Kick pass is a skill Cork will need for forward impetus
To add salt to the wound he also suggested the return of Alan O’Connor to midfield would raise questions amongst the existing panel players. Standing head and shoulders amongst everyone else was O’Connor, a man of the match display that was surely his finest for many years and all the more impressive when you consider he dominated significantly more youthful opposition.
This was an entertaining game with good scores, played at a reasonable tempo but both teams struggled to find any real pattern which was probably symptomatic of the lack of game time they have had in this year’s championship.
Tactically Cork decided to play with a sweeper, initially Paul Kerrigan, and chose to split their forwards for the opposition kick-outs. As the game progressed this became an interesting strategy. By the middle of the second half it was clear Cork were completely dominant in midfield, winning kick-outs from both goalkeepers. The question is why they didn’t push up to prevent the short kick-out and hence concession of possession to Kerry?
This Cork team, though more purposeful than recent years, have a real reluctance to pass the ball into the full-forward line by foot. Were it not for set plays, restarts, and shooting it is probable that Cork wouldn’t kick the ball at all. That’s a real shame. The opening Cork goal was the result of a sequence of kick passes that transferred the ball quickly from the half-back line to the full-forward line before the tap in by Colm O’Neill. Brilliant football executed well. Unfortunately for the rest of the first half whatever passing was done by the foot was erratic and overshot. It is little wonder that during the second half you could count the number of kick passes in open play towards the full-forward line in one hand.
I cannot understand why you would have two of the best forwards in Ireland and not give them the ball quickly and often. I’ll rephrase and say that until today I couldn’t understand. I now know. There are two good reasons. Firstly, the quality of kick passing by Cork is below average by all their players hence the reluctance to kick. This must only be a result of a lack of practice and confidence.
Secondly, the inside forwards of Brian Hurley and Colm O’Neill model themselves on the ‘living statues’ the street performers who strategically choose a place to stand and only move when someone comes close to them. They offered absolutely no outlet option and therefore created too big a gap to ‘fist pass’ the ball.
In an effort to keep the opposition mobile the Cork players offload the ball as soon as it is in their hands to another player (while in defence). This tactic has certain merit in that the opposition are constantly chasing shadows and gaps appear for attacking players to run into. The problem it presents is the players completely negate their field of vision and thereby are not conscious of their surroundings and pending danger and it can markedly slow down the attacking phase.
Take the Kerry goal by Kieran Donaghy as an example. Was it necessary for Cork to make not one but two fist passes within a two-yard space in their goal? In business you often hear of ‘the busy fool’. The person who works hard but doesn’t take in the money. Watching Kerry in Killarney made me think this way. I’ll preface any further comments by saying that Kerry were uncannily lacklustre, they carried all the signs of a team who were struggling to find some rhythm and looked for the world that they were patched together for this game.
Defensively they played without any sweeper for a long period — which was a correct decision — but the half back line missed tackles, lost their men, failed to retain a defensively solid platform and couldn’t track runners coming through the middle.
The back six which lined out always looked questionable on paper but it was surprising that Peter Crowley was the player to be exposed by his absence or lack of presence as a holding centre-back. He was caught between pushing up on an attacker or securing the middle, and appeared to make the wrong option more often than not. I’m sure this is something that will improve with game time.
The difficulties for Kerry were clearly around the middle sector. This is something that will be addressed before the replay but something that might not is the questions around Kieran Donaghy.
When he is in such poor form can Kerry afford to carry him? Does the mantle of captain impact on Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s decision to take him off? Kieran’s contribution was a hand in two scores from long balls and a goal which was gifted. Both teams play with far too much possession in the middle sector of the field, i.e. between the two 50’s and displayed a lack of championship time as evidence by the distribution of ball into the full forward lines. But this is only their second match and both teams will significantly improve as the year progresses.
The scene is set for an exciting replay back in Killarney where Cork will have to prove all their doubters wrong again
