IF a perfect result amounts to both sides taking what they deserved from the action, then this was precisely that.
Armagh came to Tralee and took the first whistle as their signal to unleash a rabid desire and determination on their illustrious hosts.
Kerry, metaphorically speaking, were still yawning and stretching at that juncture. They paid an appropriate price too for what coach Jack O’Connor called a "dozy start". Perhaps they’d have bridged the early 0-0 to 1-3 deficit against more accommodating opposition, but Paddy O’Rourke’s new Orchard outfit were relentless in their purpose and unity.
On poor underfoot conditions and under what I and others consider inadequate floodlighting, focused, mistake-free football should have been the tactic of choice. It might have been a night to throw something different at Armagh, like Darran O’Sullivan or Paul Galvin at full forward; players who would force defensive errors and anxiety. Instead Kerry were predictably predictable and if Kieran Donaghy was again disappointing on the edge of the square, there is some mitigation in the circumstances. That said, he was beaten to good ball and bad by his Armagh namesake, Brendan Donaghy.
Armagh conjured up a goal in each half, both perfectly timed to knock Kerry back in their stride. The home side never got real momentum but moved to introduce Declan O’Sullivan at an unusual moment just before half-time and they had a foothold by the changeover, trailing by two (0-4 to 1-3). However, a minute after the restart, Malachy Mackin’s long purposeful ball into beanpole full forward John Kingham was flicked to the net. Kerry continue to look vulnerable in such circumstances.
"They seemed to want it a bit more," accepted Kerry’s Jack O’Connor. "It’s disappointing after the Dublin win, but it mightn’t be any harm in the long term. It might bring fellas back to earth fairly quickly."
His Armagh counterpart Paddy O’Rourke was even more blunt: "We knew we’d win the game here. They are good footballers who are starting to believe in themselves, they’re organised and playing well for each other. Kerry were on a bit of a high after beating Dublin and probably thought we were an easy touch coming down to Tralee."
Not that Kerry’s attitude should distract from the story of the League’s first division so far. Paddy O’Rourke thinks Armagh should have four points on the board, but he’s equally aware that the Orchard had a bunch of U21’s on the field at the end. So a satisfactory end for a team that hadn’t won in Tralee since 1989. Malachy Mackin toiled in midfield but was even more effective in the second period as a half forward outlet for his defenders. Brendan McDonagh and Andy Mallon were tight and compact, as were Kevin Dyas and Ciarán McKeever.
Bryan Sheehan and Declan O’Sullivan led Kerry impressively in their third quarter, but their coach accepted afterwards, the chase was all a bit frantic. Three points from the South Kerry duo edged Kerry within three points (0-7 to 2-4) by the 50th minute. Plenty of time for the cavalry charge. Except the next three scores were Armagh points as Aidan Forker, Anto Duffy and Mackin snuffed out Kerry for a final time.
Things started to get cranky, as they tend to do these days when Kerry and Ulster meet in whatever guise. The agitation briefly spilled into the main stand where Armagh’s decent-sized support in a crowd on 5,785 gathered. Gardaí moved in.
Referee Maurice Condon could not be accused of being a ‘homer’ on the evening, but he had no role in this Saturday night shock and had no choice but to red card Tomás O Sé for a knee in the gut of Ciaran McKeever five minutes from the end. The Armagh man had earlier needled Declan O’Sullivan and was at it again with O Sé but the latter’s short fuse will again cost him a couple of games in the stand. Finian Moriarty followed him in dead time for two yellow cards.
Of course, there’s nothing terminal at this early stage, but it was an instructive 70 odd minutes all the same. Armagh’s graph is unmistakably rising while Kerry learned again that if you don’t bring attitude to the table, you end up embarrassed. Marc O Sé and Brian Maguire did well in defence, both mid-fielders were at the races, but too many others were left in the starting stalls.
Scorers for Kerry: B Sheehan (0-6, five frees), J. O’Donoghue (0-2, 1 free), S. O’Sullivan, Declan O’Sullivan (0-1 each)
Scorers for Armagh: A Forker 0-4 (2 frees), B. Mallon (1-0), J. Kingham (1-0), M Mackin 0-2, A Duffy and C Watters (0-1 each)
Subs for Kerry: Declan O’Sullivan for S O’Sullivan (34); D Bohan for Enright (45); P Crowley for O’Mahony (57); P Curtin for Keane (59); K Scanlon for Maher (65);
Subs for Armagh: B J Padden for Rafferty (44); Colm Watters for Mallon; J Lavery for Kingham (65); G McParland for Forker (64); D Lavery for Duffy (70+1)
Referee: M Condon (Waterford).
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, February 13, 2012
