Gavin O’Connor says tomorrow’s meeting between Kerry and Donegal won’t be one for the purists…

SO far this year Kerry have faced two opponents they put to the sword on the way to claiming the All-Ireland last September.

Mayo and Cork will feel they have gone a way to setting the record straight in the past six weeks.

On Sunday it’s the turn of Donegal, who will need no extra motivation making the long trip down south.

Continued below…

Donegal’s new manager, Rory Gallagher, may have a rock n roll name, but like his predecessor his side serves up a soul-destroying style of football.

Having matched them at their own game last September, Kerry shouldn’t be the ones throwing stones in glass houses, but Kerry followers will at least say, “they started it”.

Past the halfway point of this league campaign, Kerry and Donegal have an identical record. Two wins and two losses each, though Donegal lie in third and Kerry in sixth because of an inferior score difference – the lingering after-effect of that 11 point defeat in Cork which could really cost Kerry come the end of the campaign.

Following on from that heavy beating in Pairc Uí Rinn, Eamonn Fitzamaurice, has made the most changes to his team so far this year.

Out go Fionn Fitzgerald and Jack Sherwood, who bore the brunt of the blame for Kerry’s porous defence six days ago. Micheal Geaney is also benched, but this is due to a back muscle strain.

To shore up the defence, in comes Peter Crowley and Killian Young, two men who started the All-Ireland final.

Up front, Paul Geaney makes a return to starting 15 . The Dingle man showed tiredness in the Dublin game, brought on, most likely, by a heavy schedule over February with Kerry and UCC in the Sigerson Cup.

The switches are, Stephen O’Brien has been moved to right half-forward and Paul Murphy back into corner back. Let’s hope the Rathmore man won’t make it three outings in a row where he commits a black card offence. Murphy, didn’t even last ten minutes against Cork!

It is disappointing that as this point in the league we still have not seen any sign of the Colm Cooper.

On Sunday, Kerry will most likely hold possession for long spells. The Gooch would be the right man to force an opening through 13 Donegal men sunk inside their own 45 yard line.

With Donegal, there really are no surprises. If anything, under new guidance they have gone even more ultra-defensive, if that’s even possible.

In fairness, how can you blame them? Lest we forget, Colm McFadden was a butt of a post away from forcing a replay in the dying moments of last year’s All-Ireland final.

Their danger men are Paddy McBrearty and of course Micheal Murphy. It would be nice to see Peter Crowley pick up Murphy, the Laune Rangers man being the most aggressive defender at Kerry’s disposal this Sunday, he will also be bulling having not started a league game so far.

The fact this game is on home soil makes a huge difference – although it would be easier to crack open Donegal’s compact defence in the wide and open expanse of Fitzgerald Stadium.

Looking at this, if you’re a football purist it would be better to stay at home.

Donegal will come with their tried and tested formula and Kerry showed last year the best way to deal with it is by fighting fire with fire.

I don’t think I’m going out a limb calling it a low-scoring ‘borefest’, but I may be by giving Kerry the nod.

Verdict – Kerry by 2 points

Throw-in 2pm. Match is live on TG4