Jack O'Connor smiling as revenge mission accomplished
HAPPY MAN: Kerry manager Jack O'Connor. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
On a scale of one to 10, just how satisfied was Jack O’Connor on Saturday evening? He doesn’t seem like a man who has ever had need for an emoji but given a feedback card he may well have doodled his best smiley face.
Outside of his All-Ireland final victories and last year’s dramatic semi-final win over Dublin, it’s difficult to remember him being as pleased post-game. He and his management team had made Kerry formidable before this game but this is what he came back for, what he set out in this newspaper’s podcast the day after Tyrone’s goals sent Kerry packing from an All-Ireland semi-final two years ago.
As revenge missions go, it is up there with the 2006 quarter-final when Kieran Donaghy inspired Kerry four years after the ’02 final. Eight of the team that began that ’02 were on the field for retribution four years later. On this occasion, 11 of the ’21 side started, their intent visible in Paudie Clifford’s exuberant reaction to a seventh-minute free won by Gavin White pressure and Diarmuid O’Connor’s 52nd minute goal.
For it to come apart for O’Connor here was unconscionable for him but Kerry were terrific. They never trailed, never not looked in control. The two times Tyrone drew level in the second quarter were short-lived as Kerry followed up with points seconds later. Even when the game was a contest, Kerry’s steady rate of turning over Tyrone was a portent of things to come.
It sure helped that Tyrone were seeking the spark that their opponents had found since the Mayo game and this was their third game in 14 days. They may not have been as startled as Dublin’s earwigs in the 2009 All-Ireland quarter-final but they were like scurrying lice as Kerry warped them out of shape.
Long before the end, they were exasperated with the lack of prospect Kerry afforded them. It was a stark contrast to the game two years ago when Tyrone were besieging a skeleton-staffed 'D'. “You know, we have a pile of work done on trying to improve defensively and get a good structure and not concede goals,” remarked O’Connor.
“The last time the two teams played here, Kerry lost the game on turnovers and goals and they are the two areas that we worked very, very hard on, you know, since we got the job two years ago. I think today the defence was a bedrock and we were able to play from there.”
In front of a 57,570 crowd, Kerry followers might be heartened that they didn’t need to tax David Clifford too much for this win. By half-time, his conversion rate was just above 40%, both he and Paul Geaney didn’t put away openings in the second half and it was only in the 57th minute, with a more careful than usual attempt, that he scored his only point from play.
O’Connor said: “Sure look, we can’t control what people say, we can only just work away at it but we certainly think we are not a one-man team, despite what other people think.”
And yet Clifford couldn’t help but give one dazzling example of his genius to put in train the move that concluded with Seán O’Shea breaching Niall Morgan’s goal-line in the 61st minute. Just when it appeared he was going to be forced out of play under the Hogan Stand, he was able to steady the ball in his hands without taking hold of it and swing the ball over his right shoulder towards Tony Brosnan who then fed O’Shea. It was a stunning demonstration of dexterity and vision.
“I didn’t think it was a great pass to him in the first place, to be honest with you,” smiled O’Connor. “I was just following the play and said to myself, ‘Jesus, they are lining him up here now to nail him,’ because he was near the sideline and he just got the ball away.
“But sure that’s the mark of the man he is, and he has tremendous vision. To be fair to Tony Brosnan, he showed great composure by drawing the man and slipping it in.”
Three points behind at half-time, 0-6 to 0-9, Tyrone weren’t in the worst position but they were struggling for possession and Kerry’s ability to isolate them and force them to give up or foul the ball was already reaping dividends.
“We were sloppy enough with the ball, I thought, with unforced turnovers,” rued Tyrone co-manager Brian Dooher. “We weren’t as cohesive as normally. You have to give Kerry a bit of credit for it.
“We will look back and see the video of it but it’s hard to call it now, what happened, was it the pressure that was the big contributor to why we couldn’t get our hands on enough ball and couldn’t get scores.”
O’Connor’s goal, Brosnan again the provider as he recovered from losing the ball to slip it inside to the midfielder who was involved in the start of the attack with a run from the middle of the field, sent Kerry 11 points and into the semi-finals.
Kerry may have looked ordinary against Mayo but the jolt to the system appears to have come at the right time. “You know, we were very happy with the way we played against Louth two weeks ago in Portlaoise,” said O’Connor, “and it's just a matter of trying to get that form into Croke Park here. If you need form coming here because of the big pitch, it's energy-sapping.”
As were Kerry. Consider statement served.
S. O’Shea (1-5, 0-2 frees, 0-1 45); D. Clifford (0-5, 3 frees, 1 mark); D. O’Connor (1-2); A. Spillane (0-2); P. Geaney, T. O’Sullivan, P. Clifford, S. O’Brien (0-1 each).
D. McCurry (0-4, frees); R. Canavan, D. Canavan, C. McShane (0-2 each); M. McKernan, M. Donnelly (0-1 each).
S. Ryan; G. O’Sullivan, J. Foley, T. O’Sullivan; T. Morley; P. Murphy, G. White; D. O’Connor, J. Barry; D. Moynihan, S. O’Shea, A. Spillane; P. Clifford, D. Clifford (c), P. Geaney.
S. O’Brien for A. Spillane, T. Brosnan for P. Geaney (both 51); B. Ó Beaglaoich for G. White (58); M. Burns for D. Moynihan (60); M. Breen for J. Foley (64).
P. Clifford (second yellow, 70+5).
N. Morgan; R. McNamee, P. Hampsey (c), C. Meyler; M. O’Neill; P. Harte, M. McKernan; B. Kennedy, C. Kilpatrick; K. McGeary, C. Quinn; D. Canavan, D. McCurry, M. Donnelly.
F. Burns for C. Quinn (inj 34); C. McShane for R. Canavan, J. Oguz for K. McGeary (both 45); S. O’Donnell for M. Donnelly (64); A. Clarke for P. Hampsey (67).
C. Meyler (second yellow, 70+5).
B. Cawley (Kildare).
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