Latest news with #JackO'Connor
The Irish Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Jack O'Connor gives positive injury update on Paudie Clifford after missing Kerry's win over Roscommon in All-Ireland
PAUDIE CLIFFORD is closing in on a return from injury according to Jack O'Connor. The Kerry star missed Saturday's 2 Paudie Clifford missed Kerry's win over Roscommon with injury Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 2 Jack O'Connor revealed he should be back to face Cork on May 31 Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile But Clifford should be back in time for the May 31 showdown with Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The boss revealed: 'He's nearly right but is not 100 per cent. He should be in the frame for the next game. 'He looks like he'll train fully this week.' The Kingdom ran out easy winners over the Rossies without Clifford. Read More on GAA The win stretched Kerry's unbeaten Championship streak against the Connacht side to 82 years — and it was never in doubt. Kerry kicked six of the last seven points of the opening half, with Joe O'Connor bursting through with a brace of them. Seánie O'Shea then racked up a pair of two- pointers from placed balls, with Diarmuid O'Connor adding his second score as the half finished without a Kerry forward scoring from play. Daire Cregg and Ben O'Carroll replied for Roscommon as the Kingdom led by five at the break. Most read in GAA Football But the fresh legs of sub Tony Brosnan pushed Kerry on in the second period as they outscored Roscommon 3-7 to 0-11. And their goals came via David Clifford, Paul Geaney and Gavin White playing into the wind. Inside Lee Chin's life including day job as Wexford forward even stars during RTE GAA ad breaks with Johnny B The Rossies were left disappointed by their second-half no-show. Coach Mark Doran said: '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 the top three or four and the rest.' KERRY visit Cork on May 31, while ROSCOMMON host MEATH on the same day. SCORERS — Kerry : S O'Shea 0-7, 2 tpf, 1f, D Clifford 1-3, 2 tpf, P Geaney 1-1, 0-1m, G White 1-0, D O'Connor 0-2, J O'Connor 0-2, T Brosnan 0-1, S Ryan 0-1 '45, B Ó Beaglaoich 0-1. Roscommon : R Daly 0-3, 1tp, C Cox 0-3, 1tp, 1f, D Murtagh 0-3, 1 tp, B O'Carroll 0-2, C Murtagh 0-2, 1f, B Stack 0-1, E Nolan 0-1, K Doyle 0-1, D Cregg 0-1.
Extra.ie
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Squeezed middle provides headaches for Kerry
Time was that Kerry used to fear emerging from Munster untested. Their near-absolute control of the provincial championship — they have won 14 of 16 titles since 2010 — caused anxiety about entering the All-Ireland series without their team being properly stressed. The dilemma is of a different order this summer. Their match with Roscommon in Fitzgerald Stadium tomorrow afternoon is the first of the group stages, and it is also likely to be the first step in a trouble-free stroll for Kerry. Indeed their wildly exciting Munster semi-final win over Cork, only secured after the Rebels' attempts to score a two-pointer and force the game to penalties failed, could be the most challenging match they play before the quarter-finals. Kerry manager Jack O'Connor. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile That's not to lightly discount the presence of Cork in Kerry's group; the teams meet in round two in Páirc uí Chaoimh, before a match with Meath at a neutral venue. But it's unlikely that Jack O'Connor's team will allow a re-match with their neighbours to turn into a cliffhanger, just as it's clear that Kerry have the most benign draw of the four most viable contenders for the Sam Maguire. While Galway and Dublin go into battle later tomorrow in the first action of a Group of Death that also includes Armagh and Derry, and Donegal must negotiate the challenges posed by Tyrone, Mayo and Cavan, Kerry keep company with three counties that spent the spring in Division 2. Kerry's modest scoring rate from outside the 40-metre arc does not live up to the county's tradition. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane They shouldn't be long detained with that schedule, and a place in the quarter-finals already looks assured. This, though, will cause those familiar anxieties to stir again around preparedness. O'Connor will take some solace from the gut-check his team survived in that scintillating match against Cork, albeit that they ended up in that situation in the first place is another worry. It was notable that while Cork players lay devastated at the final whistle that night, many of the Kerry men didn't seem to know how to react. Cork players lay devastated at the final whistle. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane There were few outbreaks of pure joy, or even expressions of satisfaction. Instead, players looked exhausted, emptied by the effort it took to put away an opponent few thought would keep it kicked out to them. Their extra-time performance was unerring, and a good illustration of what separates tier-one teams from the rest. Kerry took on four shots in that period and scored with all of them. Cork kicked nine wides in the same time, having lost the extra man advantage they enjoyed following the dismissal of Paudie Clifford in normal time. Surviving his departure was another consolation for Kerry, given how central he has become in orchestrating their play. No player will supersede his brother in importance, but David is reliant on what happens out the field, and much of the good work there goes through Paudie. David Clifford is reliant on what goes on out the field. