Cork v Kerry: Three key battles in the do-or-die Munster SFC clash

David Moran of Kerry in action against Nathan Walsh and Ian Maguire of Cork during last year's Munster final. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Cork belief versus Kerry expectancy 

Of the Cork side named on Thursday, only three players — Kevin O’Donovan, Mattie Taylor, and Killian O’Hanlon —  have not featured in a Cork team which defeated Kerry in  a minor, U21, or senior championship fixture.

A far more pertinent stat, however, is that only one member of Cork's starting team — Mark Collins —  knows what it is to score a senior championship win over the Kingdom, and that was all of eight years ago.

Will that play on the minds of Cork players tomorrow, will belief, or lack thereof, be a factor?

Ciarán Sheehan, an injury absentee for the Rebels, doesn’t think so.

“I think fellas are confident that they can put it to Kerry,” he remarked on the Irish Examiner GAA podcast.

Bar any championship debutants Peter Keane may include in his team, each Kerry player has the t-shirt hanging in their locker of having beaten Cork in a senior championship tie.

Indeed, outside of David Moran, James O’Donoghue, and Peter Crowley, no member of Keane’s panel has lost a senior championship fixture to Cork. That, surely, must count for something.

Midfield 

Ian Maguire’s rampaging runs caused Kerry all sorts of problems in last year’s Munster final. Add in the fact that he is the leader of this Cork group and so much emanates from him, it's obvious Kerry will need to stop the St Finbarr’s man in his tracks.

Is this a job for the experienced David Moran, or will Jack Barry or Diarmuid O’Connor be told to shadow the Cork captain? As Barry demonstrated when curtailing Brian Fenton in last year’s drawn All-Ireland final, he is more than capable of delivering an effective man-making job.

Cork also have decisions to make around the middle. Kerry will draw one of their half-forwards out as a third midfielder and it remains to be seen what third body Cork will deploy in this area to counter such. Ruairi Deane is the name that immediately springs to mind.

Given his style of play is similar to that of Maguire, the two men operating in this sector could provide the home side with a strong midfield platform from which to attack Kerry.

Can Kerry exploit Cork’s inexperienced defensive spine?

Cork have named at full-back and centre-back two players who have very little senior inter-county game-time in the bank. Maurice Shanley, an U20 winner last year, started the Derry and Louth fixtures either side of lockdown, but did not feature in the four earlier games.

Kiskeam’s Sean Meehan, another member of the 2019 U20 class, has even less game-time under his belt. He made his league bow when introduced on the hour mark against Louth a fortnight ago.

Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.

Even if they are not asked to pick up generational talents David Clifford or Sean O’Shea, these two debutants could find themselves having to marshal a Paul Geaney, Tony Brosnan, or Dara Moynihan. Be certain that Kerry will look to test these newcomers early doors.