Carew admits Kerry are too good by half

Kerry 4-21 Waterford 1-4

Fifteen different Kerry players scored. Aidan O’Mahony and Killian Young were the only outfield starters for the Kingdom who didn’t.

But the statistics that shape the narrative of this provincial punch bag came afterwards from Waterford coach Niall Carew.

How far are the Division 4 county behind Kerry? “About 35 minutes,” he shrugged. “We’re about half a match behind the likes of Kerry.”

He continued: “It’s like comparing Man City and Wigan in terms of finance. We need to spend money, and the players recognise that, to do the things we need to do. Kerry probably spend about 20 times more on preparation that we do.”

The difference was obvious once Kieran Donaghy fisted Kerry’s first goal three minutes into the second half, but to that point, the theory that a team can bridge the quality gap with good organisation and conservative tactics stood up to scrutiny.

Kerry led 0-8 to 0-4 at the half and despite a bright start that catapulted them into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead after the first quarter, Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s side looked sluggish and vaguely rudderless.

Waterford played with only Paul Whyte and Gary Hurney up front and had a reasonable penalty claim turned down as well. Hurney — the classic “if only he was playing for a big county” type of player, caused Aidan O’Mahony some discomfort.

It was easy to nominate the frustrated half-time dressing room.

“In the first half we played at a Division 4 tempo, in the second half we played at a Division 1 tempo,” was Fitzmaurice’s succinct summary, but it was no more accurate than Carew’s.

“We competed well and we had a great shout for a penalty. I find it amazing that the referee gives Kerry a penalty when they’re 17 points up for essentially the same tackle. We needed that, and a couple of frees we missed.

“We played Kildare in a challenge game lately and it was the same scene at half time, but our level of fitness wouldn’t be anywhere near Kerry or Kildare’s. You’ll get away with it for 40 minutes but we’re not used to playing top five or six teams. We needed that penalty. Scores give you energy.”

Carew, the former Kildare selector with a Kerry mother, has a solid grasp of where Waterford are and what it will take to get them northwards. “Our target has to be to get up two divisions. The counties at the bottom of Division 2, we’d compete well with them, but after that, the gap is only getting bigger.”

And it isn’t just down to player availability or the hurling draw in Waterford: “We’d struggle for finances, our budget would be very low in terms of the preparation necessary and bringing in the top coaches. If you can’t prepare a team to the best of your ability, then you are going to find it hard to get players to give you the level of commitment that is necessary.”

There was no shortage of Déise commitment up to half time, but natural weariness kicked in thereafter.

Nothing on the night matched the second Kingdom goal, a move started by Aidan O’Mahony in front of his own posts and worked through the hands and feet of Colm Cooper, Donnchadh Walsh and James O’Donoghue before Declan O’Sullivan applied the whipped cream finish. At 2-11 to 0-4, you could stick a fork in this one.

Anthony Maher added a third goal, but if there was something noteworthy about Kerry’s flat-track destruction of Waterford in the second half, it was the spread of scores. Both corner- and wing-backs scored, and though they are at opposite ends of the career spectrum, Peter Crowley and Tomás Ó Sé set a very positive tone. Killorglin man Crowley was also laying down a very strong claim for a Munster final jersey, to the possible exclusion of captain Eoin Brosnan. The latter will need to use next weekend’s Championship derby against Legion to press his claim.

In attack, James O’Donoghue looked lively, presenting a similar dilemma for Darran O’Sullivan in his bid to reclaim a starting spot for the July 7 provincial decider against Cork or Clare.

Fitzmaurice’s project is in a decent place at present. Though it’s the same period of time without an All-Ireland (into a fourth season) as when Jack O’Connor took over in 2004, there appears to be more patience on the streets of Tralee and Killarney with the new regime — even with the younger players Kerry are encouraging through.

“We didn’t cope well with the defensive blanket in the first half,” admitted the coach. “Patience is very important coming up against that blanket defence. We were sloppy and careless but we’ve always preached patience, we knew it would open up eventually.”

A message they’d do well to carry into the summer.

Scorers for Kerry: C Cooper 0-4 (2f); J Buckley 0-4 (3f); B Sheehan 1-1 (1-0 pen); A Maher, Declan O’Sullivan 1-0 each; T Ó Sé, P Galvin, J O’Donoghue 0-2 each; M Ó Sé, F Fitzgerald, P Crowley, D Walsh, Darran O’Sullivan, K O’Leary 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: T Grey 1-1, P Whyte 0-2 (1f); S Aherne 0-1.

Subs for Kerry: Darran O’Sullivan for Walsh (44); E Brosnan for T Ó Sé (50); B Sheehan for Maher (52); S Enright for M Ó Sé (56); K O’Leary for Donaghy (60).

Subs for Waterford: C O’Keeffe for Phelan; L Ó Lionáin for Doyle (both 48); P Hurney for R Aherne (53); S O’Hare for Prendergast (65).

Referee: M Higgins (Fermanagh).