The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Nix feels O’Rahillys are moving in the right direction
LAST October Kerins O’Rahillys were the side to leave Fitzgerald Stadium regretting a poor start against Legion and the memory of that encounter was something Strand Road joint manager Morgan Nix said the Tralee side spoke of in advance today.
“Legion have beaten us regularly over the course of the last few years and that’s something we warned the players of in advance of today especially considering we were very poor against them in the Senior Club Championship back in April.
“I thought we used the breeze brilliantly with how we started and our backs did well in keeping their forwards having any impact on the game early on especially with James O’Donoghue out there playing today,” he said.
Indeed playing so well as a unit is something Nix is putting down to the squad gelling together much better.
“We had a good weekend together down at the Mick O’Dwyer tournament in Waterville and it’s great to have Tommy [Walsh] back fully with us. I thought David [Moran] and Barry John [Keane] got some valuable game time today in terms of Kerry and I suppose the one thing we can take out of today is that we can’t afford to take our foot off the pedal with how Legion came back at us towards the end.
“We probably should have won by more but that’s something to work on ahead of the quarter-finals especially with the calibre of teams we are likely to face.”
Legion manager Kieran Cronin, meanwhile, admitted that the Killarney side’s start in Fitzgerald Stadium was simply not good enough.
“It’s not the level you need for championship and slow starts and good finishes appear to be the pattern in our games at the moment and it’s something that we really have to try and rectify.
“O’Rahillys really hit form today with the way they moved the ball but we didn’t put in the tackles we needed to in order to stop them and that’s why it probably looked so easy for them.
“We did show some character in the second half which I was pleased with when the lads could have easily put their heads down and walked out the gate,” he said.
Cronin agreed it was very disappointing for the side to be knocked out at this campaign after going so close last year, but it’s an experience Legion are going to have to learn from.
“If you are not at full tilt in either the championship or Division 1 you are punished and the lads will have to keep putting in the same sacrifices and effort if we are to get out of the situation that we are in Division 1 now.
“It’s not easy to prepare fully when you have four players in the senior Kerry panel but we still have to keep working away nonetheless. The one thing we do have is the O’Donoghue Cup [East Kerry Championship], which will be a realistic target for us later in the year when we have our full panel back again.”
If you are not at full tilt in either the championship or Division 1 you are punished – Kieran Cronin