Tony Leen: Time is tight for Kingdom to get up to speed
David Clifford's second half goal against Roscommon put the game to bed but their first score of the half had only come shortly beforehand, 11 minutes after the break. That's not good enough from Kerry's perspective. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
FIRST Donegal and Armagh in the Ulster final. Then the Dubs’ resurrection against Galway in Salthill. Crash-o-rama classics that felt regal, gladiatorial almost.
In Killarney, meanwhile, Kerry’s routine, if occasionally sloppy, Saturday victory over Roscommon had the whiff of the horse and cart about it by comparison.
And that should be a big concern to Jack O’Connor, his management ticket and his players.
Too often for too long, Kerry have walked into a wood-chipper in Croke Park, unprepared for the sharp end of the campaign. The possibility of it happening again – while their All-Ireland rivals sharpen their elbows off each other – looms large.
The Kingdom return to Páirc Ui Chaoimh in a fortnight to face Cork with the primacy of a second group win indisputable. However, another ding-dong affair would be a very welcome bonus for O’Connor’s charges – win, lose or draw.
Cork’s management team were among the 6,814 basking in the May sunshine at Fitzgerald Stadium as Kerry shook off early lethargy and standoffishness to see off a Roscommon side that, according to their coach Mark Doran, ‘smelt blood at half time’.
The Kingdom led 0-11 to 0-6 at the break, having had first use of the wind, and didn’t raise a flag for the opening 11 minutes of the second period. Not good enough.
Eventually, Briain O Beaglaoich slalomed through to tee up David Clifford for a 49th minute goal and that was essentially that.
But in warning of the perils of under estimating Cork, O’Connor and his midfield namesake Joe brought a sense of authenticity to the table.
“At least everyone knows now we will have a battle down in Cork,” said Jack O’Connor. “Let’s see who will improve the most from the last game, which I must say I thoroughly enjoyed. I am hoping a good Kerry crowd will travel up again because those who went last time certainly got value for their twenty quid, maybe the best few bob they spent this year.” Added Joe O’Connor: “They are an underrated team. It will be a serious battle again.”
It had better be. Cork will have a keener sense of their standing after next weekend’s trip to Navan to face Meath. The pros and cons of a six-day turnaround are manifold but John Cleary’s side will, at least, be up to speed.
These under-cooked issues are not of Kerry’s making, of course. They play what’s in front of them. Local street talk revolves around two questions - how are Kerry going, and will they win the All-Ireland? Kerry only need to be going as well as the carriage to Croke Park demands. With Munster a wasteland, the anxiety is deep that the All-Ireland series will not take them much beyond their comfort step.
Amid these concerns, there are positives to be gleaned, of course.
With Diarmuid O’Connor back at centre-field, it allowed Kerry move his Tralee namesake Joe up a line to right half forward.
The absent Paudie Clifford worked out Saturday morning in Currans and is expected to resume full training this week as eyes turn to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on May 31. With opposition focusing on the quartet of the Cliffords, Sean O’Shea and Paul Geaney, Diarmuid and Joe O’Connor slipped through the cracks to claim four points from play.
In terms of progress, it’s a different quartet making noise for the Kingdom so far.
“I don’t know who got man of the match but I’d have given it to Mike Breen,” the manager reflected. “That’s the Mike I’ve been waiting a long time for. He was a minor in 2015 and we always felt he had great talent but the difference now is he’s just had an injury-free run, and he is growing. He’s 27 now, a lot of football left in him, and we feel his career can properly take off now.”
Barry Dan O’Sullivan was touted to be the one keeping the seat warm for Diarmuid O’Connor’s return from a shoulder injury, but that word never reached Dingle. It will be interesting to see who misses out on the start against Cork with Paudie Clifford likely to return.
Roscommon face what Doran described as their All-Ireland final against Meath at the Hyde in a fortnight, rueing their inefficiency in Killarney when they held the whip-hand.
The ex-Slaughtneil coach added: “We had six shots into the goalkeeper’s hands in the second half. That’s criminal. The big learning is we created many chances but didn’t take them. That’s an energy sapper. For 45 minutes we were really competitive. At half time, the layers smelt blood and we did, but we needed to be taking every chance.
“If we didn’t create chances it would be a bigger problem, so it’s fixable.”
S O’Shea (0-7, 0-4 tpfs, 1f), D Clifford (1-3, tpf), P Geaney (1-1, 0-1 mark), G White (1-0), D O’Connor and J O’Connor (0-2 each), S. Ryan (‘45’), B O’Beaglaoich, T Brosnan (0-1 each).
R Daly (0-3, 1 tp), C Cox (0-3, 1 tp), D Murtagh (0-3, 1 tp), C Murtagh (0-2, one free), B O’Carroll (0-2), B Stack, E Nolan, K Doyle, D Cregg (0-1 each).
: S Ryan; D Casey, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; B O Beaglaoich, M Breen, G White; D O’Connor, B ‘Dan’ O’Sullivan; J O’Connor, S O’Shea, M Burns; D Clifford, P Geaney, D Geaney.
T Brosnan for D Geaney (47); G O’Sullivan for Burns (47); K Spillane for D Clifford (60), T Morley for O’Beaglaoich (62), M O’Shea for BD O’Sullivan (62).
: C Carroll; N Higgins, B Stack, D Murray; S Lambe, R Daly, J McManus; E Nolan, K Doyle; D Ruane, E Smith, C Hand; D Cregg, B O’Carroll, C Murtagh.
D Murtagh for Doyle (41), C Neary for Ruane (48), S Killoran for Smith (54), C Lennon for Lambe (54), C Cox for Hand (57).
: D Coldrick (Meath)
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