Kerry U20s start title hunt against Limerick
MUNSTER UNDER-20 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL
SO after all the talk about who can’t play for the Kerry Under 20s this year, let’s get down to those who can. Goalkeeping choices would appear to be between last year’s Minor and Under-17 sides as Deividas Uosis of Dingle and Brian Lonergan of Ballymacelligott are the two goalkeepers being considered for selection by the Under 20s.
Uosis won the Minor All-Star for goalkeeper last year despite featuring outfield for Pobalscoil Corcha Dhuibhne in their run to a Hogan Cup semi-final. Elsewhere it is mainly players who featured in Kerry’s Minor success of 2016 that feature prominently in this year’s panel.
Kieran Dwyer, Niall Collins, Chris O’Donoghue, Stefan Okunbor, Micheal Reidy, Micheal Foley, Michael Potts, David Naughton and Dan O’Brien are likely to be considered as defensive options alongside 2017 Minors Sean O’Leary, Eddie Horan and Patrick Warren, with An Ghaeltacht’s Peter Paul Sauerland another option for the set-up.
Midfield might well consist of Na Gaeil’s Diarmuid O’Connor and Rathmore’s Mark Ryan who played big parts in the 2017 and
2016 All-Ireland wins respectively, with Beaufort’s Mike Breen another option.
Dromid Pearses Graham O’Sullivan has featured further up the pitch in his time with the club but 2016 All-Ireland Final man-of-the-match Dara Moynihan and Dr Crokes’ David Shaw will be the two main forwards to look out for this year in the absence of Seán O’Shea and David Clifford.
Brian Friel, Brian Sweeney and Cormac Linnane were other forwards to feature in 2016 as another Minor All-Star in Kilgarvan’s Donal Down O’Sullivan and Laune Rangers Fiachra Clifford tasted Tommy Markham success with Kerry last year.
Glenbeigh / Glencar’s Caoilm Teahan is another likely to feature in the panel as team selector Eamon Whelan feels the timing of this year’s championship is better if not necessarily perfect.
“I don’t think there is an ideal time to play this grade really and I know the issues of club games and exams are not exclusive to us but one week later of a start would have made a huge difference to us considering the eight Leaving Certs we have in the panel,” the County Board Development Officer.
Whelan said that the players concerned are not training at present with the side at the management’s behest so as to allow them focus on their exams but in the build-up third level players were harder to bring together during May Whelan felt.
“The different universities starting their exams at different times has been an issue, if they were all done in the same time frame it would be much easier to work around. However, once we get going it will be fairly intense as it is week-on-week if you keep winning,” the St Senans clubman said.
On the issue of Clifford and O’Shea not being able to play with the set-up, Whelan says it’s something that he has mixed views on, although he does see their instant senior elevation as a compliment to the county’s underage system and the success it has recently enjoyed.
“The ruling made at national level disappoints me in terms of players not being able to follow on in the grade with players they have played with up along, but at local level I think we made the right ruling as they are certainly two players capable of playing at senior level,” he said of the situation.
Even though a lot of the present Under-20 panel would include players the management wouldn’t have worked with at Minor level due to their moving up to the old Under-21 grade for 2016, Whelan says the 2016 and 2017 minors going all the way like the 2014 and 2015 teams they had gives them plenty to assess in terms of deciding on a definitive panel.
“It’s tricky because this is in the main a developmental competition to bridge the gap between minor and senior level, but it’s not necessarily a level playing field because of the ban on being involved in both this and a senior set-up.
“We’ve a tough balancing act really in trying to develop enough players capable of playing senior for Kerry in a couple of years while also trying to go on and win it with what we have.”
That debate aside there is the challenge of what is in front of them in Newcastle West on Friday night. Without Josh Ryan, Limerick are somewhat hindered but the tight confines of Newcastle West as a venue, coupled with the knowledge of Kerry through their management team of Martin Horgan and Liam Brosnan will provide an interesting examination of the Under 20s from the off.
Verdict: Kerry