GAA talking points: Back in Croker 27 years later, O'Keeffe proves Rathmore are in very, very safe hands
REACHING THE SUMMIT: Rathmore's players celebrate after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
In the 55th minute of Sunday's All-Ireland Intermediate final, Conor Donaghy played a perfect ball over the top into the arms of Daniel Kerr. His marker had slipped so Kerr was straight through on goal and, while he did almost everything right by playing the ball low along the turf, Rathmore goalkeeper Kenneth O’Keeffe got his outstretched right foot to the ball to deflect it out for a ’45.
It was O’Keeffe’s second top class save of the match as he had also denied Enda McGarrity in the first half with a fine diving save to his left, where he touched the ball out for another ’45 with his fingertips.
It was O’Keeffe’s first time back in Croke Park since the 1996 All-Ireland minor final, which Kerry lost to Laois. Four weeks earlier, O’Keeffe and his older brother Declan had lined out on the same afternoon for the minors and seniors as Kerry met Mayo in a double-header All-Ireland semi-final.
As Declan went on to establish himself as an outstanding goalkeeper with Kerry over the following decade, winning All-Irelands in 1997 and 2000, along with a couple of All-Stars, Kenneth played up front with the club. When Rathmore won the Kerry Intermediate title in 1999, Kenneth pointed the way from full-forward.
O’Keeffe’s outstanding display Sunday - some of his laser kickouts were also superb – was even more impressive considering the quality of goalkeepers in the club; there are three former Kerry minor goalkeepers in the squad, while Shane Ryan is the current All-Star ‘keeper.
Ryan ended the match with 1-3 from play and the man-of-the-match award. His first half goal was decisive while in the second half, Ryan scored two points, was fouled for a free and had a hand in another score. With Rathmore three ahead deep in injury-time, Ryan won the last kickout with a brilliant catch.
Galbally had to come out and go for it in the second half and, while they nailed seven scores from 11 shots, Rathmore’s control of the game was underlined by their 100% conversion rate in the second half. Overall, Rathmore scored nine of their 14 shots from play, while Galbally only converted three of 11 shots from play. Yet Rathmore were still grateful to O’Keeffe for that late brilliant save.
On Saturday night, O’Keeffe and Ryan roomed together in the team-hotel. O’Keeffe spoke about his last time in Croke Park back in 1996. One minute and five seconds into that match, O’Keeffe thought a long ball from Noel Garvan was going over the bar. He was grabbing the crossbar when the ball dipped and ended up in the net. Kerry were beaten by three points.
Twenty-seven years later, O’Keeffe returned to Croke Park and gloriously atoned for that disappointment. It was far sweeter again when giving a monumental display in an All-Ireland final for his club at 44.
THE endgame was frenetic and enthralling but it was completely in sync with the tone and texture of an epic match that caught fire from the first whistle before combusting in a blaze.
The opening five minutes of Saturday’s All-Ireland Intermediate hurling final was similar in so many ways to the pattern of a gripping inter-county senior championship match – defined by ferocious intensity, relentless tackling and a primal desire to secure the ball.
There was only one shot at the target in that first four minutes but brilliant hurling matches don’t need to be about a huge volume of shots and scores. In any case, Monaleen and Tooreen went on to display a level of skill, electric first touch, composure on the ball when working it out from the back combined with some outstanding scores that transformed this match into one of the best contests seen in Croke Park in years.
Tooreen underlined their class early on with five points from their first five shots. Monaleen missed their first four shots but, while they were gradually growing into the game, the Limerick side were struggling to deal with a rampant Tooreen coming at them in waves from all over the pitch.
Monaleen’s greater physicality and power eventually began to tell. They pushed up more in the second half, went more man-for-man and worked the ball higher up the field into the midfield platform to help make their deliveries stick inside.
There were some superb individual performances all over the field but Mark O’Dwyer and Donnacha Ó’Dálaigh really grabbed the game by the throat for Monaleen when the need was greatest. Every one of Ó’Dálaigh’s five second half points was out of the top drawer.
In the end, Monaleen’s greater composure towards the end was decisive, similar to what it had been all year; Monaleen nailed their last six shots at the target; Tooreen only scored one of their last seven attempts. Overall, Tooreen had one more shot at the target (32-31), but this game came down to the tightest of margins; Tooreen hit the post twice late on.
Monaleen are outstanding All-Ireland champions but they had to be to overcome such a brilliant Tooreen side.
Just after half-time of Saturday’s All-Ireland Junior hurling final, Finnian Cawley picked up a loose ball on the edge of the D and headed straight for the Ballygiblin goal. There were a couple of Ballygiblin players hot on his heels and while, Joseph O’Sullivan fouled Cawley, the referee played the advantage and allowed Cawley to get off the shot, which was saved by goalkeeper Christopher Noonan.
Easkey were always going to need green flags to have any chance of winning the game but that half-chance was the only goal shot they managed over the 60 plus minutes. Easkey were impressive but 0-11 was never going to be enough to win an All-Ireland.
On the other hand, Ballygiblin’s low concession rate on Saturday was in tandem their average since the county final; prior to Saturday, their average concession rate was just 0-10; the highest total they had shipped in those previous five games was just 0-11.
Ballygiblin won their six matches in this provincial and All-Ireland championship by an aggregate margin of 42 points but shutting down goalscoring chances has been one of the most impressive aspects of their remarkable odyssey over the last two years.
Ballygiblin haven’t conceded a goal now since the first minute of the county final against Tracton; in Cork over the last two seasons, Ballygiblin have only conceded eight goals; in nine games outside of Cork in the same period, Ballygiblin have only shipped one goal, which came against Skeheenarinky in last year’s Munster final.
Much of that credit is due to Ronan Dwane, Ballygibin’s outstanding coach. Dwane’s imprint on this group is also reflected through the consistency of this side’s performances since losing last year’s All-Ireland final, which has showcased a side that has continually evolved, developed and improved.
That maturity has largely been reflected through the impact of Cork footballer Cathail O’Mahony; in Ballygiblin’s last seven games, O’Mahony has hit 1-16, 1-15 from play. On Saturday, O’Mahony only scored 0-3 from eight shots but he was a constant threat and outball option, while he was also fouled for a converted free.
Ballygiblin’s conversion rate was only 49% on the night. But that number was always bound to lead to a winning total given their miserly conversion rate.
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