Kerry boss always expected to face Armagh in final

KERRY can expect a mighty challenge from Ulster champions Armagh in the Bank of Ireland football championship final in Croke Park on September 22, according to Páidí Ó Sé.

Reacting to the outcome of the second of the semi-finals on Sunday, the Kerry manager revealed that he had expected Armagh to triumph over strong favourites Dublin.

"No, I wasn't surprised by the result. Behind it all, I fancied Armagh to win, even though I did not say so publicly," he said yesterday. "But, I fancied them.

"We know a lot about Armagh, and I'm sure they know a lot about us too.

"They are possibly the best footballing side in the country. And, they have a style of play that a lot of counties have difficulty with in counteracting. They are a very physical team. Something was telling me they were going to win the game."

Quite clearly, the Northerners will have a huge incentive when they take on Kerry. Apart altogether from the fact that they have never won the All-Ireland they lost to Kerry in 1953 and Dublin in 1977 they have the memory of their defeat by Kerry in the 2000 championship to drive them on.

Kerry were heading for defeat until they got a lucky break when a careless kick in injury time gave Declan O'Keeffe possession and from an attack he launched, they won a free which Maurice Fitzgerald converted to earn them a draw. Again in the replay, which went to extra time, Fitzgerald played a key role, after again coming on as a substitute.

Ó Sé's more immediate focus is on getting the team mentally tuned up for the game, now that they know their challenge. Additionally, he has to wait before finding out the fate of wing-back Tomás Ó Sé, who has been called before the Games Administration Committee arising out of his involvement in one of the melees in the semi-final against Cork.

If he is suspended which is likely, he would only miss the match if he receives more than a month. Similarly, the fate of replacement wing-back Tom O'Sullivan red-carded, along with Fionán Murray for fighting on the ground remains in the balance.

In the meantime, Ó Sé says his team has three weeks of hard work ahead of them. "It's a time for everyone to put their shoulder to the wheel."

Irrespective of the outcome, one man who was happy to have had an official involvement in Sunday's semi-final was Galway referee Mick Curley, who has been missed from the inter-county scene this summer. Curley, who was the fourth official for the game, broke a bone in his ankle in an accident on March 30 and had his leg in plaster for six weeks. It was a further six weeks before he was able to run.

"It has been slow getting back to fitness, but I am getting there," he said yesterday. "I have recently refereed three games at under-age level and right now my aim is to be back for the league in February. Being involved on Sunday was a great experience. The atmosphere was electric, especially before the ball was thrown in. It reminded me of 1992, when Clare played Dublin in the semi-final."

That year he was a linesman with Pat McEnaney and the game was refereed by Tommy McDermott from Cavan. He has since dropped out of the limelight whereas Curley and McEnaney have both refereed finals two in McEnaney's case and possibly a third.