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile David Clifford finished the game with nine points, including a two-pointer — Kerry's first in four matches. They managed two more in the Munster final saunter against Clare, one from Clifford again, and another from a free by Seán O'Shea. However, Kerry's very modest scoring rate from outside the 40-metre arc goes against what the casual football watcher might expect, given the county's tradition. It also helps pinpoint the area of the team where Kerry look lightest: the middle third. The emergence of Joe O'Connor this year has been a major boon. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Midfield has been a long-standing problem, but the emergence of Joe O'Connor this year has been a major boon. He was partnered by Barry Dan O'Sullivan against Cork and Clare, and Kingdom manager O'Connor went out of his way after the Munster final to praise O'Sullivan. Getting Diarmuid O'Connor fit would strengthen their options greatly, there, though. He injured a shoulder in the Allianz League win against Armagh in mid-March, and the initial expectation was that he would miss the Munster campaign. By that timeline, he should be returning to fitness soon, but news is being tightly controlled, and given their benevolent draw, it would be no surprise if he is used sparingly over the next three weeks, or perhaps not at all. His return would bring experience to the middle third, but it's the absence of scoring power from that range that leaves Kerry short of the likes of Armagh and Galway. Seán O'Shea is capable of long-range scoring, as are both Cliffords, but presuming David remains inside, the scoring threat from distance is best utilised by attackers coming on to the ball from deeper. Seán O'Shea is capable of long-range scoring. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo Galway have been masterful exponents of this so far this year, Armagh are adept at it, too and Meath used two-pointers to blow Dublin away in the first half of the Leinster semi-final. Kerry have an excellent goalkeeper in Shane Ryan, and a very experienced defence where Graham O'Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan, Gavin White and Brian Ó Beaglaoích bring experience and quality. It's bridging defence and attack that is posing a persistent challenge, and in the era of the two-pointer, the tap and go and the return of high fielding, the demands on players between the two 45s are varied and unrelenting. While Galway, Armagh and Donegal have the resources to address that, Kerry's ability to do so is less certain. O'Connor should have the leeway to continue working on this while also making unchecked progress to the last eight, and the residual class in the team still allowed them to make short work of Clare without Ryan, O'Sullivan and O'Connor through injury, while Paudie Clifford was suspended. Kerry are much too good for the best of the rest, but their season will be decided by how they cope with the leading teams, and the solutions their veteran manager finds to their issues around the squeezed middle.
The 42
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Here we go: The eight teams that start the race for Sam Maguire this weekend
Kerry Group 2: with Roscommon, Meath and Cork Manager: Jack O'Connor Captain: Gavin White Munster championship: Beat Cork by two points in the semi-final before an 11-point win over Clare in the final. Verdict: Look, they are blessed with the group they are in. Chances are they will breeze into an All-Ireland quarter-final without having faced a single side that togged out in Division 1 in 2025. Then again, that's been the natural advantage that Kerry have enjoyed for as long as this thing has been going. The difficulty then for Jack O'Connor is judging exactly where they are at. While Donegal came through two top-flight teams to win Ulster, Kerry are uneasy. Kerry celebrate their Munster final win over Clare. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO They are enjoying the significant improvements in Joe O'Connor and Graham O'Sullivan, while Paul Geaney is in the form of his life. All-Ireland contenders. Roscommon Group 2: with Kerry, Meath and Cork Manager: Davy Burke Captain: Brian Stack Connacht championship: Beat London by 19 points in the quarter-final before going down to Galway in the semi-final by nine points. Verdict: Promotion from Division Two was followed by a meek Connacht exit to Galway. Last year, one win over Cavan brought them a preliminary round appearance, when they travelled to Omagh and beat Tyrone, before a credible loss to Armagh. Advertisement Brian Stack. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO The crunch will come in their home tie in the second round against Cork, before facing Meath in a neutral venue. Another quarter-final appearance is not beyond them but in Davy Burke's third season, they have kept up a level of expectation and performance that outstrips the sum of their parts. Galway Group 4: with Dublin, Armagh and Derry Manager: Padraic Joyce Captain: Seán Kelly Connacht championship: Beat Roscommon in the semi-final by nine points before edging Mayo in the final by two. Galway jubilant after the Connacht final. