Éamonn Fitzmaurice: This is why Kerry people are always wary of Cork
Cork manager Ronan McCarthy celebrates with Mattie Taylor and Ruairi Deane at the final whistle after victory over Kerry. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
We knew that the Covid Championship was going to provide us with shocks, particularly in the early matches. And while this win for Cork is being lauded in some quarters as the greatest shock of all time, I like many Kerry people, simply don’t see it that way.
When we respect the annual Cork challenge it is regularly dismissed as plámás. This result and performance is why Kerry people are always wary of Cork.
The first Munster final I attended as a six-year-old was the 1983 final where Tadhg Murphy’s late goal won the day, similar to Mark Keane’s major at the death yesterday.
I mentioned on Saturday that for Cork to win they would have to get a lot right and Kerry would have to under par. Both parts of this equation transpired. Cork stuck to their plan and hung on throughout the game and extra-time and then plundered it at the death.
The game itself was error and foul ridden and low scoring, but by God it was intense. Conditions obviously played a big part in this. Every ball was fought for and every contest was ferocious. While the game lacked quality at times both teams died with their boots on.
Ronan McCarthy and his management team deserve huge credit. To win any championship game and in particular to take out one of the big guns, then your management calls have to be on the money. It still comes down to the players executing the decisions but getting these calls wrong can sink the ship.
The Cork management assigned Seán Powter on Dara Moynihan knowing that the latter would roam thus playing to Powter’s strengths.
In a low scoring game the Douglas man scored a point in the first half and won the vital free at the end of normal time that Mark Collins converted to take the game to extra-time.
When Kerry were in possession Cork got a lot of bodies behind the ball. When Kerry tried to pull them out of shape by playing the ball back and over the pitch in front of them in an attempt to entice them further out the field they remained disciplined and held their shape, unlike Monaghan and Donegal in the recent league games.
As part of this strategy the home side made sure to watch the Kerry backs that had been attacking so well recently. Collins tagged Tom O'Sullivan, John O'Rourke shadowed Gavin White and Ruairí Deane marshalled Paul Murphy. When this trio weren’t able to punch holes for Kerry they found it hard to set up scores. For Cork to win they needed to be aggressive and force turnovers.
They scored 1-8 of their 1-12 from turnovers which emphasises the importance of their workrate. I know from experience that is a stat that will have Peter Keane staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night for some time to come. To put this in context on a day suited to forcing turnovers Kerry scored 0-6 of their total by that method.
Cork’s also put a narrow zone in place where there three inside forwards were strategically placed to take away some of the kickout channels that Shane Ryan has used to great effect for the last two seasons. This forced him long creating the battlefield conditions in the middle third.
Kerry still won 80% of their own kickouts but as much of this was breaking ball it was much harder to get players on the front foot to attack at pace. As a result, Cork had a chance to get bodies back at the opposite side of the field to augment their defensive shape.
They timed their substitutions well, in particular getting Luke Connolly in at the right moment and of course most of all their management of the Mark Keane situation won the day.
It only emerged on Thursday evening that he was going to be on the panel. First of all it was an achievement of diplomacy and negotiating skill to get permission from his club in Australia, Collingwood to allow him to be made available.
Usually that permission isn’t forthcoming. Think of Mark O'Connor being denied the chance to play with his club last year, never mind Kerry. Even though Keane had only three weeks training under his belt management had obviously seen enough. Initially I thought he looked rusty and off it but he came good when it mattered most with his match winning intervention.
This one will really hurt this Kerry group, probably more than losing last year's All-Ireland final. At least when you get to an All-Ireland final you have taken the season the distance. Despite finishing up emptyhanded the players would have felt like the group had taken a big step forward last season and that an All-Ireland title wasn’t too far away. This result will feel like two steps back.
Too many of the players underperformed, lacked energy and made mistakes not normally associated with them. It is hard to legislate for a goal like that but after setting up so defensively for the entire contest to get caught with a last minute strike will rub salt in the wounds. There will be plenty of chatter this week about the way the team was set up.
Whereas two weeks ago everyone was happy and this was the way Kerry were going to win the All-Ireland one result will mean the defensive setup will again be under the microscope.
As I know better than most it is a results business and regardless of the rationale when you are beaten everything is questioned.
If there is to be a positive out of yesterday it is that this hurt should drive them next season. I know from experience what it is like to have to sit back and watch the championship go on without you when we lost a knockout Munster final in 1999 to Cork. It was not a nice feeling. It drove us to the All-Ireland in 2000. I hope it can fuel this group in a similar way.
