Cooper confident in new generation

COLM COOPER has hailed the new generation of Kerry youngsters after the Kingdom eased their league relegation fears with a second straight Division One win on Sunday.

With the likes of Darragh O Sé, Diarmuid Murphy, Tommy Walsh and Tadhg Kennelly all departed from the inter-county scene, Jack O’Connor was always going to have to dig deep into his reserves in 2010.

So it has proved and, in Galway’s Pearse Stadium, the unfamiliar trio or Adrian O’Connell at wing-back and David O’Callaghan and Kieran O’Leary up front stood up to the plate.

David Moran, too, continues to get more game time under his belt while Anthony Maher has eased himself back into contention after injury and all five were also involved two weekends ago in the defeat of Derry.

“With guys retiring it is the ideal opportunity for Jack and the management to introduce guys and they are chomping at the bit to try stake a claim for the championship,” said Cooper.

“Everybody is doing everything that is asked of them, whether in defence or attack. There seems to be a good blend there at the moment and it has been working well for us over the last two games.”

Cooper’s own form has been no less pleasing. He followed five frees against Derry with a tally of 1-7 in Salthill – 1-2 of it from play – and that bodes well for the year ahead after what was an, at times, difficult 2009.

“I’m back about six weeks so I’m training away. I haven’t too many games played but every game is going to bring you on a little bit more. You get a little bit sharper and, fitness-wise, you improve.”

They had ten points to spare against a poor Galway side, pulling away after Michael Meehan was carried off with an injury and with the stiff Atlantic wind on their backs after the interval.

By the end, it was almost too easy.

“It didn’t seem as easy but you could see we were playing more freely and were able to express ourselves a little bit more. The space seemed to open up and that little wind seemed to help us in the second-half, it seemed.”

Next up is a Mayo side that has six points from their opening four games and only poor shooting against Dublin prevented that from being a perfect eight. It should make for an interesting meeting in Tralee next Sunday.

“They have been very, very good,” said Cooper. “They have had some excellent results. I’m sure Jack and the management team will look at introducing a few different guys again next week. That has been good for us. It has stood us well going into championship.”

A trip to Tyrone and a home tie against Monaghan will complete Kerry’s league campaign after that and recent history suggests that they will require one more win to avoid the drop to the second tier.

“We are not out of the woods, we still have to win games, but having got two back to back wins it is a positive for us. If we could get another one over Mayo in Tralee that would be a big help.”

It won’t be high on their list of priorities but it should be pointed out that Kerry could still qualify for the league final should they win their last three games and results elsewhere go their way.

Ten points was enough for both themselves and Derry in 2008 while the Ulster county returned to last year’s decider with a point less after the seven games.

“I have been lucky enough to play in a couple of finals and win a couple of finals. We always try to go out to win every game. It doesn’t always work like that. But if you go back and look at any teams that have won All-Irelands they have always done well in the league.”