City draw clinches Kerry playoff berth

By Donncha Noonan | Photo: Kevin Barry Dorney

Off the back of their trophy lift at the Cross last week, City travelled to Mounthawk Park on Friday for their final game of the 2026 season, against Kerry FC who were looking to secure their playoff spot. It was a fairly agreeable result for both sides, as a 1-1 draw ended City’s season and earned Kerry a meeting with Bray Wanderers.

Barry Robson made three changes to the team that drew against Kerry. Seani Maguire, Charlie Lyons and Greg Bolger all come out, with Ike Major-Georgewill, Brody Lee and Niall O’Keeffe coming in.

Colin Healy decided to stick with the same team that beat Cobh in Cork last week as his side went hunting for their first ever playoff game.

The first big chance of the game went the way of the hosts after seven minutes. Sean McGrath led a dangerous Kerry counter into City territory before laying it right to Cian Bargary. He took a touch and tried to poke past the onrushing Conor Brann, but the City keeper did well to spread himself and deny Bargary.

It was another counter that caused City issues again eleven minutes later. Cian Murphy broke from the pack and sprinted down the left wing, but his effort didn't trouble Conor Brann too much and went straight at him.

The deadlock was finally broken in the twenty third minute, and it was City who caused it. Conor Drinan did brilliant work down the left wing to get to the byline before pulling the ball across goal, where it found Ruairi Keating. He took a touch and turned onto his left foot, where he whipped a curling effort into the top right corner to give his side the lead.

That goal seemed to be the inspiration Kerry needed to take their chances, as the Kingdom got back level six minutes later. Sean O’Connell slipped a lonely channel ball down the left for Vince Borden to chase, who aimed at goal and snuck a shot past Conor Brann at his near post to level the affair.

Kerry began to hound for a winner as they may have needed it, and they were somehow denied the lead on the half hour mark. Cian Murphy burst down the right hand side and pulled a low ball across goal, where Cian Brosnan slid in to get there first, but he could only poke the ball off the post from close range.

That was all for the first half, as Kerry naturally looked the more eager to get a foothold on the game.

To be honest the second half was fairly stale and dull, as City began to cast and Kerry began to realise that a draw was sufficient for them to secure their playoff spot.

They did knock on the door a few times, with a crucial Fiacre Kelleher block denying Kerry on the sixty minute mark and Sean McGrath having a shot fly just over the bar.

Kerry weren’t the only ones with some glimpses, as Seani Maguire went close twice in the last ten minutes, but ultimately the game fizzled out and ended 1-1.

That result is the last of City’s season now, as they as well as us all look ahead to next season. It’s been a big slog of a season for everyone involved, but now we’re able to have some hope as we gear up for a huge 2027 season. It’s natural that we will look at previous seasons and feel that we are just doomed, but ultimately we just have to have blind hope that we can pull something special off next year and begin to rebuild back to where we should be.

My Man of the Match goes to Cian Bargary. Baggsy was by far the standout amongst the crowd in this one, being at the epicentre of Kerry’s good attacks constantly throughout the game. He probably should've got a goal himself at some stage, but all in all it was an explosive performance from the winger down that right hand side.

Obviously that’s it for City’s season, but Kerry have a game to look ahead to, as they take on Bray Wanderers on Saturday.