Killian Spillane is one player that deserves a notable mention. He was outstanding when introduced. His workrate on and off the ball which previously was his Achilles heel has improved enormously. His balance in the treacherous underfoot conditions was remarkable and his four points was nearly the difference.
Ronan McCarthy spoke all week about being sick of being nearly men. They can shed that tag now, but only with regard to Kerry. They have won nothing yet and I’m sure he will be quick to point this out to his group that beating Kerry is only a step on the road.
They now need to back it up in a fortnight in the Munster final. Historically it wouldn’t be unlike them to underperform next day out, especially when coming down from such a high.
There is a different feel about this group though and they will be driven to convert this opportunity and win some silverware.
The going through the motions nature of Dublin’s two league performances was firmly put to bed on Saturday evening when we got a glimpse of the Dublin championship animal. Dessie Farrell will be delighted to have his first championship game under his belt. Finally. They were so impressive.
They play with the confidence and assurance of champions but crucially they also bring the hunger and humility of underdogs.
Their workrate all over the field was admirable. At one stage in the second half after 56 minutes a graphic popped up on the television screen illustrating the tackle counts. Dublin had 32 tackles while Westmeath had 11.
While their skill levels, decision making and score getting are universally lauded I feel that this level of workrate is underestimated.
Crucially, they work so hard out the field for each other that it gives their inside backs the opportunity to play from the front. Jonny Cooper in particular was outstanding. It is problematic as a result for the opposition to get ball to stick inside and manufacture easier scores.
They force you into low percentage passes, low percentage shots or force you to retain possession out the field. If you elect to retain possession they hunt you down looking for turnovers.
They kill you when they have the ball but through sheer hard work they suck the life out of your challenge when they don’t.
Farrell has started mixing the old and the new. The old reliables were excellent with Ciarán Kilkenny and Cooper specifically to the fore. The debutants and newer players all did well and looked comfortable with Seán Bugler standing out in the first half.
Brian Howard and Davy Bryne only got a run out and there was no sign of Paul Mannion, Philly McMahon, Cian O'Sullivan, Kevin McManamon or Michael Darragh MacAuley.
They have some squad and I doubt they are heartbroken at Kerry’s exit from the championship.
After any game there are always work ons and things to improve on. They were caught for a couple of sloppy errors that they won’t be happy with and will look to eradicate this week.
Bryan Fenton kicked a pass over the sideline, he also tried to chip a ball up to a team mate that didn’t come off and one of their own kickouts was brought back because Fitzsimmons was a half yard inside the 20m line when Stephen Cluxton took the kick.
Interestingly in the immediate aftermath of that incident Cluxton had a good bark at Fitzsimmons to prove the point that there is no lessening of the hunger there.
I imagine that James Horan is satisfied to be planning for a Connacht final this morning. However I feel he will be bewildered with aspects of their display yesterday, in equal parts impressive and infuriating.
They got a lot right. They continue to blend in the new players who did well again. Eoghan McLoughlin was excellent at wing back again and Oisín Mullin settled after half time.
He looks more comfortable on the ball than off it. He plays in the half back line for his club Kilmaine but his pace can make up for errors. I like the look of Conor Loftus at midfield and he continues to develop in that role.
He has a huge engine, works hard and gets on ball where he thinks like a forward. He is very good at supplying his inside men with sympathetic ball that favours the attackers.
Cillian O'Connor continues to play well and looks to be close to the top of his game and is playing with a joy and energy that has been absent for a couple of seasons. Their workrate was exemplary and their forwards forced some great turnovers that led to scores. They mixed it up front and won the kickout battle.
However they never put Roscommon away, which is a fault they have. They left them in the game. They made some infuriating errors in possession. They got away with these failings yesterday as Roscommon were well off it. They were passive and flat, in stark contrast to the way they performed in the latter stages of the league.
I am interested in the Aidan O'Shea experiment. He was at 14 in the first half with the wind and while it was not his best half of football he still attracted a lot of attention that freed up the other forwards. Then he played midfield for the entire second half.
But I think positioning him inside gives Mayo a better shape and variety in attack. Maybe the decision was tactical, that they were against the wind and were not as likely to kick ball inside.
He played really well there against Galway in the league game so his positioning next weekend will be hugely significant in the decider.
Horan has a quick turnaround to next weekend and will look for more from his group, particularly the eradication of silly unforced errors that cost big against the best.
