Vote of confidence in newcomers as Kerry keep winning side intact

SAME again, please. That’s the message the Kerry selectors have issued to the 15 players again picked for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Cork at Croke Park.

The team is the same as that which started against reigning champions Galway earlier this month, when Páidí Ó Sé's side won by eight points.

It's a particular vote of confidence for newcomers John Sheahan, Marc O'Sé, Colm Cooper and Sean O'Sullivan, who have established stars Tom O'Sullivan, John Crowley, Aodhan MacGearailt, Declan Quill, Barry O'Shea and others breathing down their necks.

What it does mean is that the selectors have scope for change if required. And coach Páidí Ó Sé firmly believes that the Kingdom have put their most recent Championship defeats to Meath and Sunday's opponents, Cork behind them.

He said: "No more than the Meath game last year, the defeat by Cork in Pairc Ui Chaoimh in the Munster semi-final has been put behind us. We are certainly very tuned in.

"We worked extremely hard right up to the Galway game and after it we allowed the players go back to their clubs for a week. We raised the tempo again last week, with three good nights and did a nice bit this week. From our point of view we are happy with the way things are."

In an interview to be published in tomorrow's Irish Examiner, Ó Sé speaks for the first time about the controversy surrounding Kerry skipper Darragh O'Sé: "It isn't affecting us, not in the slightest and we won't be making excuses for it either,'' he says.

"We are totally and utterly tuned in for this game and we want the people of Kerry to hear loudly and clearly that we are tuned in - and determined.''

KERRY (SF v Cork): D. O'Keeffe; M. O'Se, S. Moynihan, M. McCarthy; T. O'Se, E. Fitzmaurice, J. Sheahan; D. O'Se, D. Daly; S. O'Sullivan, E. Brosnan, L. Hassett; M. F. Russell, D. O'Cinneide, C. Cooper.

Subs. D. Murphy, A. MacGearailt, T. O'Sullivan, J. Crowley, B. O'Shea, S. Scanlon, R. O'Connor, D. Quill, D. O'Sullivan, M. Lyons, M. Finn, E. Galvin, I. Twiss, F. Kelleher, M. D. Cahill.