Latest news with #KerryFC
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Colin Healy sees Kerry take care of Longford
SSE Airtricity Mens First Division: Kerry FC 2 Longford Town 0 Kerry FC moved up to seventh place in the First Division table and just five points off the play-off spot after an impressive 2-0 win over lowly Longford Town. The win was Colin Healy's first on the line at Mounthawk Park. It means Kerry have collected 10 points from a possible 15 from their last five games and a nice way to enter the mid-season break. The opening half was a slow burner as the sides battled for midfield supremacy with Ronan Teahan doing well for the home side while Emre Topcu was working hard for the visitors. But it was typical fare between two sides at the wrong end of the table though the home side squandered two decent goal-scoring opportunities. Kerry struck for a deserved lead in the 43rd minute when Oran Crowe crossed from the right side and Kevin Williams rose highest to head the ball goal-wards and in nipped 17-year-old Luke Palmer who smashed his fourth goal of the season. The hosts almost made it 2-0 early in the second half when Palmer struck the post but in the 51st minute he became provider as he put Daniel Okwute through and Eric Yoro was forced to take him down inside the box. Yoro was shown a straight red and Sean McGrath drilled the ball low to Harry Halwax right and Kerry was now 2-0 in front and playing against 10 men. KERRY FC: Tim-Oliver Hiemer; Kevin Williams, Niall Brookwell, Chris McQueen, Samuel Mujaguzi ; Sean McGrath, Carl Mujaguzi, Oran Crowe, Ronan Teahan; Luke Palmer, Daniel Okwute Subs: Sean O'Connell for Carl Mujaguzi (31), Joe Adams for Ronan Teahan (56), Kennedy Amechi for Luke Palmer (65) LONGFORD TOWN Harry Halwax; Pharrell Manuel, Osaze Irhue, Andy Spain, Dean O'Shea, Joshua Harsani Giurgi; Eric Yoro, Emre Topcu, Luke Wade Slater, Aaron Doran, Daragh Murtagh Subs: Francis Campbell for Giurgi (76), Mohammed Bodief for Topcu (76), Emmanuel James for Murtagh (76) Referee: Daryl Carlon (Limerick)
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
First Division: Dundalk account for Kerry to stay unbeaten
Despite early promise from Kerry FC, Dundalk exerted their dominance to keep their place at the top of the First Division as two stunning goals from Leo Gaxha and Daryl Horgan gave Ciaran Kilduff's Lilywhites a the victory at Oriel Park. The win maintains their six-point advantage at the summit as they edge closer to the halfway point of the season. The visitors had the first sight of the goal, with Joe Adams latching onto a loose ball with his effort from outside the area, having to be pushed away by Minogue for a corner. Dundalk almost took the lead minutes later when a Keith Ward corner that was sent to the back post saw Vinny Leonard make contact, but it went wide of the post. Both sides continued to create half chances, with Arubi and McQueen having opportunities for their respective sides, but neither tested the keeper. Luke Palmer forced an excellent stop from Minogue in the Dundalk goal following a cross from the left by Teehan that was met by the Kerry forward at the near post with the netminder having to stop it at point-blank range. Kerry had a goal-bound chance cleared off the line with the initial corner only being cleared as far as Mujaguzi, with his effort being cleared off the line by Dervin. Dundalk took the lead in the 43rd minute when a loose ball down the right found the path of Leo Gaxha, whose cross, aimed at the back post, looped over Tim Oliver Hiemer and into the top left-hand corner. Dundalk thought they had added a second early in the second half with Daryl Horgan latching onto an Arubi cross to send the ball past Hiemer, but he had drifted into an offside position in the build-up. The Dundalk captain would add a second with a well-taken goal; the winger creating a gap on the edge of the area and curling the ball past Hiemer. The hosts almost added a third in the 75th minute with Luke Mulligan advancing from a defensive position to strike a low effort that forced Hiermer to tip it around the post. Gaxha was to be denied by the woodwork following a quick passing move with his low curling effort striking the but of the post. Both Andy Paraschiv and Horgan had shots on the Kerry goal in the latter stages of the contest, but neither tested Hiemer with their efforts going wide. The win sees Dundalk remain unbeaten so far this season as they face Wexford next week before the mid-season break, with Kerry hosting Longford. Dundalk FC: Enda Minogue; Aodh Dervin, Vinny Leonard, Mayowa Animasahun, Sean Keogh; Harry Groome (Eoin Kenny 46), Shane Tracey (Andy Paraschiv 46); Leo Gaxha, Keith Ward (Luke Mulligan 46), Daryl Horgan; Gbemi Arubi (Dean Ebbe 62) Kerry FC: Tim-Oliver Hiemer; Kevin Williams, Niall Brookwell, Chris McQueen (Abel Alabi 77), Samuel Aladesanusi; Carl Mujaguzi (Sean O'Connell 86), Oran Crowe, Ronan Teahan; Sean McGrath, Joe Adams (Nathan Gleeson 77), Luke Palmer (Eemeli Honkola 61)
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
'You need to show a small bit of respect' - Colin Healy has his say on FAI exit and 'worst year of his life'
