An exciting summer
Seán O’Sullivan feels that Kerry are in a really good place after their stunning victory over the Banner in Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday
Eamonn Tubridy, Gordon Kelly, Cillian Brennan, Eoghan Collins, Cian O’Dea, Aaron Fitzgerald, Pearse Lillis (0-1), Gary Brennan, Cathal O’Connor, Kieran Malone, Eoin Cleary (0-5, 4f), Jamie Malone (0-2), Conal Ó hÁinféin, Keelan Sexton, David Tubridy (0-2, 1f) Gearóid O’Brien for K Malone, 44, Eimhín Courtney for D Tubridy, 50, Gavin Cooney for Sexton, 56, Eanna O’Connor for C Ó hÁinféin, 58, Conor Finucane for C O’Dea, 66
IN his post-match interview on Sunday, Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice spoke of how his players had been ‘chomping at the bit’ to get going in this season’s Championship.
After his side inflicted a twenty two-point demolition on Clare it’s fair to say that the men from the Banner were chomped, chewed up and spat out by a young, relentless and rampant Kerry team that has us all getting very excited about the summer ahead.
Yes, there will be bigger tests ahead and yes, the early exchanges saw our defence again a little off their men, but that was to be expected. Ten weeks is a long time to be without competitive action so ten minutes of feet finding is natural.
Once guys settled, especially our forward unit, the gulf in class became apparent. Gary Brennan who, along with Éoin Cleary, was Clare’s only bright spark, had started well on Jack Barry and was giving the Na Gaeil youngster a few problems. A quick switch by management saw David Moran pick up Brennan and cut off any bit of oxygen he had been supplying an already fairly lifeless Clare team.
Taking nothing away from Kerry, but Clare were awful. Where was this blossoming team that had got the better of Cork in the league? (What does that say about Cork by the way?) Where were the scoring forwards who had nearly shot them to Division 1 and who were going to test our debutants at the back?
A lot of talk had come out of Clare from former players and local media that their boys were coming to Killarney with a right good chance of pushing Kerry all the way. It was over as a contest 20 minutes in. Why?
Yes, Clare were bad. Apart from a decent start they failed to get to the pitch of the game, but that wasn’t their fault. Kerry took the pace up a few levels and challenged Clare to come with them.
It didn’t happen and was never going to happen. Not only could they not live with Kerry, they literally waved the white flag and I think that will be the hardest thing for Colm Collins to take.
Kerry, to their credit, were hell bent on putting down a marker on Sunday. Fitzmaurice and his management team have to be commended for a brave selection. He had a full deck to play with bar injury to Shane Enright and the not yet fit Donnchadh Walsh and Killian Young, yet he went for youth and inexperienced players.
That game, as one-sided as it was, will do them the world of good. That ‘championship debut’ weight is now firmly off their shoulders and they can look forward to a Munster final in three weeks. They all acquitted themselves well, but even in their young heads they will know the days will get tougher, opponents will get slicker.