who sensed that their side was capable of breaking through the Wexford defence.
Three minutes later, in the thirteenth minute, Sean O’Connell tried his luck from distance, but his shot dragged wide of the far post. Kerry were on the front foot, and their confidence seemed to grow with each passing minute.
However, the game’s intensity rose a notch in the fourteenth minute when Christopher McQueen went into the referee’s book after a late challenge. Moments later, Wexford almost capitalised on the resulting pressure. A goal-line scramble inside the Kerry box saw Darragh Foley pull off a remarkable save to deny the visitors what looked like a certain goal. Somehow, the ball stayed out, and Kerry breathed a sigh of relief.
Kerry responded well, and in the twenty-fourth minute, Ronan Teahan tested Wexford goalkeeper Paul Martin with a solid strike from outside the area. Martin was equal to it, diving low to make a clean save.
The visitors began to settle into the game, with Conor Levingston attempting an audacious long-range volley in the thirty-first minute. The ball, however, soared well over the bar — much to the amusement of the home crowd.
Kerry’s defence was called into action again in the thirty-fifth minute when Wexford’s Robert McCourt rose highest to meet a corner on the volley that swung dangerously into the six-yard box. Once again, Darragh Foley produced an outstanding save to keep the scores level, diving instinctively to his left to tip the effort away.
Kerry suffered a blow in the fortieth minute when Joe Adams was forced off and replaced by Arran Healy. Despite the disruption, Kerry continued to push forward. In the forty-third minute, Cian Brosnan sent in a teasing cross from the left, finding Daniel Okwute at the back post. Okwute’s header, however, looped just over the bar.
Two minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the first half, during which neither side could find a breakthrough. When the whistle blew for half-time, the score remained Kerry FC 0–0 Wexford FC, a fair reflection of a balanced and competitive opening period.
Both sides had their chances, with Foley’s heroics in the Kerry goal keeping the hosts level, while Brosnan and Okwute looked the most likely to make something happen going forward. At the break, the home supporters applauded their team off the pitch, hopeful that the Kingdom could find the cutting edge they needed in the second half.
SECOND HALF
The second half began in much the same way as the first, full of energy and commitment from both teams. Wexford looked sharper after the restart, but Kerry continued to hold their own and created openings of their own.
In the fifty-fourth minute, Wexford’s captain, Aaron Dobbs, pounced on a defensive error from Kerry but dragged his effort just wide of the far post. It was a warning sign for the hosts, who had to remain vigilant against Wexford’s quick transitions.
Five minutes later, in the fifty-ninth minute, Daniel Okwute tried to make something happen at the other end, but his shot flew high over the crossbar. Kerry were showing determination, and moments later they came within inches of breaking the deadlock.
A swift counterattack in the sixty-second minute saw Cian Brosnan surge forward and release the ball to Okwute on the right wing. The striker twisted and turned brilliantly past his marker before unleashing a shot that forced Paul Martin into an excellent save. It was Kerry’s best chance of the half, and the crowd rose to applaud the move.
However, as Kerry pushed forward, the game began to open up, and Wexford started to find more space on the counter. In the sixty-fifth minute, Wexford midfielder Zayd Abada received a yellow card for a rash tackle — and could consider himself fortunate to remain on the pitch. Just two minutes later, Kerry made their second change of the evening, with Luke Palmer coming on for captain Sean McGrath.
Then came the turning point of the match. In the seventieth minute, Wexford took the lead through Callum Flynn. A looping header from Aaron Dobbs tapped off the crossbar, and Flynn was quickest to react, bundling the rebound over the line to make it 1–0 to the visitors. It was a cruel blow for Kerry, who had defended bravely up to that point.
Before Kerry could regroup, disaster struck again just two minutes later. In the seventy-second minute, Flynn produced a moment of individual brilliance to double Wexford’s lead. Picking up the ball on the left, he weaved past three Kerry defenders, rounded goalkeeper Darragh Foley, and calmly slotted home for his second goal of the night. It was a stunning solo effort that left the home fans stunned and the Wexford bench jubilant.
In response, Colin Healy made a triple substitution in the seventy-fourth minute, introducing Robbie Cleary, Ryan Perez, and Samuel Aladesanusi in place of Cian Brosnan, Chris McQueen, and Ronan Teahan. The changes injected fresh energy into the Kerry side, but the visitors, buoyed by their two-goal cushion, managed the game well from that point onward.
As the clock ticked down, Wexford continued to look dangerous on the break. In the eighty-sixth minute, Aaron Dobbs came agonisingly close to adding a third when his close-range shot struck the post. Kerry, despite their best efforts, struggled to break through a resolute Wexford defence marshalled by Robert McCourt and Dean Larkin.
Three minutes of stoppage time were signalled at the end of the 90 and in the ninetieth minute, Flynn almost completed his hat-trick when he fired just wide of the far post from a tight angle on the right.
When the referee finally blew the whistle, the scoreline read Kerry FC 0–2 Wexford FC. It was a disappointing end to Kerry’s home season, but there was still plenty for the Mounthawk Park faithful to applaud — not least the effort and determination of a young side that has shown promise throughout the campaign.
They now have to put this defeat behind them as the final two fixtures of the season come just five days apart, with trips to Donegal and Bray on the horizon.
Kerry FC Team: 40. Darragh Foley, 3. Sean O’Connell, 28. Niall Brookwell, 5. Christopher McQueen, 29. Ewan Lee, 4. Oran Crowe, 8. Ronan Teahan, 7. Sean McGrath (C), 10. Joe Adams, 11. Daniel Okwute, 17. Cian Brosnan.
Subs: Luke Doolan, Luke Palmer, Ryan Perez, Carl Mujaguzi, Arran Healy, Daniel O’Connor, Robbie Cleary, Samuel Aladesanusi, Finn Barrett.
Wexford FC Team: 20. Paul Martin, 3. James Crawford, 5. Robert McCourt, 6. Dean Larkin, 10. Aaron Dobbs (C), 14. Conor Levingston, 16. Zayd Abada, 23. Muhammad Harris, 29. Ajibola Oluwabiyi, 44. Evan Osam, 80. Ben McCormack.
Subs: Alex Moody, Josh Lyons, Calum Flynn (GOAL ‘70, ‘72), Kaylem Harnett, Harry Sherlock, Cian Browne, Michael McCarthy, Matthew O’Brien, Kyal Byrne.
Meanwhile, Dundalk secured their Premier Division status for next season.
A 3-0 win over Finn Harps at Oriel Park sees the Lilywhites claim the First Division title and automatic promotion.
Elsewhere, it finished
Treaty United 2 Bray Wanderers 1,
UCD 2 Athlone Town 2,
And Longford Town 3 Cobh Ramblers 1.
