Kingdom’s quest leads them back to Cork
While McKenna was around afterwards to debate how much a Croke Park error fest was down to the underfoot conditions, Counihan was quickly on his way south to begin the game plan for a Munster mash of an All-Ireland final on September 20 between Cork and Kerry.
In the way of these things, Kerry’s inability to lift themselves above the conditions and Meath may constitute ideal final preparations in some eyes – but those are usually on the other side of the psychological divide (otherwise known as the Cork-Kerry border).
However, yesterday’s under-whelming 2-8 to 1-7 defeat of Meath should serve to temper expectation, even in a county that has now made its way to a remarkable six successive All-Ireland finals.
“Cork will probably go into the final as favourites, and I’m not just saying that,” said a stern-faced Jack O’Connor afterwards. “They’ve been the best team in the championship thus far.”
Undeniably, there was nothing to counter that mythical status yesterday. For the 50,770 paying patrons, it was a day of frustration, of 31 wides, of poor refereeing, poor umpiring and above all, poor entertainment. After the shock and awe of Kerry-Dublin and the seismic sensation of Cork and Tyrone, this was pure and utter muck. Meath coach Eamonn O’Brien barely stopped short afterwards of saying that Kerry might yet accrue the benefit of an afternoon wallowing in the trenches, but I’m not so sure. It’s quite possible everyone stayed just a little longer in the showers to wash this one off.
O’Brien’s point is understandable though.
At least Jack O’Connor goes into a final against Cork safe in the knowledge that every conceivable type of scenario has been thrown up to Kerry – the only one they’ve failed to find a solution to was against their All-Ireland final opponents back in June. Notwithstanding the greasy surface, which was implausibly difficult relative to the limited, if sleeting, rainfall, there were gratifying signals for the Kerry sideline that the want is still there amongst the players. Tomás O Sé, Tommy Griffin and Mike McCarthy were all involved in the 2001 debacle at Croke Park against Meath, and were among the leading contenders for most valuable player yesterday.
Meath’s staggering ineptitude around the midfield breaking ball may have been a contributing factor, but the diligence of Seamus Scanlon, Paul Galvin and Darragh O Sé ensured Kerry’s two-to-one dominance (20-10) on dirty centrefield ball. While exchanges were always frenetic and full-blooded, Kerry always had the drawbridge of a third minute penalty goal, converted in farcical circumstances by Darran O’Sullivan.
Perhaps the tone for the day was set by Colm Cooper’s elaborate reaction to Anthony Moyles tug, and O’Sullivan’s slip when striking the penalty. Either way, it found its way past Meath keeper Paddy O’Rourke, which is more than a clear-cut Declan O’Sullivan goal chance did eight minutes later. His goal-bound effort cannoned wide off Cooper.
What happened next was interesting – and we’re not talking about the umpire’s bizarre decision to award a ‘45’ to the Kingdom. Cooper tried to find Tadhg Kennelly with a floated pass, only because there’s no-one in the starting 15 – or likely to be for the final – who has the consistent ability to find the range from that distance. It’s been a Kerry concern throughout the season and won’t be rectified in three weeks.
What will be interesting is the attacking formation for the final against Cork. With Tommy Walsh scoring 1-2 yesterday – the goal 54 seconds after the interval puncturing Meath resistance – and Kieran Donaghy available, Jack O’Connor and co have multiple options and formations available in the inside forward line.
While Declan O’Sullivan revelled on the edge of the square against Dublin, it was only when Walsh was introduced as early as the 27th minute yesterday that Kerry’s attack began to click. Wasn’t that the target man approach that failed them so miserably against Tyrone a year ago?
Jack O’Connor may not have been coach then, but he was in 2004, when he led the Kingdom to the first of these six finals – the first county to do so since Dublin in 1979.
“It’s a huge landmark for a county with the tradition that we have,” he agreed yesterday, momentarily setting aside an innate cautiousness to doff his baseball cap to the achievements of his troops.
“This team has been written off so many times. Our last war cry before leaving the dressing-room was that we’d been written off as far back as 2001. They’ve been written off now in 2002, 2003, 2005 and last year. That’s a lot of times to be written off. But they keep coming back. There’s fierce resilience there.”
Meath showed plenty of that yesterday, not least to retire at the interval trailing only by two points (1-3 to 0-4) on the back of a sideline conversion from Cian Ward.
However, from the get-go, they looked as assured mentally as they did on their feet. Six times they poured wides that began their short life as intended passes into the Hill 16 end. At the other end full-back Anthony Moyles began unsteadily and was only spared a terrible embarrassment by Kerry’s attacking ineptitude in the opening half an hour.
However, his relief was temporary, as Walsh soared to convert Kennelly’s angled pass into three points. Three minutes later the Kerins O’Rahillys youngster added a point to stick a fork in this one (2-4 to 0-4).
What followed bordered at times, on the realms of farce. Meath’s inability to find a pass soon afflicted Kerry. Sixteen minutes of dross passed before Kennelly turned a four points gap into five. Players continued to struggle with their handling and footing.
“When you have a light rain like today,” explained stadium manager Peter McKenna, “it sits on top of the grass. If the grass is lush like it is there, you will get a greasy interface. I wouldn’t be entirely happy that the pitch is dependant on what type of boot you wear or inclement weather conditions. We’ve got to get that right, and the first half in the senior game is something we need to look at.
“It is a different surface (to last year). This is a soil-based surface. We don’t have the plastic stabiliser in it, so it’s more akin to a traditional, natural pitch.”
The Kerry coach wasn’t taking notes on the surface, nor the artistic merit of the fare upon it. But he’ll know that the dull thud of yesterday will stand to his side a lot better than the last final they played at headquarters.
“There’s different types of games. We played the league final (against Derry) here back in April and that was a different game. There was no intensity in it and it was high scoring. But every ball was hard fought for in this game. I thought it was going to be a dogfight and that Meath would give a very good account of themselves. That’s the way you want a semi-final to pan out. You don’t want a loose, open game where there’s no physicality or hitting at any stage.
“There was a lot of stuff going on out there in the trenches that maybe it didn’t look pretty. But that could stand to you in three weeks time.”
Precisely what Conor Counihan was pondering on the rail road home to Cork last night.
