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Paul Geaney was one of Kerry’s few shining lights against Clare in the Munster Semi Final yesterday. The Dingle man kicked 6 points from play. (File Photo)
THE green and gold will march on to a Munster final date in Cork in two weeks time after their 1-17 to 1-13 victory over Clare in Ennis yesterday.
But there were more than a couple of nervous moments and a few shaky performances on the day. So what did we learn for the future…
1. Major issues with midfield
Both Kerry’s starting midfielders did not finish the match. David Moran came off after 15 minutes and Anthony Maher got his marching orders for two yellows with ten minutes to go.
There have been calls for Maher to step up to the mark and become a leader of this side but, on the evidence of the last two seasons, is he really up to the task?
Aidan O’Mahony came on in place of the injured David Moran in midfield, but not even in his pomp would he be considered as an inter-county midfielder on the big stage. If ever there was a damning indictment of our midfield predicament it was that move.
Surely Bryan Sheehan who, let’s not forget, won an All Star for his midfield performances in 2011, would be a better option now.
2. Our paper-thin squad
The fact that Kerry started with three players with injury doubts hanging over their heads doesn’t bode well for our chances this year.
Darran O’Sullivan had a double hip operation late last year and David Moran has been sidelined for the last few weeks with knee trouble. Declan O’Sullivan started the game with his leg heavily strapped and was not moving well.
With no disrespect to Clare, in years previous, these players would have not have been chanced against a side like them. Now it seems the team has to play the cards it is dealt and it isn’t an overly optimistic hand.
3, The chasing pack in Munster are getting closer
Cork endured an even more nervous time against Tipperary on Saturday evening. If it wasn’t for the introduction of Aidan Walsh they may well have lost.
The last great challengers to Kerry and Cork’s Munster dominance was the Limerick team of the mid-noughties. It was bad timing for them that they had to come up against one of the great Kerry sides.
With the noticeable decline of Kerry and Cork, there is an opportunity for the other counties to make a breakthrough and that will spur them on even more so.
4, Where we stand in the pecking order
We still have our best attacker James O’Donoghue to come back and have been nursing a number of other injuries, but at this juncture we are simply nowhere near Dublin’s level and probably lie somewhere in the middle of the chasing pack.
5, Bright young things offering some hope
It’s not all doom and gloom, Paul Geaney kicked six points from play on his championship debut, some of them with ease which is encouraging.
Another debutante Paul Murphy had an excellent outing at corner back despite being dragged everywhere by Clare’s dual Star Podge Collins, which is how the Kenmare man found himself in the position to hammer home Kerry’s only goal.
In goals, Legion’s Brian Kelly pulled off an excellent save in the first half and crucially handled three dropping balls into the square very well, an achilles heel of ours since Diarmuid Murphy departed the scene.