Anyone who's dealt with Colin Healy can attest to his aversion to the spotlight so it's taken a deep injustice to speak out. His deviation boiled simply down to the fact that he felt no other choice was available to him in the circumstances. When the FAI announced, on December 11, the cessation of Eileen Gleeson and her assistant Healy as the Ireland management team, it seemed another routine dismissal by the association. Yet there was a backstory of what really went on leading up to the decision – added to by a couple of subplots since. The Corkman issued a statement on his behalf within a day of receiving the four-minute phone call from Marc Canham. Another first person account came on the January day Gleeson's successor Carla Ward was unveiled. He hadn't elaborated any further or taken questions on the topic over the six months until this week. 'I'm good for my word,' he said on Wednesday in a hotel conference room, referencing the promise he made three weeks ago, on the day he resumed football employment as manager of Kerry FC. He's described the last year as the worst of his life, understandable given his wife and mother of their two children, Kelly, passed away in April 2024 after eight years battling illness. What he didn't foresee was his personal anguish being compounded professionally by his employers. It says a lot for centurion Denise O'Sullivan to accuse the FAI of lacking compassion in their dealings with Healy but the events he illustrates over an hour raise major questions around their ability to function on a human level. For starters, nobody from the FAI hierarchy, either the main executives or board members, attended his wife's funeral. 'Football people were there – like the U19 manager Tom Mohan along with Stephen Bradley and his staff – but others weren't,' he said. 'I mean, I was the assistant of the national team. I come up to Dublin to do my job; Cork is only a drive down the road. Obviously, it's probably a longer drive to some people. I think you need to show a small bit of respect. 'The support I had was from Eileen, the staff and the players. People from the outside too like Damien Duff and other coaches. No, honestly I didn't get any support from them (the FAI). When Kelly passed away, I had a few text messages but other than that - no.' As far as the FAI is concerned, they have no regrets from a footballing perspective. Canham, their chief football officer working out his notice, and chief executive David Courell have reaffirmed that position over the past two months. They also contend Healy was provided with 'no absolute guarantees' of his contract being renewed when he mulled over the offer of a two-year full-time contract with Cobh Ramblers last November. 'They didn't want me to go and I was talked out of it,' he says, detailing the phone conversation he had with Canham. 'The Wales playoff game was coming up and having the chance of going to the Euros, as well as the World Cup next year, was thrown at me. 'But I needed some assurances that if I do stay, what's happening next year? I had two kids who've lost their mother that I need to support and a mortgage. 'You need to think about it. I'm not going to turn down two years at Cobh just for the sake of it. That's common sense. 'We were assured that, bar a hammering against Wales, we would be staying on.' Ireland lost the tie 3-2 over two legs, missing out on the upcoming Euros in Switzerland. Central to the FAI's justification for ditching the management team was their feedback from a review. Healy was 15 months in the post and hadn't been subjected to a review after the previous Nations League campaign nor regulation Euro qualifiers. 'That was the first time for a review but, looking back at it now, it was ticking a box,' he said. 'Maybe a few people in the FAI thought the Wales game was straightforward but it was never going to be the case from our perspective. 'I find it hard to accept that there was a review with some staff and some players. Our captain, Katie McCabe, wasn't part of that review. I got asked a few questions over the phone.' His last phone call stung most. 'It was brief, to say we were being let go,' he recounts of the conversation with Canham. 'There was no mention of the previous assurance because it was presented as a board decision, not his. 'I was just in shock. But a phone call? Why not go meet the person and explain why, particularly after the year I'd gone through. 'I didn't have to go back to work after Kelly died. I could easily have stayed off for the year, saying my head wasn't right. 'I'd never been let go over the phone. Even as a player at Sunderland, Mick McCarthy said I was too much of a risk after two broken legs to get a new contract. I was gutted but accepted it. 'This was totally wrong and why I've come out publicly.' Despite the annoyance over the nature of his exit, and some of the senior figures remaining, Healy doesn't rule out returning to the FAI. 'I would never say no to my country,' he affirms. 'Kerry is my job but there's some great people working in the FAI. Some were in touch thanking me for speaking out. 'For me, the biggest honour is to represent your country and that will never change.' Read More After the glory and the afterparty Levy faces Postecoglou crunch time
Irish Independent
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Kerry FC fan favourite Tim-Oliver Hiemer feeling ‘at home' in Kingdom
The big-hearted German was the key figure in delivering the Kingdom back-to-back wins for the first time Fan favourite, cult-hero, good guy, and fast on his way to becoming one of our own. Tim-Oliver Hiemer, the Mönchengladbach man with a big heart, has been welcomed with open arms to the Kingdom by the Kerry FC faithful. The fans' embrace of the German is now near absolute after he helped deliver the Kingdom back-to-back wins in the First Division for the first time in the club's existence. After Friday evening's heroics in Mounthawk Park, he was given the rock-star treatment.
