O'Connor injury a cloud as Kerry impress in win over champions
TAKE OFF: Kerry's David Clifford celebrates scoring a point. Pic: Leah Scholes, Inpho
This time of the year is funny. Kerry extracted from Tralee a ten-point triumph, a glorious display of kicking football and one major concern. Armagh departed with a stinging defeat, the threat of relegation and one valuable lesson.
The National League, where it is possible for the winners to lose in the long-term and the losers to weaponize it for a deep-rooted win.
Jack O’Connor had many reasons to be cheerful until he watched his premier midfielder Diarmuid O’Connor collapse in a heap two minutes before the final whistle. The Na Gaeil monster had been an awesome kickout target, created three points and continued his excellent form until a shoulder injury had the entire green and gold sideline agitated. News that Seán O'Shea is yet to resume running, combined with the O’Connor worry, dampened any local joy at a measure of revenge for last July’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat.
What will Armagh take away from this loss? They were down 2-13 to 0-6 at the turnaround and it could have been worse. Kieran McGeeney was adamant he knew where they went wrong in his post-match briefing. With his first answer, he cut to their core.
“Bullied off the ball physically,” he said bluntly.
“It is just one of those days you have to take it on the chin and get on with it. You have to play the way it’s reffed and you don’t have any issues after. That is just the way it goes.” The first thing to say here is that this comment fitted with the context of the clash. It was ferocious. There were flashpoints all over the field, eight bookings, one penalty, a flare apparently fired between fans at the Boherbee goal and several mischievous footballs launched onto the pitch during play from the same end.
As an evening it was lawless and marvellous. Even the stadium announcers pre-game plea for patrons to wait until the last play after the hooter had finished out went ignored. Tony Brosnan opted to boot the ball into the terrace during that premature invasion. At that point, the Kingdom had earned the right to revel in a stylish showing.
It is also true that the oldest cliché in sports management is that you learn more in defeat that victory. The All-Ireland champions must identify the correct lesson. Were they truly bullied?
Blockbuster match-making requires two committed sides at the top of the bill and Austin Stack Park had it. Armagh brought abundant fury to the tie. Sure, Paudie Clifford grappled with Greg McCabe before throw-in but McCabe wrestled him back. Brian Ó Beaglaoich was booked for a late hit on Andrew Murnin. Ciaran Mackin made it his business to hit him back. There was a dead-even split on the yellow cards. If anything, Armagh’s aggression was a problem rather than the solution. Kerry’s opening score came from a sloppy Ciaran Mackin tackle. Blaine Hughes then took too long over a kickout for a tap-over free and Connaire Mackin fouled Diarmuid O’Connor for a third.
The problem for Armagh wasn’t brawn, it was brain. None of the half-time metrics suggested a team that was lacking in fight.
At half-time, Armagh had 18 phases, 17 of which were predominately through-the-hands attacks. Kerry had 22 phases, half of them were mainly kicking moves. There was no shortage of supply to their attack. David Clifford had six shots from play alone. He scored 10 points in total and assisted 1-1.
Andrew Murnin had a single shot from play. Conor Turbitt didn’t have one. Ciaran Mackin did, dropping a shot short for a move that led to Kerry’s penalty. Aidan Forker had an effort and dropped it short too. They have scored just four goals in six league games.
In recent years, they were able to demonstrate admirable creativity in their controlled buildup. Now the game has changed.
Consider the play that led to Kerry’s second goal. Shane Ryan went long with his kickout, Oisin O’Neill won the break. Armagh kept the ball for almost 90 seconds before Mackin’s short attempt. It took Kerry 12 seconds to reach the other end. Joe O’Connor kicked to Dylan Geaney, he kicked to David Clifford who fed an onrushing Micheál Burns and all Oisin Conaty could do was foul him. Paudie Clifford slotted the spot-kick.
When this sharp management ticket study this tape, they will see analytical shortcomings all over. Burns first point stemmed for an Armagh sideline. Dylan Geaney misdirected a pass, but David Clifford immediately summoned a full-court press. Blaine Hughes, a late change for Ethan Rafferty, did not come out to take it and Armagh coughed up the ball cheaply. With 46 minutes played, they were 13 points down yet continued to sit deep and let Kerry patiently take time off the clock, before Gavin White eventually set up Paudie Clifford for a simple score.
Their approach to the kickout was also detrimental. At the break, Kerry had won just three of their seven kickouts. All of them were long. Armagh went long 12 times on their own, winning eight. The issue is that they tried to go short six times as well, lost four to concede 1-3.
Dylan Geaney’s goal was the result of a failed short restart, picked off by David Clifford. The Dingle man intercepted one of his own on the other side of the arc for a Clifford free. There have undeniably been environments that called for a short and controlled approach. This was not one of them.
It should be noted that there is plenty of mitigation for the final result. McGeeney was down heavy-hitters like Aaron McKay, Niall Grimley, Ross McQuillan and Rian O’Neill. The way they previously played served them well in 2024 and the no side is greater impacted by the recent introduction of the 4v3 structure. They also have the acumen and personnel to evolve.
Kerry, meanwhile, can take comfort in a enormous total with 79% conversion and no two-pointers. Joe O’Connor was terrific in a new-look wing-forward slot, Tony Brosnan brought a profitable punch from the bench and O’Connor’s injury could have consequences for all of that.
This summer, both teams could end up referencing this March day as a crucial juncture. For better or for worse.
D. Clifford 0-10 (7 frees) , D. Geaney 1-1, P. Clifford 1-2 (1-0 pen), T. Brosnan 0-3, S. O’Brien, M. Burns, J. O’Connor, J. Foley, P. Geaney 0-1 each.
R. Grugan 0-7 (4 free), O. O’Neill 0-4 (1 tpf, 1 f), S. Campbell 0-2, C. Turbitt (free), O. Conaty, A. Murnin, J. Og Burns 0-1 each.
S. Ryan; P. Murphy, J. Foley, D. Casey; G. White, M. Breen, B. Ó Beaglaoich; D. O’Connor, S. O’Brien; M. Burns, P. Clifford, J. O’Connor; P. Geaney, D. Clifford, D. Geaney.
T. Brosnan for D. Geaney (48), G. O’Sullivan for Ó Beaglaoich (57), C. Geaney for Burns (61), R. Murphy for O’Connor, K. Spillane for Geaney (66).
B. Hughes; P McGrane, B. McCambridge, P. Burns; C. Mackin, G. McCabe, A. Forker; O. O’Neill, J. Og Burns; C. Mackin, R. Grugan, D. McMullan; C. Turbitt, A. Murnin, O. Conaty.
B. Crealey for Murnin (10-14, Temp), B. Crealey for Connaire Mackin (32), S. Campbell for Forker (half-time), S. McPartlan for Turbitt (51), J. Hall for McMullan (55), J. McElroy for Mackin (63).
C. Lane (Cork).
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