Gavin O’Connor looks at Sunday’s Garvey’s Supervalu Kerry SFC replay and asks three vital questions…
Kieran Donaghy, bears down on goal against Mid Kerry.
Can Donaghy be used more effectively?
During last Sunday’s thrilling match, Kieran Donaghy didn’t spend the entirety hovering around the square where he had been so effective during the semi-final against Dingle and indeed for Kerry over the summer.
Donaghy, played the first ten minutes of the first half at midfield and alternated back and forth throughout.
Given how well Stacks marshalled the middle third throughout, there wasn’t much cause for Donaghy to be in there and it effectively upset the rhythm of his game.
There was also a problem with the type of ball ‘Star’ was getting as well and when he was in full-forward, not often enough was he sought.
Only twice did he receive a decent ball in a dangerous position…one of them ended in the net.
Continued below…
Daniel Bohane, will have a massive on whether Austin Stacks, can win the county final replay. Photo by Oscar Brophy.
Who will the replay suit?
Both sides will feel they had chances to win it last weekend, but maybe Mid Kerry have the slight psychological edge over Stacks. The weight of 20 years maybe is taking its toll.
Both teams can look on a Killarney replay as a good omen, with Mid Kerry picking up their last county title in 2008 under those circumstances and Stacks in 1994, in a replay.
The extra game may suit a divisional side with a greater squad at their disposal, but with Mid Kerry sweating over injury worries to two key defenders, that may not be the case.
Austin Stacks are not without their problems either. It can’t have been encouraging for Stephen Stack seeing so many players pull up with cramp towards the end of last week’s match. With so little between the sides, extra time could be needed and benches emptied.
The Donnchadh Walsh shot for a point which end’s up in the Stacks net. Photo by Oscar Brophy.
Can Stacks be as good again?
After the match last Sunday, there was a sense that Stacks didn’t capitalise on their superiority around the centre of the park.
One of the catalysts to this was the comeback performance of sorts by Daniel Bohane, who has just returned from a hamstring injury having not played a full game since May. Will that hamstring be able to last another day out?
Mid Kerry have been left with a need to tweak more things than Stacks and that may not be such a bad situation.
In the cut and thrust of what was an open final, both sides will have learned a lot more about themselves and crucially the opposition.
The Rock’s last three scores were spectacular points by Donaghy, Callaghan and Collins, they needed to be at the top of their game. Can they go that little bit further?
Austin Stacks, Greg Horan and Wayne Guthrie contest a kickout with, Mid Kerry’s Colin McGillicuddy, while Gary Sayers watches on. Photo by Oscar Brophy.
