Sheehan has Feale in his sights

THE moment Kerry exited the Munster championship against Cork in June and were consigned to the qualifiers, James Sheehan resigned himself to an idle summer.

The Mid Kerry boss oversaw the champions’ first defence of their Kerry SFC title against Laune Rangers on June 21 when they fell over the line by a point. Now 16 weeks later, he takes his team into a championship quarter-final against Feale Rangers the 2007 champions. The interim period has been a trying, arduous process.

“It’s the same old story with divisional teams with this setup in the county. Straight away when Kerry lost in Munster, everyone knew we were in for a long year. You’ve been trying to organise challenge games, but the county board will put on club games at the weekend so you don’t have some players. It’s difficult for everybody.

“The divisional team’s preparation is very fractured. You can’t expect a situation where Kerry win the All-Ireland and players are thrown out with their clubs in the weekends after. My own lads in Mid Kerry have had a few weeks break now since the All-Ireland which is something at least. But some Kerry players were out the following Saturday after the All-Ireland. I’m just talking in the interests of fairness. But I’m sick of saying it, it badly needs to be looked at now.”

Mid Kerry have attempted to busy themselves by conducting challenges games against the likes of Cork champions Clonakilty and Galway finalists Corofin. But Sheehan is adamant that they face a stern examination in tomorrow’s mouth-watering showdown against the north Kerry side.

“They have the benefit of a recent championship game behind them, whereas we don’t. Our only championship match was 16 weeks ago against Laune Rangers. That is of absolutely no relevance now because it was so long ago, no matter how close a game it was. They’re going to be very difficult to beat and they’re serious contenders. The bookies have them as favourites. They’ve so many big players but their so-called unknowns are also very good footballers.”

Yet Sheehan is also optimistic that his charges are capable of making a bold bid to retain their crown from last season. They possess a trio of Kerry’s All-Ireland winning heroes in Darran O’Sullivan, Donncha Walsh and Sean O’Sullivan, while there is a solid core of talent behind them. The confidence from last season’s triumph should be reflected now in their football going forward.

“That confidence comes with winning,” says Sheehan. “It comes with just finally managing to get over the line and get the monkey off the back. We’re playing with more confidence this year I feel.

“But that can be seen everywhere in sport. You look at Munster v Leinster last weekend, who’d have foreseen that? I think Leinster have the confidence because they’ve finally won the Heineken Cup. I’d see the same in our lads. But we’ve one hell of a battle ahead of us tomorrow.”