February form enough for Kingdom

“IT’S the middle of February”, protested Kerry coach Pat O’Shea, but for the Kingdom faithful casting a critical eye on their All-Ireland champions, there are always small concerns. And one in particular.

Kerry started and finished with the All-Ireland winning back seven in the defeat of Tyrone on Saturday — and hardly because they wanted to test them in the white heat of National League battle.

While young Kerry forwards form an inpatient queue for an opportunity to strut their stuff, Pat O’Shea’s defensive cupboard continues to look threadbare.

The All-Ireland winners, playing their first home game since last September’s final, brought on three substitutes, all forwards. The wares of Under-21 attackers Paul O’Connor and Paddy Curran are already well- advertised, but it looks like defensive auditions for the summer road haven’t unearthed many gems.

True, Padraig Reidy and Killian Young have emerged and blossomed in the past 12 months, and Tommy Griffin can always do a defensive job, but the Kerry can ill-afford injuries or loss of form in the full-back line.

Kerry have drafted in Duagh’s Kieran Quirke to the panel, and Dr Crokes’ Mike Moloney is a prospect — but not for this year’s Championship. Therefore the all-purpose Daniel Bohane and Gaeltacht’s Ronan O Flatharta represent the sum total of the selectors’ options off the bench if they wish to rest their magnificent seven during the remaining League games. We may yet see Jack O’Shea’s promising son, Aidan, donning his county’s colours.

Explained Pat O’Shea: “It’s a question of getting the balance right between experience and blooding the newer lads. You don’t want to bring too many through too early.”

Not that there was anything wrong with the established order on Saturday. Though both sides were shorn a number of established starters, Kerry - with only one win over Tyrone in their last eight meetings - managed to keep the visitors involved with their profligacy in the first period. Tyrone keeper Paschal McConnell made three key saves over the 70 minutes, but Bryan Sheehan should have given him no chance when he was served a goal chance on a plate by Kieran Donaghy after only three minutes.

The Austin Stacks full-forward had one of those nearly nights, destroying a hapless Cathal McCarron in the air early on, but watching in frustration as his colleagues failed to capitalise on his aerial dominance. As the game lengthened, Donaghy’s fuse shortened, agitated by the barely legitimate marking of McCarron’s first-half replacement, Justin McMahon, and the deteriorating quality of ball from his colleagues in the second period. He finished with one point and a yellow card — it could have been more on both counts.

Kerry led 0-8 to 0-5 at the interval, and though in control, there was enough about Enda McGinley at midfield, and forwards Raymond Mulgrew, Tommy McGuigan and Colm McCullagh to keep the hosts focused.

With Seamus Scanlon showing manifest evidence of the strides he made in last year’s All-Ireland winning effort, Kerry’s attack had plenty of raw material from which to make hay. However, despite Kieran O’Leary’s prominence in the corner, the Kingdom wasted as much as they converted, shooting seven wides in the first period.

“We created a few goal-scoring chances we didn’t take and (consequently) things got a little bit tighter in the second half,” admitted Pat O’Shea, even if his opposite number, Mickey Harte believed that to be a slightly benevolent interpretation of proceedings.

“The only satisfaction we can take is that we lost to the best team in the country,” said the Tyrone boss afterwards. “Our effort deserved a little bit from the game but honestly we averted a number of scares, thanks to Paschal McConnell. To say we’re struggling to make the play-offs is a very positive way to look at things. We’ve Galway next and that won’t be easy either.”

It took 20 minutes of the second period to generate a score from play; the fluency of the game was arrested by referee Gerry Kinneavy’s picky, authoritarian approach which led to a chorus of boos at the final whistle from even home fans. His umpires also denied Kieran O’Leary a first-half point.

Two Colm McCullagh frees had Tyrone within two points of Kerry (0-10 to 0-8) on the hour, but two positive bursts from Darren and Declan O’Sullivan yielded the scores which kept the Kingdom at arm’s length. An Owen Mulligan free ensured a nervous hush when Tyrone knocked one final high ball into Kerry’s front lawn, but it was cleared as authoritatively as you’d expect by Kerry’s defensive sextet.

Scorers: Kerry: B Sheehan 0-4 (0-2 frees, 0-1 45), Declan O’Sullivan (0-2), K. O’Leary (0-2), Sean O’Sullivan (0-2), Darren O’Sullivan and K. Donaghy (0-1 each). Tyrone: C. McCullagh (0-4, 2 frees), E.McGinley (0-2), O Mulligan free), R Mulgrew, T McGuigan (0-1 each).

KERRY: D Murphy; M O Se, T O’Sullivan, P Reidy; T O Se, A O’Mahony, K Young; S Scanlon, T Griffin; S O’Sullivan, Declan O’Sullivan, D Moran; K O’Leary, K Donaghy, B Sheehan.

Subs: Darren O’Sullivan for Moran (54); D Walsh for S O’Sullivan (64), T Walsh for Sheehan (71).

TYRONE: P McConnell; PJ Quinn, C McCarron, M Swift; D Harte, D Carlin, P Jordan; K Hughes, E McGinley; O Mulligan, R Mulgrew, C McCullagh; N Gormley, C Cavanagh, T McGuigan.

Subs: D McCaul for Carlin (inj, 23); Justin McMahon for McCarron (30); S O’Neill for McGuigan (56); C Holmes for Gormley (59); S Cavanagh for Mulgrew (67).

Referee: G O Conamha (Galway).