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Verdict: One of four teams to finish on eight points by the end of the league, only losing out on a final place due to score difference, Galway have been quietly building precisely the way you'd expect Padraic Joyce would have hoped. Even their Connacht title win has been buried under the attention afforded to the Ulster and Leinster finals. Question marks remain over the fitness of attacking duo Shane Walsh and Damien Comer, a perpetual debate most summers, but their individual or collective loss has been corrected by the ability of reigning Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy to land two-pointers. All-Ireland contenders. Dublin Group 4: with Galway, Armagh and Derry Manager: Dessie Farrell Captain: Con O'Callaghan Leinster championship: A nine-point win over Wicklow in the quarter-final before they lost their crown of 15 years with semi-final defeat to Meath by four points. Verdict: No matter what Dessie Farrell achieved as a manager, you suspect it would never meet full approval as he came in and inherited the squad that Jim Gavin curated. Just keeping things between the ditches was guaranteed to bring a Sam or four. Question marks now surround Stephen Cluxton and Dessie Farrell. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Well now things are different. Defeat to Meath in Leinster must be seized upon as an opportunity for Farrell. You'd also imagine that the dark hearts of competitive beasts in Stephen Cluxton, Con O'Callaghan, Ciaran Kilkenny, Sean Bugler, Davy Byrne, Brian Howard and on and on and on have been stung by the delight the nation took in that day in Portlaoise. Unquestionably, they are All-Ireland contenders. Clare Group 3: with Louth, Monaghan and Down Manager: Peter Keane Captain: Eoin Cleary Munster championship: Qualified for the final by beating Tipperary in the semi-final by six points, but wiped in the final against Kerry by 11 points. Verdict: The lowest-graded side in the Sam Maguire Cup this year, Clare have the benefit of a home draw in round 1 against a Down side that will fancy their chances also, but essentially they are on a par. Clare manager Peter Keane. Natasha Barton / INPHO Natasha Barton / INPHO / INPHO In what looks to be the most finely-balanced group, Clare will be targeting a win, after successive whitewashes in the 2024 and 2023 group stages. Down Group 3: with Louth, Monaghan and Clare Manager: Conor Laverty Down manager Conor Laverty. John McVitty / INPHO John McVitty / INPHO / INPHO Captain: Pierce Laverty Ulster championship: Lucky to snatch a win over Fermanagh by two points before bowing out at the semi-final to Donegal by six. Verdict: Last year's Tailteann Cup winners will be seen as the weakest side in the Sam Maguire Cup. Relegated to Division 3 this spring, they had to stage a complete smash and grab to beat Fermanagh in Ulster. That doesn't mean that they cannot get out of their group. Manager Conor Laverty knows that he cannot afford any more backward momentum in his third year and their away trip to Clare becomes vital this weekend. Getting out of the group would be an achievement. Mayo Group 1: with Donegal, Tyrone and Cavan Manager: Kevin McStay Related Reads Next set of All-Ireland SFC fixtures announced with Donegal Tyrone on GAA+ The feeling, the heart, the soul: Clones and Croke Park get us in the guts 'Why not us?' - Sam Mulroy on Louth's belief as they end 68-year wait for Leinster glory Captain: Stephen Coen Connacht championship: Beat Sligo by three points in the quarter-final, Leitrim in the semi-final by seven, and were nipped in the final against Galway by two. Mayo rue a miss. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Verdict: Do Mayo's wides count for more than any other county in Ireland when they lose a tight game? Certainly, they seem to form the start, middle and end of every analysis as Paul Towey's trio and ultimately Matthew Ruane's buzzer-beater all went wide in the Connacht final. Despite that blow, they have shown up well in parts of this year, though continue to pay for their lack of tactical sophistication. While it is true that styles make fights, Mayo's habit of windmilling all the puff out of themselves makes for defeat. They are not contenders for Sam, but they could offrail one that are. Cavan Group 1: with Donegal, Mayo and Tyrone Manager: Raymond Galligan Captain: Padraig Faulkner and Ciaran Brady Ulster championship: Defeated by Tyrone in the quarter-final by seven points. Verdict: There's no easy way to put this, but for Cavan to get a win in this group would represent a fair shock. Oisin Kiernan after a defeat. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Another of the four teams to finish on eight points in Division 2 of the league, their defeat to Tyrone in the Ulster championship felt as inevitable as it did flat, with just 6,700 attending, a figure down from 10,000 the previous year. Runners-up in the first Tailteann Cup final of 2022, they only got up to Sam Maguire level in 2024, and lost all three games against Dublin, Mayo and Roscommon. It could happen again.
