Barry O’Shea.
Former Kerry star, Barry O’Shea, says the game on Sunday will be tight and not easy on the eye…
THE players and management might say it’s just another game, but we all know it’s not.
The game has an edge to it, there’s an undertone to this game. It’s not an ordinary game because of the history that has transpired between both counties.
It might seem that Eamon Fitzmaurice, has sprung a few surprises, leaving Aidan O’Mahony, Bryan Sheehan and Paul Geaney out, but no matter who they pick, there are going to be good players sitting on the bench.
A lot of people would say it’s risky going into a game without your first freetaker, but I’ve heard rumours Sheehan has a hamstring problem, so if he does they’re right not to play him.
Donaghy comes in for Geaney – who didn’t have best game in a Kerry jersey against Kildare – but he gives us a great option off the bench.
Aidan O’Mahony got married last week, so maybe that had a bearing on him not being picked. He’s not a drinking man or anything, but he had a few days off so it wouldn’t have been ideal preparation.
The story with organising a wedding in the middle of the championship came down to him thinking he would be retired, but obviously it didn’t pan out like that.
There could be other reasons for not starting O’Mahony also, maybe Fitzmaurice is thinking the way Tyrone play with their running game. Maybe it’s a case of horses for courses.
Crowley coming in doesn’t weaken the team, we’re lucky we have loads of options. Nowhere is this more reflected than the fact our three top scorers in the championship, Bryan Sheehan (0-14), Paul Geaney (2-8) and Barry John Keane (2-7) are sitting on the bench.
That alone tells you how strong this team is, I don’t think any team in Ireland can do that.
Tyrone people are delighted to be playing Kerry, they feel they have this thing over us. The defeats in 2003, 2005, 2008, have left their mark, but that Tyrone team were a serious side.
Even though the current crop are good, they’re not as good as the team that blazed a trail for them in the last decade.
Tyrone play exceptionally defensively, they’re a more defensive team than Donegal were last year. They get loads of players back, while Donegal have a system of bringing a certain amount of guys back and leaving a few forwards up.
At times, Tyrone can have their whole team inside their own 45, but the difference with them is they have explosive pace to get out and attack. Guys like Tiernan McCann, Peter Harte and Matty Donnelly, will run like greyhounds out of defence and will go very hard at you.
It’s very, very hard to stop a guy running like a train straight at you. Especially in GAA, where there is no defined tackle, most defenders end up fouling a fella coming through and it only takes a slight touch to knock a guy over.
Tyrone, along with being very good at not giving away fouls inside the scoring zone, are masters at gaining frees inside it. I won’t say they dive, à la Tiernan McCann, but they do make the most of contacts should we say.
It’s something referee Maurice Deegan will hopefully be vigilant of.
To win this, Kerry have to be very patient, they will have to move the ball fast, moving quickly from defence to attack.
Good accurate kicking will be very important, long 40 yard passes that will open the Tyrone rearguard, because no matter what happens, the ball will always move faster than the man.
It’s going to take a lot of patience, because at times it’s not going to happen, they’ll just have to be patient and work the ball around. Just like the All-Ireland Final last year, sometimes it may be very difficult to watch.
Tyrone leave two men back at all times, you won’t see Colm Cavanagh, contest a kick out all day, he will head back into defence every time. They will always be covering at the back.
James O’Donoghue and the Gooch will probably have at least two guys on them every single time they get near the ball. So it’s going to be frustrating for a lot of guys, but it’s a day for winning rather than putting on a show.
A lot of people are saying Kerry will win by five or six points, but I think that’s an awful lot against a team that plays so defensive and a side that’s also scoring big.
I think the bookies are more accurate with their prediction of a three point winning margin. I think Kerry will do it by a couple of points, but it’s going to be very, very tough, it will take a long time to break them down.
It will be very similar to the Donegal game last year and may even be worse, because Tyrone bring even more bodies back and leave no space what so ever.
But Tyrone do have to come out at some stage to score, so if Kerry can turn them over enough and seize the opportunities, they should get over the line.
