17-05-2025
Kerry's new fab four, the Cork question and did the Rossies smell blood: Talking Points from Kerry's summer cruise over Rossies
Adding some panache to Kingdom's Joe show
IT hasn't happened yet this season for various reasons, but a Kerry half-forward line of Joe O'Connor, Paudie Clifford and Sean O'Shea has potency and a whiff of panache written all over it.
With Diarmuid O'Connor back at centre-field for the facile All-Ireland SFC victory over Roscommon on Saturday, it allowed his managerial namesake Jack to move his Tralee namesake Joe up a line to right half forward.
Paudie Clifford worked out Saturday morning in Currans and is expected to resume full training this week as eyes turn to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on May 31. He missed out on Saturday with a quad strain but will be available for the Cork game, says his manager. Joe O'Connor kicked two first half points against the Rossies, and the work he has put into his finishing is plain for everyone to see.
'The new rules, getting one v ones, gives you a chance, which we didn't have for a number of years, the Austin Stacks powerhouse said afterwards in Killarney. 'If you are any bit of a threat and you're confident with your running game, you can hurt teams. If you see space, you can finish. (Coach) Cian O'Neill has come back in this year, and along with other management they are very good with the players, challenging and pushing me to get better. It's something I have been working on. There is so much more space and you are going to be in position to score. So you have to capitalise,' he said.
Kerry's new fab four
The deadly quartet of David and Paudie Clifford, Sean O'Shea and Paul Geaney command plenty of glowing commentary at the business end of the pitch. But what about the emergence of the two (unrelated) O'Connors, Diarmuid and Joe, Barry Dan O'Sullivan and now Mike Breen over the course of the past year? Music to the discerning ears of Kerry boss Jack O'Connor.
'I don't know who got man of the match but I'd have given it to Mike Breen,' the manager reflected. ' That's the Mike I've been waiting a long time for. He was a minor in 2015 and we always felt he had great talent but the difference now is he's just had an injury-free run, and he is growing. He's 27 now, a lot of football left in him, and we feel his career can properly take off now.'
Barry Dan O'Sullivan was touted to be the one keeping the seat warm for Diarmuid O'Connor's return from a shoulder injury, but that word never reached Dingle. It will be interesting to see who misses out on the start against Cork with Paudie Clifford likely to return. Diarmuid O'Connor also kicked two points against Roscommon on his return. 'He was having a savage year until he got injured, he just gives us another weapon,' manager O'Connor said afterwards.
And there's more to return. Paul Murphy (and other squad members) were cleared to play with their clubs on Sunday in Kerry SFL games, something O'Connor has mostly been good to his word on. 'Some of the lads will play Co League this weekend which will help get them up to speed.'
With the win in their sails…
Here's a question? Would Roscommon have gone for the same pedestrian tempo to their game had they been forced to play with the stiff Killarney breeze in the first half? Comments from both dressing rooms afterwards indicated that the visitors' methodical approach in the early stages was as much about killing clock against the breeze as frustrating their hosts. It worked to some degree. Davy Burke's side were probably the better-looking outfit early doors.
Said Kerry's Joe O'Connor: 'in the conditions, that first half was challenging. Roscommon came out with a game plan to frustrate us. We felt the heat in the first half, tracking bodies over and back.'
Added his manager: 'Roscommon made it difficult for us, holding onto the ball for long chunks of time. We were a bit lethargic and stood back off them instead of going man on man. They didn't appear to have notion of kicking it inside. We got to grips with things a bit better in the second half, we started winning midfield.'
From a Rossies' point of view, coach Mark Doran felt their first half performance deserved more than an 0-11 to 0-6 half time deficit.
'We were caught for a breach just before half time, they kicked the two point free and we went five down into the break instead of three. With the breeze we thought we could ask a few more questions.' The ex-Slaughtneil coach added: 'We had six shots into the goalkeeper's hands in the second half. That's criminal. But we'd be reasonably happy with the performance. There is a gap between that to top three or four and the rest.'
Roscommon reckon they smelt blood
Coach Mark Doran says Roscommon felt they were in with a shout of a win before the game – and nothing that happened in the first half diminished that belief as they reflected in the half-time dressing room.
'The big learning is we created many chances but didn't take them. That's an energy sapper. For 45 minutes we were really competitive. At half time, the layers smelt blood and we did, but we needed to be taking every chance.
'If we didn't create chances it would be a bigger problem, so it's fixable. Our All-Ireland final is the Hyde against Meath in two weeks, then if we win that we can start thinking of that second place, but we did come down to Killarney thinking we could get a win. But once we missed those chances and Kerry go down the other end and raise a flag, the energy starts to sap out of you.'
Battle of the Pairc II
TO those who say Kerry are forever on-message when it comes to facing Cork, Jack O'Connor can pull his 'I-told-ye-so card' from the bottom of the deck. The Kingdom return to Pairc Ui Chaoimh in a fortnight, with many wondering in advance what version of the Rebels will show up this time. Cork's management were basking in the open terrace sunshine at Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday, casting an eye over two of their group rivals, and they'll hardly have been petrified by what they saw.
'At least everyone knows now we will have a battle down in Cork,' said Jack O'Connor. 'Let's see who will improve the most from the last game, which I must say I thoroughly enjoyed. I am hoping a good Kerry crowd will travel up again because those who went last time certainly got value for their twenty quid, maybe the best few bob they spent this year.'
Added Joe O'Connor: 'We knew it would be a tight game in Cork and will be a serious battle again. They are an underrated team.' There were less than 7,000 in Killarney on a glorious summer's Saturday. 'The throw in time wasn't ideal,' the Kerry manager said. 'Even if it was Saturday evening at, say, 6pm, we would be edging towards 10,000, but a lot of folk are out at 2.30 in the afternoon. But I presume that's a tv schedule thing and something that is out of our control.'