RTÉ News
04-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
O'Connor enthused by Kerry's strength after Munster win
Kerry manager Jack O'Connor feels his side are in an excellent place after bagging a second trophy of the year by dismantling Clare in the Munster Football Championship in Fitzgerald Stadium this afternoon. David Clifford was in fine form, hitting 2-05, but their 4-20 total was spread around their attacking players. The game was over as a contest within 15 minutes from a blitz of goals, something which the Kerry boss had made a priority for his team. O'Connor told RTÉ Sport: "We got a great start and we were after that because we felt the pace that we had played at in Division 1 that maybe Claire wouldn't have been used to that in Division 3. "To be fair to them, they tightened things up maybe after the first 15 minutes, but overall, delighted, Any game you score four goals, 4-20 is a big score, so happy enough. "What it means basically is there's three cups up for grabs at the start; the league, the Munster Championship and the All-Ireland. We've won the first two, so we have to turn our attention now to the big one. "But there'll be a lot of water under the bridge and a lot of football to be played before we even think about hitting Croke Park. So, happy enough for today. That performance will do for today, but there were a few things we need to take you up on, particularly in the second half." O'Connor highlighted the players to come back for the All-Ireland series as the sign that his county are well-placed to continue to winning habit. The Kingdom made six changes to the team that defeated Cork in the semi-final two weeks ago, demonstrating the strength of their panel. "We have a lot of players in good form at the minute and a lot of competition for places. "There is fierce competition. We're missing the likes of Paudie Clifford, Diarmuid O'Connor, Paul Murphy, lads like that. They'll be raring to go in the next couple of weeks. "There's going to be attrition. We're going to lose players with the nature of the competition. And it's great to have fellas coming in, week on week. Mike Green came in today after Tadhg Morley did a great job above in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and did excellently for 50 minutes. That is what it's all about, the strength of the panel." The draw has, on paper, favoured the Kingdom with Roscommon at home as well as a rematch with Cork to come, although recent history has shown that will not be a straight-forward affair. "We have to go back up there again, so I think everybody will be forewarned this time. "We realised what we were facing. Maybe a lot of people on the outside didn't think so, but we know Cork are dangerous, highly dangerous. "Roscommon were promoted, they are a Division 1 team really. So there'll be a good test here in a couple of weeks. We'll move on to Meath or Louth then, both had two good wins, so that will be an interesting clash. "But happy enough overall. We're playing two new teams in the group this year for us, Roscommon and Cork. "We'll have to focus in, enjoy tonight and focus in on that next week." The Kerry boss did hit out at the timing of last week's draw, held before the provincial finals this week. RTÉ GAA analyst Lee Keegan called the decision to hold the draw last Wednesday as "scandalous". O'Connor is seeking an explanation of why it has taken place before the finals for the last two years. "I still can't figure out what was the logic behind it. They were talking about maybe logistics or something, but I can't see how that would help the logistics. "It just doesn't make sense. In many ways, it takes away from the actual provincial final when you have the groups coming out on the Wednesday. So, look, maybe somebody will educate me on the reasoning behind it, but I can't personally see the logic of it." Peter Keane was left frustrated by the opening 15 minutes of the clash and knew it would define the encounter. "The start was poor," the Banner boss conceded. "It was 2-07 to 0-03 and then we lost a man to a black card, so it all seemed to be just happening at the same time. "Turnovers probably hurt us, particularly in that first half, because if you look at the scoreboard at the end, it's goals that win games and the difference was the goals." Monaghan, Down and the losers of the Leinster final await the Banner County in the coming weeks. Asked if he thinks his side can bounce back, Keane said: "I'd hope so. I think the boys showed great, great character in the second half in particular. Slim rewards, but we won the second half. That was something that we spoke about inside at half-time, to keep fighting, and they did. "We were unlucky in a few goalscoring chances with the penalty that we put over the bar. Look, we were at the races except for the goals. "I have no idea what the group is, because I ignored it during the week, the focus was on this game and we'll worry about that now."
