Accept that occasionally old guys know best ...

MICK O’DWYER and Billy Morgan have mapped out quite a few game plans in their combined 93 years of intercounty football. But it’s safe to assume that neither’s finale will involve rolling over and dying.

O’Dwyer’s vivid expressions in Portlaoise on Saturday evening were matched by the quivering intensity of Morgan after Cork — his beloved Cork — stood toe to toe and bettered Kerry in Killarney yesterday.

That 61-year-old Morgan didn’t match the victory of his old adversary O’Dwyer had less to do with skill and formulae than it did human fallibility.

Over 30 minutes of compulsive viewing for over 26,000 fans had elapsed in the Munster final when Anthony Lynch pulled one of the first foul blows of his career. Niggled by the attentions of Paul Galvin, he lashed out at Kieran Donaghy and was red-carded. For Morgan and Cork, the immediate implications were self-evident — loss of momentum, loss of a leader. However, his suspension for next Sunday’s replay should not be overlooked either.

Three minutes later, Kerry had halved a 0-1 to 0-7 deficit. But as they repaired to the dressing rooms 0-7 to 0-4 behind, the hosts and champions had only one point from play and had enjoyed an outrageous stroke of luck with Cork’s Donncha O’Connor striking the inside of the post with a daisy-cutter.

At half time O’Dwyer’s vivid expressions in Portlaoise on Saturday evening were matched by the quivering intensity of Morgan after Cork — his beloved Cork — stood toe to toe and bettered Kerry in Killarney yesterday.

That 61-year-old Morgan didn’t match the victory of his old adversary O’Dwyer had less to do with skill and formulae than it did human fallibility.

Over 30 minutes of compulsive viewing for over 26,000 fans had elapsed in the Munster final when Anthony Lynch pulled one of the first foul blows of his career. Niggled by the attentions of Paul Galvin, he lashed out at Kieran Donaghy and was red-carded. For Morgan and Cork, the immediate implications were self-evident — loss of momentum, loss of a leader. However, his suspension for next Sunday’s replay should not be overlooked either.

Three minutes later, Kerry had halved a 0-1 to 0-7 deficit. But as they repaired to the dressing rooms 0-7 to 0-4 behind, the hosts and champions had only one point from play and had enjoyed an outrageous stroke of luck with Cork’s Donncha O’Connor striking the inside of the post with a daisy-cutter.

At half time O’Dwyer was unusually “terrified” as he put it, that the efforts of the first 35 minutes would be wasted. Yesterday, Morgan was determined there would be no sloping shoulders in the half-time dressing room. He even managed to restrain himself from having a bit of banter with referee Joe McQuillan en route.

“The sending off was a body blow, it halted our momentum, but there was no suggestion of anyone throwing in the towel,” said Morgan. “Even in the second half when we went a point behind, we came back and could have won it in the end.”

Morgan was not for claiming either that the final effort of James Masters was a winning one — “the players say it was wide, so that’s that” — but one sensed the gurgling volcano when someone suggested that Cork had travelled to Killarney as no-hopers.

Perhaps Kerry won’t be as complacent in a week’s time. Without Kieran Donaghy — his second sending off this season means an automatic two-week ban — Cork can expect further profit around midfield, though Morgan must decide whether Pierce O’Neill or Nicholas Murphy will partner Derek Kavanagh.

Elsewhere, Ballygarvan’s Ger Spillane did a passable impression of Niall Cahalane, while Graham Canty will surely be assigned to police Colm Cooper once more.

Morgan has several options to replace Anthony Lynch, though not to replicate him. Also, there are problems in attack. James Masters provided seven of their 10 points, and if Kerry can limit their defensive fouling, Cork may struggle for alternative routes to the scoreboard.

In some respects, Kerry were sitting ducks for Cork, but Kingdom supporters are still awaiting redemption from the torture of seeing Kerry out-battled again last September in Croke Park. It’s beyond dispute now that this Kerry team lacks the hungry edge that tight battles bring, too infrequently is their fortitude examined, and after yesterday the jury remains out .

Blitzed and clearly stunned by Cork’s first-half ferocity, the Kerry selectors were searching for heroes when Lynch’s red mist moment granted them breathing space, just before half time. That’s the real concern for Kerry — if they can’t rely on Moynihan and Ó Sé too often these days, who is going to be a green and gold Kieran McGeeney? Paul Galvin, lucky not be to booked in the first half, dragged up the tempo in the third quarter, but with Cooper shackled once again, only youngsters Darren O’Sullivan and Bryan Sheehan made headway against fourteen men.

Sheehan’s inconsistency from frees would undermine a man of lesser confidence, but on a day when Kerry lacked leadership, he landed a splendid point to edge Kerry ahead for the first time, with four minutes remaining.

Amazingly though, it was against the run of play. After the mystifying dismissal of midfielder Donaghy, the champions capitulated around midfield, conceding an amount of broken possession to players with the taste of vindication on their lips.

“We had chances to go three points up but missed frees (Sheehan and Cooper),and one was not going to be enough against Cork, the way they were playing,” admitted Kerry coach Jack O’Connor.

The Kingdom selectors won’t make radical changes for the replay — they’ll hope any alterations will be to the mindset more than the formation. Perhaps it is the jolt Kerry required, the shock therapy that will sharpen their senses.

Meanwhile, as Morgan’s heartbeat steadies, he’ll reflect on an opportunity spurned. But like O’Dwyer, he may stop arguing with himself long enough to accept that while he’s bold and grey, and the world may have moved to a different plateau, occasionally old guys still know best.