As Armagh roar into final, Kerry quietly contemplates another autumn autopsy
ROARING SUCCESS: Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney after his side's dramatic victory at Croke Park. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
As Armagh’s army bounced to the strains of “Freed From Desire” after the final whistle, their contrast to Kerry’s feeble following crystallised.
If there was a lament for the losing team, it would have been U2’s “Bad”. The lyrics more as much as the song title was apt – “isolation, desolation”. Croke Park can be the loneliest place but for the Munster winners, they may as well have been deserted.
Stayaway supporters in semi-finals are nothing new for Kerry teams yet surrounded by a 55,548 attendance ruled by the GAA’s version of “Het Oranje Legioen” they were never going to be anything more than party-poopers.
On a few occasions afterwards, Jack O’Connor referenced the impressive size of the Armagh crowd. In the hours beforehand, they had clogged the M1 determined to make their presence felt, which they certainly did as so many Kerry people stayed at home.
But a thought to consider – did they vote with their feet? That instead of waiting for a final they just didn’t buy that this was an All-Ireland winning year even with Dublin out of the reckoning?
Such a theory will countered by Kerry’s traditional contempt for last-four games not involving regular rivals and possibly O’Connor’s incredible record at this stage of the competition, Saturday being his first defeat in eight occasions. But the faith in this Kerry team was lapsed and that doubt was justified on Saturday.
In absentia, Jack Barry’s stock will rise and another Australia-based midfielder Mark O’Connor’s decision to remain there bemoaned. But Kerry’s issues this year were elsewhere on the field where they had passengers.
The Clifford brothers’ dip in form will be raised too and how on Saturday Kerry defenders were too often knocked off the ball. However, if there was a general malaise this season it was a lack of audacity.
What would Peter Keane make of this, Kerry’s first All-Ireland semi-final defeat since the one that was also decided in extra-time and proved his last game in charge three years ago? O’Connor raised several issues with that performance. Back then, O’Connor felt Kerry had been too goal-hungry that when they didn’t come, they panicked.
Before Paul Murphy palmed a goal, two other three-point openings came Kerry’s way early in the second half. There was compensation for the first in the form of a David Clifford point but then Tom O’Sullivan blazed wide on his weaker right foot.
“It looked like that missed goal chance into the Hill was a critical moment,” rued O’Connor. “If that went in, I thought the game was probably beyond Armagh and then the goal, that poor goal that we conceded was a huge moment in the game. I think that is where the game swung, those two moments. The goal we conceded was a killer in the sense that it got the Armagh crowd into it.”
It appeared the rockier road to the All-Ireland semi-finals was the path best taken. The feet of Armagh, a team so brutal to beat in championship that they have been lost one game outside of penalties in 19, had been hardened having faced three Division 1 sides in recent weeks after coming agonisingly close to beating Donegal in an Ulster final.
Kerry had played two top-flight outfits, one in Monaghan who hadn’t won a game since January and Derry who were a lighter version of their former selves. “Well, we weren’t tested to that extent that we were tested out there, I suppose, and maybe that was a factor,” returned O’Connor.
“That was possibly a factor but like my abiding feeling is when you miss chances and then you concede a poor goal like we did, that’s huge because it’s a momentum changer. Momentum is big in games and then when you have a huge crowd behind Armagh and the momentum swings, that’s a poor combination from our point of view.”
Like the 2002 All-Ireland final, Kerry went into the half-time break four points ahead, 0-10 to 0-6. Paul Murphy’s 47th minute palmed goal restored that advantage but Barry McCambridge came up with one of his own eight minutes later after a Shane Ryan spill to slice the margin to a point.
Armagh dictated the game for the remainder of normal time and it required a Dylan Geaney point to force extra-time although he later had a chance to rob victory for Kerry.
As Kerry’s wides added up, Armagh were the only scorers in the first half of additional time via Jarly Óg Burns and Conor Turbitt points. After the resumption, Ross McQuillan stretched Armagh’s lead to three only for Kerry to strike back with the next two, from Cillian Burke and Paudie Clifford.
As tensions soared, each team posted a brace of wides. A Seán O’Brien point attempt fell short and from the break Turbitt was able to put the final touches to a memorable Orchard victory.
Kieran McGeeney doesn’t give up praise easily but on an exceptional day he made an exception for a group who immunised themselves against that white line fever. “They showed great resilience today. We felt like we shouldn’t have been behind. It was a soft goal but they’d probably feel about the goal we got. A bounce and a fist in.
“They've shown that over and over again and pushed every team to the limits. At different times, they just didn’t get over that line. As we were getting closer to extra-time, we were all going, ‘Fuck, is it going to be penalties again?’ But the boys went after it, Ross, Turbo (Conor Turbitt), they really went to win the game, which is something you have to be really proud of as well.”
C. Turbitt (0-5, 2 frees); R. O’Neill (0-3, 1 free); B. McCambridge (1-0); N. Grimley, A. Forker, S. Campbell (0-2 each); P. McGrane, R. Grugan (free), J. Burns, R. McQuillan (0-1 each).
D. Clifford (2 frees, 1 mark), S. O’Shea (1 free, 1 45) (0-4 each); P. Clifford (0-3); P. Murphy (1-0); T. Brosnan, D. Moynihan, D. O’Connor, D. Geaney, C. Burke (0-1 each).
B. Hughes; P. Burns, A. McKay, B. McCambridge; P. McGrane, T. Kelly, A. Forker (c); N. Grimley, B. Crealey; R. O’Neill, R. Grugan, J. McElroy; C. Turbitt, A. Murnin, O. Conaty.
S. Campbell for P. McGrane (h-t); J. Duffy for O. Conaty (49); A. Nugent for B. Crealey (57); R. McQuillan for A. Forker (59); O. O’Neill for A. Murnin (62); J. Burns for C. Turbitt (e-t); C. Turbitt for A. Nugent (80); O. Conaty for R. Grugan (85).
: S. Ryan; P. Murphy, J. Foley, T. O’Sullivan; B. Ó Beaglaoich, T. Morley, G. White; D. O’Connor, J. O’Connor; T. Brosnan, P. Clifford (c), D. Moynihan; D. Clifford, S. O’Shea, P. Geaney.
K. Spillane for P. Geaney, C. Burke for D. Moynihan (both 47); D. Geaney for T. Brosnan (59); G. O’Sullivan for B. Ó Beaglaoich (64); B.D. O’Sullivan for J. O’Connor (70); M. Breen for G. White (e-t); D. Casey for T. O’Sullivan (temp 74); T. O’Sullivan for J. Foley (78); Stephen O’Brien for D. O’Connor (ET, HT); S. O’Brien for P. Murphy (85).
: D. Gough (Meath).
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