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Mike O’Halloran on Kerry v Laois in the relegation play off match in Austin Stack Park on Saturday (throw-in 5pm)…
John Egan will be a vital player for Kerry on Saturday. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Around this time last year, John Egan propelled Kerry hurling into the second tier of the National Hurling League with a point in Parnell Park.
Since then, he has kept Kerry ticking over in Division 1B, his exploits two weeks ago in Birr were again instrumental in keeping the profile of the Kerry hurlers to the fore.
There was huge excitement in Birr following the win over Offaly and there is now a belief that Kerry will get over Laois “handily enough” as I heard an ex-player saying the other night.
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While Kerry can go into the game with a certain amount of confidence on the back of the win in Birr, they should bear in mind the result down the road the same day, where Laois lost out by a single point to Wexford, will have a bearing on Saturday’s game.
Division 1B has had some strange results. Limerick only overcoming Kerry by four points while Limerick absolutely destroyed Laois. Offaly beat Wexford, who walloped Kerry in Tralee, Kerry beat Offaly and Laois came within a point of Wexford.
The result in Tralee against Wexford has been described as “not being the real Kerry” and while I’m inclined to agree to a certain extent with this statement, one has to ask the question ‘what is the real Kerry?’
Is it the Kerry team that defeated Antrim in 2015, ran Cork close in the Munster League and with a bit of luck could have been within one point off Limerick if they had been awarded a blatant penalty. Or is it the Kerry team that ran into a brick wall against Wexford.
I hope that the “Real Kerry” is the one we saw in Parnell Park and Birr.
Believe me, I think Kerry will have to be at their very best to overcome Laois in Tralee on Saturday. Laois are almost a mirror image of Kerry with good and bad days.
They will regard their display against Wexford as a great day and even more importantly a day that will be regarded as preparation for the playoff game against Kerry.
Kerry must, to my mind, get the job done on Saturday in Tralee and not end up in a dog fight against the winners of Division 2A. Carlow or Westmeath will be no pushover and they might see themselves turning over the Div 1B team much as Kerry did last year against Antrim.
Kerry are lucky that all their players seem to be coming good at the end of the league and all augurs well for the Leinster Round Robin series with the team peaking at just the right time.
Martin Stackpoole is again excluded from the starting 15 due to the hand injury he picked up against Wexford, as Aiden McCabe has done enough against Offaly to keep his place between the sticks.
Three Causeway men are named in the backs – Brian Murphy who put the shackles on Shane Dooley continues at corner back with Keith Carmody in the other corner. Patrick Kelly is again named at full back despite being replaced in Birr.
Jason Diggins, the third Causeway man, is named at number five. The experienced Tom Murnane and the best centre back in Div 1B and Darren Dineen completes the back line.
Daniel Collins, the captain, anchors the midfield with John Griffin.
The stylish young hurler from Lixnaw John Buckley can consider himself unlucky to lose out to the returning Shane Nolan – a huge game from Nolan will be required to stem the challenge of Laois.
The O’Leary brothers, Brendan and Michael from Abbeydorney, are at ten and eleven, both were huge in the effort required to beat Offaly two weeks ago.
Jordan Conway the Tralee man and college star who plays his hurling with the proud Crotta O’Neills club, continues at corner forward where he is joined by Michael Boyle and the legend that is John Egan.
Colum Harty of Causeway is probably being held in reserve with the management hoping he will have a massive influence when he is sprung from the bench, like he did in Birr with a goal and a point on his introduction that day.
Jack Goulding, Thomas Casey and Sean Weir were brilliant when Kerry beat Laois in Tullamore and I’m sure they will get a run along with the Kilmoyley star Dougie Fitzell.
So lets hope they get the job done in one day and not put themselves under the pressure of a make or break game versus the winners of Div 2A.
1 Aidan McCabe Kilmoyley
2 Bryan Murphy Causeway
3 Patrick Kelly Clarecastle
4 Keith Carmody Causeway
5 Jason Diggins Causeway
6 Darren Dineen St Brendans
7 Tom Murnane Kilmoyley
8 John Griffin Lixnaw
9 Daniel Collins (C) Kilmoyley
10 Brendan O’Leary Abbeydorney
11 Michael O’Leary Abbeydorney
12 Shane Nolan Crotta O’Neills
13 Jordan Conway Crotta O’Neills
14 Michael Boyle Ballyduff
15 John Egan St Brendans
16 Martin Stackpoole Lixnaw
17 Brendan Brosnan Lixnaw
18 John Buckley Lixnaw
19 Tommy Casey Causeway
20 Paudie O’Connor Kilmoyley
21 Dougie Fitzelle Kilmoyley
22 Jack Goulding Ballyduff
23 Colum Harty Causeway
24 Philip Lucid Ballyheigue
25 James O’Connor Abbeydorney
26 Sean Weir Crotta O’Neills
