'No energy, intensity or aggression': Kerry boss Jack O’Connor bemoans lacklustre effort in Meath defeat

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor before the game. Picture: Tom Beary/Sportsfile

Jack O’Connor wasn’t hiding from the fact that this was a miserable Kerry performance against Meath as they surrendered their automatic All-Ireland quarter-final spot.

“It’s a chastening experience,” he opened. “We were very flat, and lacking energy, so we have to figure out where that came from.

“Compared to the second half above in Cork, this was night and day. Meath had all the energy and the aggression, and we were passive. It’s back to the drawing board.

“We won’t be making those excuses. We were just way off it today, and Meath were deserving winners. The conditions just exacerbated the fact that they were hungrier than us, and there was a lot of breaking ball, and we came out second best there.” 

O’Connor bemoaned Kerry’s inability to retain their restarts as the primary reason behind their defeat. 

“We couldn’t win our own kick-out. That’s the bottom line. If you don’t have the ball, it doesn’t matter what forwards you have. We just couldn’t win the breaking ball, and it was mostly breaking ball.

“We were still clutching at straws a bit (even at 0-16 to 0-14). We weren’t in control of the game, and they were getting breakaways, and they looked dangerous on the break.

Seán Rafferty of Meath is tackled by Graham O'Sullivan of Kerry. Picture: Tom Beary/Sportsfile

“We pushed on there for maybe 15 or 20 minutes of the second half, but we basically just couldn’t get to grips with the kick-outs. That’s where the game was won and lost.” 

Meath kicked four-pointers as they added Kerry to their list of scalps, which includes Dublin in their Leinster semi-final. 

“It isn’t as if we hadn’t that flagged because the day that they beat Dublin, they feasted on two-pointers. They have the kickers to kick those. They’re a good, young team, they’re full of energy, and they deserved their win.” 

Compounding Kerry’s injury list, O’Connor revealed Seán O’Shea was a late withdrawal with a hamstring strain. 

“Seán’s hamstring was tight, but we’re hoping he will be ok for next week. Look, we’ll have a look at fellas during the week, there are a couple of fellas that aren’t a million miles off it, but we won’t play any injured players. If they’re not right, they’re not right.” 

Looking ahead to next weekend’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final expected to take place in Killarney, O’Connor hopes his team can wash this display out of their systems.

“In many ways, we’re glad to have a game next week because, if you were two weeks thinking about that performance, it wouldn’t do anyone any good. That’s the only road we have left now, so we have to travel on that one. Hopefully, we can lift it for next week, and we will have to lift it, substantially.”