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Hiemer heroics gives Colin Healy a winning start
SSE Airtricity First Division: Kerry 1 (McQueen 17') Treaty Utd 0 Despite serving a one match touch line ban for an indiscretion dating back to Cork City in 2023, Colin Healy saw his Kerry FC side complete back-to-back wins for the first time since joining the LOI. It was a back-to-back wins for the first time as well for Kerry FC but it was a win that was fortunate because Treaty Utd deserved at least a point in the second half but for second week in a row German born keeper Tim Oliver Hiemer gave an awesome display making at least six stunning saves. After initial Kerry pressure that yielded only a volley from Carl Mujaguzi as early as the fifth minute from a Daniel Okwute free kick, Treaty then got on top for a 10 minute spell, forcing fours corner thanks to some excellent work by their captain Lee Lynch along with Lee Devitt. Treaty should have taken the lead in the ninth minute when a sweeping move saw Lynch turn his marker and his strike from just inside the box, was brilliantly turned behind by Kerry keeper Hiemer. The visitors forced three successive corners with no return and Kerry began to trouble the visitors despite the fact of having only attacker Daniel Okwute up front in the absence of strikers, the injured Ryan Kelliher and suspended Luke Palmer. Ronan Teahan was dominant at midfield and with Kerry playing the ball on the deck, the style definitely had Healy's imprint on it. Kerry made a crucial breakthrough in the 17th minute when Teahan forced a corner on the left. Oran Crowe floated it in to the danger zone and it was centre back Chris McQueen who rose highest and powered a header to net. This goal appeared to deflate the visitors as Kerry's new formation of five at back was rock solid and Treaty did not trouble Hiemer for the rest of the half. The home-side continued to play attractive attacking football but despite forcing a couple of corners and free kicks, they failed to add to McQueen's goal as Kerry retired 1-0 in front at the interval. Treaty resumed a transformed side and should have leveled within two minutes of restart when Ben Lynch crossed and Mark Byrne volleyed wide of an open goal. Karl O'Sullivan was pulling the strings for Treaty and Kerry were on the back foot. Treaty were denied a goal when O'Sullivan floated in a dangerous corner but McQueen powerfully headed off his goal line. Former Kerry striker Trip Vrljicak should have equalised in the 72nd minute but Hiemer made a stunning instinctive save. But Treaty were throwing the kitchen sink at Kerry and Hiemer was like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dam as he made incredible save after save. Despite 11 minutes of added time Treaty could not blow Kerry's house down and Kerry have posted back to back wins. KERRY FC: T-O Hiemer; K Williams, S Aladesanusi, C McQueen, N Brookwell, A Dunne; O Crowe, C Mujaguzi, O Crowe, R Teahan, S McGrath; D Okwute. Subs: N Gleeson for Crowe (67), A Alabi for Teahan (inj 78), J Adams for Mujaguzi (88) TREATY UNITED: C Chambers; E O'Connor, E Martin, R Lynch, B Lynch; K O'Sullivan, L Lynch, S Healy, M Byrne, L Devitt; D Tarmey. Subs: T Vrljicak for Tarmey (h/t), N Kozlowski for O'Connor (80), D Owens for Byrne (80) V Dolia for Healy (90) Referee: Robert Dowling
