Darragh Long: 'I'm a bit all over the place just trying to digest what this group of Kerry players has done'

THIRD TIME LUCKY? Kerry players, from left, Mary O'Connell, Emma Dineen and Kayleigh Cronin encourage their team-mates as they do conditioning runs. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

They still haven't got their hands on the Brendan Martin Cup but as far as Darragh Long is concerned, this Kerry ladies group are 'born winners'.

He's been telling the players that for the last couple of years and his opinion won't change regardless of how their August 4 All-Ireland final against Galway pans out.

Kerry secured their return to a third consecutive Championship decider with a gutsy 1-8 to 0-7 semi-final defeat of Armagh in Tullamore this evening.

Conceding just seven points, and only six from play, they turned the tables on the team that previously beat them in the Division 1 final.

Championship success is what Kerry truly crave and following All-Ireland final defeats to Meath (2022) and Dublin (2023), they will probably approach next month's decider as favourites.

"We know what Galway will bring to it, a massive running game," said joint-Kerry manager Long of their opposition. "Nicola and Louise Ward, Olivia Divilly, fantastic players, Ailish Morrissey inside, Ailbhe Davoren, look, I could rattle all the names off. We've played them in big games as well over the last few years, so they will have a bit of revenge on their minds as well.

"Immediately after the final whistle now, I'm just really excited. I'm a bit all over the place just trying to digest what this group of Kerry players has done. It's not easy to come back and get to a third All-Ireland final in a row after losing two because they really hurt and they really stung the group.

"And look, it's a huge sign of the character and the resilience of this group. I've said that for the last few years, they're born winners. We mightn't have got the trophies to back that up but by God will we give it one hell of a shot in two weeks' time."

Siofra O'Shea won the Player of the Match award though full-back Kayleigh Cronin led an inspired defensive effort in the midlands. Armagh scored just two points from the 13th minute on, and only once from play. Kerry were without a player for 10 minutes too following captain Niamh Carmody's 28th minute booking. Long singled out centre-back Deirdre Kearney for special praise as the Kingdom held firm and repelled an Armagh onslaught in the closing 10 minutes.

"They broke up some amount of ball," said Long of Cronin and Kearney. "I wouldn't be surprised if Jack (O'Connor) gives them a ring over the next couple of weeks to bring them into the men's outfit, they were so good!

"But look, again, we had a game plan and everyone bought into it. Niamh Ni Chonchuir at wing-forward was fantastic today, the angles of running, the carrying of the ball, it was just outstanding.

"Ciara Murphy did a job that she wouldn't be used to doing at centre-forward, probably marking the most influential player in the country this season, Lauren McConville, and we did pretty well nullifying Lauren's runs from deep as well. As I said, we had a game plan, we worked really hard on it over the last couple of weeks. We're going to enjoy tonight and we're going to come back down to earth then and prepare for another All-Ireland final."

Armagh will spend the winter wondering, what if? They were without their key forward Aimee Mackin following a season ending cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in the Ulster final defeat of Donegal. Could the three-time All-Star have made the difference this evening?

"They're a fantastic team," said Long of Armagh. "They dealt so well with the loss of Aimee a couple of weeks ago. We knew we were going to have a tough battle there today and by God was it hammer and tongs stuff. But just the character of our girls, the way we kept the ball at the end, the way we dealt with the sin-bin, we did a lot of stuff really well. As I said, we had a game plan coming up and it worked to a T, we're very happy with it."