Gavin O’Connor previews the Super Valu Kerry SFC quarter-final clash between Kerins O’Rahilly’s and Killarney Legion at Fitzgerald Stadium, Saturday 4:30pm…
O’Rahilly’s midfielder Con Barrett gets a breaks down a kick out against East Kerry last Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean.
WE’RE down to the last eight in this year’s county championship and battle-scarred Kerins O’Rahillys will be on a high after last week’s 17 points trouncing of East Kerry, which caught everyone by surprise.
Their opponents, Legion, weren’t overly impressive against Feale Rangers who only brought 20 players to Killarney and were without the services Anthony Maher and Paul Galvin.
It’s looking likely that Giles O’Grady will miss Saturday’s quarter final because of a back injury. To add to that, Barry John Keane, David Moran, Jack Savage and Shane Brosnan are nursing injuries this week and are touch and go to start.
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Looking back to previous recent encounters, the Killarney side have the upper hand. In successive years, they have knocked the Blues out of the club championship. This year’s league encounter, back in April was a dour 1-7 apiece draw a week before Legion put Strand Road out of the club competition.
That match was in O’Rahilly’s hands with 15 minutes left on the clock, but with the help of the breeze and James O’Dononghue – who was making his first appearance back after shoulder injury – Legion got over the line with a winning point in the dying moments.
James O’Donoghue is the danger man for Legion. Photo by Dermot Crean.
It’s a tough draw. Legion boast the same amount of Kerry panellists as odds on favourites and neighbours, Dr Crokes. Along with talisman, O’Donoghue, recent All-Star nominee Jonathan Lyne and 2014 nominee, Brian Kelly, add inter-county experience to the side.
Against Feale Rangers, O’Donoghue hit 1-4 from play. Stopping him will be intrinsic to halting Legion’s progress. Earlier in the year, Cormac Coffey was entrusted with a man marking job on the 2014 Player of the Year and found the going tough.
The match up in midfield will be as crucial as ever. If Moran doesn’t start we can expect Tommy Walsh and Con Barrett to partner up in midfield against the in form Jamie O’Sullivan and Shaun Keane.
Barrett put his shoulder to the wheel at key times against Milltown/Castlemaine and even though Walsh has been favoured at full-forward this year, he dominated midfield against East Kerry and was the star of the show.
Injuries are a worry for O’Rahilly’s and judging from the sounds coming from the camp it’s touch and go whether Moran and Keane will start. Both men were hauled off with 15 minutes left in the East Kerry match and didn’t train during the week. Moran did look to be moving a whole lot better than he did against Milltown, which is a positive.
But the side doesn’t begin and end with who pulls on a Kerry jersey. Ten players got on the scoreboard against East Kerry, showing the depth of talent at their disposal.
If Walsh and Barrett can continue their good form in midfield they should dominate, so perhaps Moran won’t be as badly missed as say, Barry John Keane. He has been a leader in attack and if it’s tight, he’s the man most likely to carve something out.
Though they may have preferred a rest, the momentum O’Rahillys bring to this game could be key.
Verdict – Kerins O’Rahilly’s by 3 pts
