Strength in depth key to Kerry’s minor success

AFTER stepping down as coach of the Clare senior team in 2005, Kerryman John Kennedy was looking forward to a break from football.

However, when the call came from the Kerry County Board seeking him as minor manager the Asdee man didn’t need much persuading.

He has taken the team to the All-Ireland final against Roscommon in his first year in charge, but he refuses to take all the credit.

“Liam Ó Rócháin, Brendan Donnelly, Paddy Creagh and Vince Cooper (brother of Colm) had their fingers on the pulse with regard to what talent that there was within the county,” said Kennedy. “They had been involved with various underage teams, and a lot of the groundwork had been done early in the year.

“One big advantage we had this season was, the County Board allowed us to have 40 players in training. This meant that when the cut came we still had a squad which had done all the hard training. You weren’t bringing in a player with nothing done, and that was a huge help.

“The round-robin series in Munster was ideal for us. In the past you could have potentially a very good team, but one defeat and your season was over. We benefited enormously from the extra matches, and it’s a system I’m in favour of. Setting out, my goal was to take every game as it came. You could have the best team in the world but with minors they could break your heart. Our first objective was to win our in Munster and we did that, albeit with a struggle.

“In the 2005 campaign all the provincial finalists were beaten in the All-Ireland series, so we approached the quarter-final against Mayo with a certain amount of trepidation. They pushed all the way but we managed to pull away in the end. The semi-final against Donegal was our best performance to date.

Kennedy highlights the strength in depth at his disposal.

“One of the great strengths of our team this year is the fact that our bench is extremely strong. The substitutions who came on made an immediate impact and that was the ideal situation for us. I’ve always made the point that from 16 to 24 was as important as one to 15.

“We are more than happy to be where we are but will need to up it again for the final if we are to beat Roscommon. We watched them in their semi-final against Meath, who were the favourites to win, and I was very impressed.

“In some aspects of their game they are very similar to ourselves in that their work rate is exceptional. They play as a unit and have an even spread, particularly in the forward line, where they are not dependent on any one player for scores.”

It’s been 12 years since Kerry lifted the Tom Markham Cup, when a team captained by Jack Ferriter and including Mike Frank Russell defeated Galway by six points.

In 2004 Kerry failed to Tyrone 0-12 to 0-10 with a team that included Brian Moran, whose brother David is on Sunday’s team, and Paddy Curran, who will captain the side against Roscommon.

“Despite the fact that Kerry haven’t won the minor All-Ireland since 1994, it doesn’t put the present side under age pressure to deliver on Sunday,” said Kennedy. “In those 12 years Kerry were beaten by quality minor teams from Laois and Tyrone, and have no complaints about losing.

“If you look at the present Kerry senior team, not too many of them have won minor All-Ireland medals, yet they went on to greater things.

“It will be the same with this crop of minors.”