Southern Comfort

IT DIDN’T take long to clear the Croke Park dance floor last night.

Two cups thrown in the boot after a pair of decidedly off-Broadway affairs and pointed south towards Cork and Kerry. There can’t be many trophies that are mere reference points to another competition, but last night Jack O’Connor and Conor Counihan kept tripping over Championship thoughts in their League reflections.

Neither looked in need of a heart monitor either.

The Kingdom’s 19th National Football League title was more engaging — competitive wouldn’t be the word — a 1-15 to 0-15 success over Damien Cassidy’s Derry. The pace of the Division One final was commendable but the intensity was nowhere to be seen or felt. Donncha Walsh’s early goal was the three-point edge Kerry maintained to the final whistle, but their coach was unmoved.

“Ah it’s a good habit winning at Croke Park but it’s all about Championship. I didn’t think we played exceptionally well. There wasn’t fierce cut and thrust. I’d say we’ve a bit more in the tank,” said the Kerry manager.

Plenty, if the volume of replacements — eight, including temporary subs — is a reliable indicator. Darragh, Tadhg, David Moran, Bryan Sheehan et al. Just the disorderly queue Jack likes.

Cork may not have that depth of talent, but the Kerry coach saw enough of their 1-14 to 0-12 Division 2 final win over Monaghan to focus June 7 in his mind.

“Jeez, they are big men, that’s the first thing that struck me, they are mountains of men, aren’t they?” mused O’Connor.

“They (Cork) are going well, they have more scoring potential this year. I don’t think they fear Kerry at this stage. They’ve given as good as they’ve got the last two years and they’ll feel their time is nigh.”

Monaghan coach Seamus McEnaney wasn’t in a place to argue. His side were undressed by a Cork side which, even coach Conor Counihan conceded, were hardly at full tilt.

They didn’t need to be. Cork did essentially as they pleased against a disjointed and ragged opposition.

McEnaney didn’t have the claustrophobic surrounds of Scotstown to complement his tactics on this occasion, and Cork pickled his midfield and defence with frightening ease for as long as the final was competitive.

It was a dangerously fluid display from Counihan’s side — dangerous only if they read too much into it. Monaghan feigned a comeback of sorts when they halved a six-point interval deficit but the introduction of Pearse O’Neill saw Cork quicken their step.

Eventually Paul Kerrigan, who had done little since a super first minute point, cantered unmolested along the touchline and end-line to tee-up an otherwise subdued James Masters for the game’s only goal after 64 minutes.

It was from the same corner of the pitch on the Hogan Stand side that Kerry created the only goal of the Division One final. Kieran Donaghy’s quickly taken sideline ball floated across to Mike Quirke who placed Donncha Walsh to score. The Cromane man may make way for Paul Galvin come the Championship but he does a nice Frank Lampard impersonation with his ability to ghost through for goals.

Once Paddy Bradley was removed from the Derry attack with blurred vision following a bizarre collision with his brother Eoin, the temperature of the contest dropped. Damien Cassidy might feel that being in the final validated the squad changes he’s had to make this season, but Paddy Bradley will remain Derry’s go-to guy as long as he stays healthy.

He re-emerged early in the second half, but Kerry’s Tom O’Sullivan had got to grips with the situation by then. All told, it was an encouraging 70 minutes from the Rathmore man at full-back. Duagh’s Anthony Maher created an impression too and Darragh Ó Sé got 30 minutes of Croke Park legs into his system. Cooper was sublime, and Tommy Walsh played with the verve of a man determined to make a decision on Australia from the vantage point of an All-Ireland winner. A decent day’s labour for Kerry.

CONOR Counihan won’t be displeased either. Alan O’Connor’s file may still marked ‘work in progress’, but for all his elementary mistakes, the rangy midfielder from West Cork has a gameness about him that trumped anything Dick Clerkin could throw at him. Pearse O’Neill’s return for the Championship is assured but it may not be at the expense of O’Connor.

Ballincollig’s Pa Kelly found his feet on the 40 as the game ticked down, but he may struggle to retain the No 11 jersey come June 7 in Killarney. If the League campaign for Cork lacked anything, it’s been the deepening of their bench. John Miskella’s return to fitness is a bonus, but when push comes to shove, how many of Counihan’s back-up will flourish in the summer heat? There are still two wing forward jerseys up for grabs but no-one’s ended the speculation so far. Messrs O’Flynn, Kelly and Kerrigan were all making their senior Croke Park bows for the Rebels yesterday, but there’s more required from them before a return visit later this summer.

Michael Cussen is on the road to recovery but Cork’s full forward line already has a look of business about it. Goulding and Donncha O’Connor might not profit in small tight grounds, but they won’t see too many of those from here on in. The Ballydesmond man had Vinnie Corey running at angles he didn’t appreciate, but it was nothing to the discomfort experienced by Dermot McArdle in his attempts to stymie Daniel Goulding in the first half.

Monaghan’s plan in employing Rory Woods as an extra pair of hands around midfield evidently took no cogniscence of the mobility of nominal full back Michael Shields. The latter, in cahoots with Graham Canty and Ger Spillane took advantage of the vast tracts of space between Monaghan’s midfield and half back line to wreak havoc, especially in the first period. Had Dick Clerkin not brought off one of the goal-saving blocks of the spring in denying Paddy Kelly, the game would have been tagged and bagged by the interval.

Indeed, at 0-10 to 0-4, in real terms it was.