Irish Examiner
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
O'Connor urges Kerry to 'get tuned in, get back to basics, put in a good shift' against Banner
Jack O'Connor, a keen student of the Irish language will know the meaning of the phrase 'An rud is annamh is iontach'. What's seldom is wonderful. This idiom springs to mind on the rare occasion when the last manager of a team comes face to face with the current coach. Now in charge of the Banner, Peter Keane was over Kerry when they last played Clare in Killarney, while Jack O'Connor is in the Kingdom hot-seat once more. It's safe to say the pair will not break bread at a lunch date over the next while. When interviewing both men, one in Muckross at the championship launch and the other this week in Tralee, neither man mentioned the other by name. For two South Kerry natives, born within 10 miles of each other, that is a tad strange. But neither man will be on the field on Sunday and it's the players from the Kingdom and the Banner who will decide who wins the Munster SFC final, while supporters will bask in May sunshine at Fitzgerald Stadium consuming ice creams cones and lapping up the rivalry. For years the provincial championships, particularly Munster and Leinster, were considered little more than dead ducks. Interesting is just about the last word you could apply to them. In the space of a fortnight, though, that's all changed radically. Cork pushed the Kingdom so hard in the Munster semi-final that they probably should have seen it out in the end. 'I felt myself that if we didn't have the sending off, we probably would have won the game in normal time," O'Connor says ahead of this weekend's showpiece. "The sending off (of Paudie Clifford) seemed to lift the Cork crowd and the Cork players. They just got a sniff of it and they came from seven down to equalise in three or four minutes. So that was a big blow for our fellas, for us to get out of that situation then and take it to extra time and hold on while we were still a man down is good going. So that is the positive part of the Cork win. "Obviously we would not be happy on how we allowed Cork to pull back seven points in three or four minutes. It was a great game to win in the end but it would have been a terrible one to lose from the position of where we were, being seven up at two different stages in the game.' Asked if he and Kerry's midfield can learn from the Páirc Ui Chaoimh epic he adds: 'Cork are very physical around that area and they were replacing big men with more big men. "So they just had a size advantage in that particular area and it was a night where there was a lot of attrition under the kick-out and conditions had a part to play too. So I thought their superior size told against us at times so that is all I would say about that.' In the absence of Diarmuid O'Connor, Kerry's midfield is made up of Joe O'Connor, who got man of the match against Cork, and Barry Dan O'Sullivan. 'Barry Dan is having a good season for us," O'Connor says. "He has been a bit unlucky because he has picked up a few knocks here and there. But he is putting a great shift for us and obviously we are hoping to get Diarmuid back sooner rather than later. But the other boys are knocking around the place as well who are doing well. "Sean O'Brien and Mark O'Shea are in there and Cathal Ó Beaglaoich so there is good competition for that particular area. But the last night I just thought that Cork had fierce athleticism and size in that particular area and probably shaded it over us on the night. Barry Dan is robust and physical and that is no harm I suppose with the amount of attrition that is under the kick-outs nowadays' O'Connor concluded." After Clifford's suspension was upheld by the GAA's Central Hearings Committee last Thursday, did the player consider taking it the next step to the Central Appeals Committee? 'No, we just said we'd explore it, that's all,' O'Connor said. 'We got a fair hearing and it's well run. The CCC is a well-run set-up I have to say and very professionally dealt with, but we wouldn't be going any further with it.' When Jack was asked on his thoughts on Clare now managed by a fellow Kerry man in Peter Keane, he praised their league form: 'You would have to say that they had an impressive league because they beat the two teams that got promoted, Kildare and Offaly. "We were not overly happy with our display against them last year. I remember coming out of Ennis feeling a bit underwhelmed to be honest with you. I thought it was a bit of an anti-climax from a Kerry point of view. We did not play particularly well on the day. "We just have to keep our eye on the ball here and ensure that the players are tuned in. We can't think that just because the better of Cork that we are home and hosed. So that is what we will be looking for, we will be concentrating on our own performance as much as we can and hoping that the players get tuned in and get back to basics, put in a good shift and that is it.'
