Forgettable contest sees Walsh rise from the mist

WE can only hope, if not expect, that Kerry and Cork footballers will provide a final in three weeks time that will be worthy of the occasion and the All-Ireland championship.

What we saw yesterday in Croke Park, in the second of the semi-finals, was a poor advertisement for the game, almost a betrayal for the fans who paid big money to be there.

And, if it wasn’t entirely flattering to a Kerry team which played to a higher standard in the second half following the introduction of Tommy Walsh, it was much less of a compliment to a Meath team which struggled after conceding a penalty in the third minute – and never looked capable of causing an upset.