Patchy Kerry looking up, not down
IT wasn't as much a Saturday night for takeaways and learnings. Kerry needed two points in Tralee and if the performance from the All-Ireland champions was 'patchy', as per the manager, then the All-Ireland champions were happy enough to kick that particular can down the road to Tuesday.
Though they began with the urgency of men who had left the cars double-parked outside Austin Stack Park, Kerry spluttered their way through to the final whistle, "things getting a bit hairy near the end", in Jack O'Connor's words, as Roscommon appealed for a last-second penalty that might have levelled it up.
That scenario would have left Kerry looking for a result ih Salthill next Sunday against a Galway side in the mood for All-Ireland final payback. Not an appealing prospect by any means. As it is, the Kerry manager was able to calculate with the two points in his arse pocket that a place in the Division One final is not beyond the realm of possibility.
“Looking at the table now, there’s a realistic chance we could make a league final if we were to win next weekend in Salthill. Galway are going to be a tough nut above there, especially after a great result in Armagh on Saturday. But there is a chance.”
The Kingdom aren't out in the Munster Championship for another month, and will likely get in a short warm-weather training in the Algarve beforehand. So, they'd hardly say No to an April 2 League final to give them somethiug meaningful after Salthill.
Roscommon have now lost three straight and manager Davy Burke isn't comfortable with that sequence. They were 1-3 to no score down in double-quick time in Tralee, leaving them playing an unenviable game of catch-up on a ground where Kerry seldom get undone.
There was early zip from Kerry as the impressive Tony Brosnan arrowed in the assist of the night to David Clifford for the bullet fourth minute goal, followed minutes after by another zinger of a delivery from the returning Gavin White to Donal O'Sullivan. The Kilgarvan man settled for a point.
“We were determined to hit the ground running, we looked sharp early on but then kicked away a few foolish balls in the first quarter," Jack O'Connor said afterwards.
White looked like he’d never been away. Diarmuid O’Connor and Paul Geaney got competitive minutes into their legs but Tony Brosnan’s first half showing was both sharp and inventive, rekindling the debate whether he is a starter or finisher.
“Tony was very exciting tonight. He has a pile of talent, and just need to keep working on belief and confidence. That will have done him a lot of good."
Roscommon will have a half-nervous peep over their shoulder ahead of their final game at the Hyde against relegated Donegal but the permutations would want to be very unkind for them to get pulled into deep water.
“it’s great to see for me that we are knocking at the door. Mayo could have blown us away and we didn’t let them, same with Kerry tonight. I think we are making strides," manager Burke said.
Kerry led 1-7 to 0-5 at the break but seemed keen to be done with undue haste. The patience that broke Armagh was conspicuously absent and they looked like lads waiting for a white towel to be throw in from the primrose corner. The Rossies were not inclined to oblige. They chipped away at the half time deficit (1-7 to 0-5) with two points from Conor Cox and another from Daire Cregg to make it a two-point game, after 42 minutes, 1-7 to 0-8.
Encouraging the visitors further was a black card for Kerry’s Graham O’Sullivan, but it coincided with Kerry lifting the tempo and wrestling back the initiative. They won the ten-minute period 0-3 to 0-1 though the Rossies camp was less than enamoured with how much actual play there was in the ten minute period.
"We got an exhibition in game management there, and our lads need to learn from that. How many of the ten minutes did we actually play?," mused Burke. "It's something we need to look at. Don't get me wrong, we would do the same thing Kerry did, but how do we get around this crack? The clock stops but the black card runs. We are all doing it, but when you are on the receiving end of it, it’s not nice."
Tom O’Sullivan clipped over his now obligatory score and Sean O’Shea made it a two-score game in the 56th minute, 1-10 to 0-9.
Killian Spillane delivered a scoring cameo, but the anxiety for Kerry wasn’t quite done. Tadgh Morley was black-carded, and his colleague Jason Foley was fortunate not to follow him, pulling down Cian McKeown surged through in search of an injury time goal. Donie Smith took his point, but Roscommon ran out of clock.
Kerry boss O'Connor confirmed that Stefan Okunbor and Dara Roche had picked up "serious injuries" in the loss to Tyrone and would be out of action "pretty long term."
He added that Briain O Beaglaoich and Stephen O'Brieh are back training but not with the group.
: D Clifford (1-2, 1 free), D. O’Sullivan, T Brosnan, S O’Shea (frees) (0-2 each), T O’Sullivan, D Moynihan, P Clifford, K Spillane (0-1 each).
C Cox (0-6, 4 frees, 1 M), D Murtagh, D Smith (0-2 each, frees), C Murtagh, D Cregg (0-1 each).
S Ryan; G O’Sullivan, J Foley, T. O’Sullivan; P Murphy, T Morley, G White; J Barry, B O’Sullivan; D Moynihan, S O’Shea, P Clifford; T Brosnan, D Clifford, D O’Sullivan.
: D O’Connor for B O’Sullivan (50); K Spillane for D O’Sullivan (55); R Murphy for Moynihan; P Warren for White (both 64); P. Geaney for Brosnan (69).
C Carroll; C Hussey, B Stack, D Murray; N Daly, E McCormack, R Dolan; T O’Rourke, D Ruane; C Murtagh, C Lennon, E Smith; B Carroll, D Murtagh, C Cox.
K Doyle for R Dolan (25), R Hughes for Lennon; B O’Carroll for D Murtagh (both 47); D Smith for C Murtagh (60); C McKeown for D Ruane (64).
D O’Mahoney (Tipperary)
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