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Gavin O’Connor looks at this evening’s match between Kerry and Cork and says Kerry’s regular midfield pairing will be the key to victory…
David Moran looks for options during the drawn game. Photo by Dermot Crean.
SPEAKING in the aftermath of the drawn match, Eamonn Fitzmaurice said “it doesn’t take a genius to know we didn’t have a great day on the line”.
That sort of humility is reassuring to supporters, but that kind of day is not something a Kerry manager would would want to be making a habit of.
Continued below…
The Kerry boss has made the call most have would have wanted, the regular midfield pairing Moran and Maher, will start once again.
Before the team was announced on Thursday night, with four changes in personnel, one of the main talking points has been whether to stick with Donaghy, or play three inside forwards as they did when Kerry trounced Cork by 15 points last year in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The argument for Donaghy would be that six scores came off of him. He also knocked down a ball for Paul Geaney, who then only narrowly missed a goal chance that would certainly have sealed Cork’s faith.
Anthony Maher fists over a point in the drawn Munster Final. His partnership with David Moran is key to Kerry’s chances against Cork. Photo by Dermot Crean
Despite this, Donaghy’s marker, Eoin Cadogan, a man who relishes a Kerry/Cork battle, looked comfortable on Donaghy, and could carry on with moving up the park as well knowing the house was being minded by James Loughrey, who stayed put the entire match.
There can be a predictability in Kerry’s play when Donaghy is the focal point. He does create and cause damage, but perhaps an inside line trio of Barry John Keane, Paul Geaney and James O’Donoghue, would give the Cork rearguard that bit more to think about.
If Maher and Moran do their bit in midfield, ample good quality ball could be going into three forwards who can win their own ball, beat their men and get scores, with no need for a middle man.
Three talented forwards pulling their men every which way would cause havoc for a Cork full back line that loves to roam.
The man who provided the forwards with so much ball last year, Declan O’Sullivan, has now departed, but with Donnchadh Walsh and Bryan Sheehan, Kerry possess two of the most skilful and clever users of possession in the game.
Brendan Kealy will be instructed to hit that ball long, and test the mettle of that Cork middle third that dominated Kerry to such extent in the drawn match that James O’Donoghue, did not have one touch of the ball in the entire second half.
With Cork on top, the ball was going nowhere near the side’s ace.
The defence will welcome back two of their best performing defenders of last year, Paul Murphy and Aidan O’Mahony.
You’d imagine O’Mahony is there to inject a bit more aggression in the Kerry defence.
Fionn Fitzgerald, may have been the saviour last time out, but too often he was brushed aside. You can be sure that O’Mahony, a man from the borderlands, will lay down a marker early.
Where he does that job, will mostly likely be in the number 6, not at full back where he is selected.
Last year, O’Mahony held the line on his own 45, adopting a ‘none shall pass’ stance that served Kerry well. One bit of worry is if he is passed, the legs may be found wanting sprinting towards his own goal.
Kerry will have had a hell of a lot to improve on and get right over the past two weeks, whereas Cork’s unchanged side would indicate they are content with their lot.
They ambushed Kerry who were clearly off the pace.
There’s a worry, that when looking at this game you could slip into a complacent attitude of there’s no way Kerry will be as bad and Cork be as good.
I do think however, that Kerry will see more of the ball around midfield with the right pairing again, which will translate to more ball and ultimately more scores for our forwards.
Kerry made it out alive last time because of two things; ‘that penalty’ and the economy of our forwards, specifically O’Donoghue.
In the last four games against Cork he has converted 15 from 16 of point attempts. If he gets the ball enough – which I think he will – Kerry will be heading for Croke Park on the August bank holiday weekend, avoiding the nightmare qualifier route with The Dubs waiting at the end of it.
Verdict – Kerry 3 points
