Cork's defensive statistics suggest Kerry's Colm Cooper should thrive in Tralee

By Peter McNamara

Cork could be in for a long afternoon in Tralee next Sunday, a very long afternoon.

There is a growing belief Kerry are beginning to simmer and a trip to Austin Stack Park is not ideal at present for Peadar Healy's group, if the majority of all known evidence is to be realistically assessed.

Cork beat down at the weekend but Kerry will provide a sterner test.

Defensively, the Rebels have by far and away the worst record in the top-tier of the Allianz National Football League.

A total of 9-85 has been conceded in just six league matches and that has to concern Healy and his management team, surely?

For instance, Cork have shipped three times the number of goals Dublin have while Roscommon are closest to the Leesiders with seven green flags given away.

It's been illustrated previously how important the likes of Brian O'Driscoll is to supplementing the attack from centre-back.

However, he may be expected to hold the fort more so in Tralee than has been the case thus far this year.

Kevin Crowley, Jamie O'Sullivan and Eoin Cadogan fronted up as the full-back line on Sunday against Down while Kevin O'Driscoll and Daniel Hazel flanked Brian O'Driscoll.

The @OfficialCorkGAA team line out for the national anthem ahead of their encounter with @OfficialDownGAA! #GAA pic.twitter.com/oYI6uBWkrO

— sportsfile (@sportsfile) March 27, 2016

Ryan Price, additionally, formed the last line of the Rebels' rearguard.

On the surface, a concession of 0-7 is an excellent return from the side. And it certainly is.

Yet, that statistic has to be taken in the context that Down's average score per game in this division has been 0-8 so far and they are pointless after six outings.

Basically, Healy's outfit were playing a second-tier unit.

Nevertheless, if we are to question the team defensively, then we sure as hell must credit all involved for their offensive prowess.

Cork, with 8-77 registered, have scored more than Dublin (7-76), yes Dublin, Donegal (7-75), Mayo (4-67), Monaghan (5-73) and, obviously, Down (1-44).

Only Roscommon, with 8-86 and Éamonn Fitzmaurice's men, scorers of 5-89, have tallied more than Cork in the secondary competition with one regulation game left to fulfil.

Maybe, of course, it is Healy's tinkering with the defence in terms of personnel that has counted against the side.

Yet, he has to test the waters in relation to utilising different players in different positions.

How else is he supposed to settle on a defence that he feels will be capable of containing Kerry in Killarney next July? And yes, I am well aware of the other counties competing in the Munster SFC.

So, for now, the case for the defence is based on reasonable doubt and the management certainly deserve the benefit of that as it is so early in their tenure.

Nevertheless, this particular contest next Sunday is expected to become a taxing exercise for Cork.

There is no defender in the country, let alone the Cork squad, capable of shutting down Colm Cooper when he is in the groove and that should well be the case in Austin Stack Park.

Cooper is performing of late like the player that has missed so much football in the last two seasons that he is determined to make up for lost time. And he has.

He was wrapped in cotton wool by Fitzmaurice and co last year and only really featured prominently from the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Kildare onwards.

The season prior to that was a truly injury-plagued one for the most gifted player of our generation.

Still, The Gooch, along with Kieran Donaghy, seem like operatives on a mission since returning to the fold.

Is it possible that both of these players will bow out at the end of this year? Donaghy, obviously, is the more likely of the two to call it a day. He has, after all, already said as much.

However, Cooper, 33 in June, has put in a lot of hard yards over the years too and may feel he has given all he can to the cause for so long enough despite the aforementioned fallow period of game-time because of injuries.

That is merely a theory that could be well wide of the mark when it boils down to it.

All the same, the duo are probably more motivated than most to ensure this season is as productive for themselves and Kerry as is possible.

With all of that in mind, and complemented by the industrial excellence of Donnchadh Walsh and, to a lesser extent, Johnny Buckley, Donaghy and Cooper should prosper for the Kingdom when the Rebels roll into town this weekend.

Yet, how Fitzmaurice attempts to curtail Mark Collins will be watched with great intrigue.

Collins' roaming menace hurt Kerry in a whole host of plays in the Munster final, particularly, and subsequent provincial decider replay in 2015.

Dublin have also highlighted Kerry's weakness of struggling to negate runners centrally from deep-lying areas.

However, it should be Cooper that rules in Tralee.