Maughan's reserves judgement

KERRY'S depth of resources can help them to overcome the absence of Darragh Ó Sé and Seamus Moynihan for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC final.

That's the firm belief of Mayo boss John Maughan, who said yesterday that they couldn't match the quality of Kerry's bench.

Maughan and Kerry manager Jack O'Connor were in Dublin yesterday at the headquarters of competition sponsors Bank of Ireland, where they said that they will each announce their teams after training tonight.

Maughan reported a clean bill of health, while O'Connor admitted that while the selectors might have the team "picked in their heads," they need to run the rule over a few players before reaching a final decision.

Predictably, Maughan refused to say whether or not he would start David Brady at midfield. And the Kerry manager was non-committal about Moynihan's involvement other than to say he will "certainly" play some part.

"Seamus has trained very well over the last couple of weeks. His fitness level is fantastic. This man trains twice a day, every day - even when he was injured. I've asked him to ease down so he'll get his freshness back. I want to be sure he doesn't go over the top."

O'Connor said that for a long time Moynihan had been seen as the heart and soul of the Kerry team.

"Similarly, Darragh, over the past four or five years, has been the top midfielder in the country. So they're huge blows for us."

Maughan said: "The one thing is Kerry have a depth of resources that very few counties can match. Look at what Eoin Brosnan has achieved. He rescued them against Limerick with that goal in Killarney. Likewise with William Kirby. When we played Kerry in the League in Tralee they destroyed us and he was terrific. I can understand Darragh's loss, but when you go back as far as the All-Ireland club final, he has played an awful lot of football. They have guys who have a huge appetite!"

Maughan suggested that after years in the wilderness, Mayo people had become "hardened" by failure.

"There was huge expectancy from the Mayo team back in 1996 and '97, when people felt we had a wonderful opportunity. Now people have a better understanding," said Maughan.

"I can understand people's emotions running a bit high before a final. We don't appear in too many, but this year there's a bit of serenity. The flags and buntings are there, but no daftness."

In O'Connor's opinion, Kerry supporters possibly "still don't trust" the team, and defeats by Meath, Armagh and Tyrone left "a bit of an imprint on the psyche. They have been made sceptical by these defeats".

RTÉ television promos for their All-Ireland coverage ask if the teams "have the heart for the big occasion".

Maughan said it was something yet to be determined.

"In 1996 and '97, we didn't have the heart for it. When you reflect on '96, it was an absolute disaster. We were six points up both days, but particularly in the first one, when we appeared to be in control."

Kerry tradition is a thing of the past, O'Connor says, pointing out the same question is being asked of his team.

"That has been thrown at us in the last couple of years - that when push came to shove Kerry capitulated. That's a motivating factor, we can use it to our advantage. It is a big challenge for us to prove that we have the heart when it is put up to us."

With Maughan agreeing that hunger was a key factor in the success of the Cork hurlers, O'Connor said it was easy to gauge if players had the right appetite from observing how diligently they prepared. It was usually the best guide, he added.

"You know fellows have a hunger if they are early for training and out kicking 20 minutes or half-an-hour before training. But whether it transmits itself on the field on the day of a game, sin scéal eile!"

Maughan said the reason he finished as manager initially (following the beating by Cork in the '99 semi-final) was because he felt it would be good for the team and he needed a break.

He returned because he saw potential and felt if things changed they could be successful. One of these was the availability of Kieran McDonald.

"When I was out, I managed my home club Crossmolina for a year and I knew Kieran well. For a combination of reasons he hadn't played for Mayo for two seasons. I was keen, as anybody would be, to have him back. And likewise with David Brady!"