It’s now or never for this Kerry team

Timmy Sheehan runs the rule over this Sunday’s clash of football’s big two and argues that Kerry will need to produce something special

IT’S a game Kerry have been looking forward to for all of twelve months. When Kerry lose an All Ireland final, especially to Dublin, the inquests last long into the winter and form the basis for assessing Kerry’s chances for the forthcoming season, along with, providing the necessary motivation to go one better next time round.

Kerry top the Roll of Honour with thirty seven titles, followed by Dublin with twenty five, three of which were won in the last five years. Between them, they have won just four titles less than all of the other counties put together.

In soccer parlance, this is Barcelona versus Real Madrid, and, given the level of Mayo’s performance in last weekend’s semi-final, many are of the opinion that the winners of Sunday’s clash will ultimately be walking up the steps of the Hogan Stand to collect Sam Maguire on September 18.

So, as always a Kerry / Dublin fixture will capture the full attention of the sporting public with opinions divided as to who will progress. From the outset of this year’s campaign Dublin have been considered as the overwhelming favourites in this year’s championship.

They’ve even been seen by some as a team capable of maybe beating the rest of the country put together, even drawing comparisons with Mick O’Dwyer’s Dream Team.

I don’t think they are in any way comparable to that particular squad, and one would question how would the current Dublin fullback line have coped with Sheehy, Liston, and Egan at their peak, a trio comparable to Messi, Suarez and Neymar.

That’s not to say that the present Dublin side aren’t a quite accomplished combination, they certainly are, but they aren’t unbeatable, as some might suggest, even if that opinion is largely expressed outside the confines of the Kingdom.

Kerry believe that they can always win football matches and those famous wins in 1955, 1975, and 1978 are always recalled as indicators in terms of what Kerry are capable of doing when they are underdogs and Dublin are being talked up as the aristocrats of the game.

Certainly, the Dubs will carry the favourites’ tag into this particular contest and with some justification given that they have beaten Kerry twice in All-Ireland finals and once in a semi-final since 2011 and repeated the feat in this year’s National League final.

One cannot really recall a period in history during which Dublin have enjoyed so much dominance over Kerry in championship football. Maybe the ’76 final and the ’77 semi-final, but Kerry turned the corner in ’78 and never looked back, winning seven titles in a nine-year span.

Dublin’s current run of success certainly breeds confidence and belief and in last year’s All-Ireland final, they looked like the side who were always looking more likely to succeed, even if, Kerry on reflection might rue some of their selection and substitution decisions.

Three points isn’t in any game a substantial margin and Kerry did have a goal chance at quite a critical juncture, and maybe were denied also of a penalty. So, Kerry will feel that they are well capable of bridging the gap, given that Dublin have lost the services of both Rory O’Carroll and Jack McCaffrey while a doubt still remains over the availability of James McCarthy.

Key to the outcome might well be team selection and match ups which now form so much part of

the modern game. It’s all about strategies and game plans, or so we are led to believe.

Dublin, however, don’t do dummy teams, their selections being pretty predictable, apart from maybe a few decisions like for like. McAuley or Bastick in midfield, whether to start McManaman or keep him in reserve, equally Paddy Andrews.

If McCarthy doesn’t play, Kilkenny will revert to a defensive role where he is extremely comfortable and influential. Unlike Kilkenny in hurling, Dublin don’t really spring a player from nowhere and include him in the starting line up.

Kerry, by contrast, have everybody speculating as to what the starting fifteen will be. We all heard about the goalkeeping situation, and maybe Bryan Sheehan was considered as an option, given that kick outs, or restarts as they are currently more commonly known, are now seen as a significant factor.

Frees and ‘45s also and, indeed, Cluxton’s influence in all of these particular aspects has been a major factor in his side’s success. However, I would be pretty certain that’s it’s going to be a straight choice between Brendan Kealy and Brian Kelly.

Midfield is another sector which is the subject of much speculation. Will Mark Griffin and Donnchadh Walsh operate in this area with Kieran Donaghy operating inside, even alongside David Moran, which would be a return to the twin towers which featured in the 2008 All-Ireland defeat to Tyrone?

Meeting people, all of these issues have been speculated upon, because when Kerry meet Dublin every angle where a decisive edge can be gained is deliberated upon, maybe a bit too much, because football, despite all of the analysis which surrounds pre and postmatch, is still a simple game.

Pace is seen as a prerequisite in the modern game, and it is one of Dublin’s principal attributes. But, as Andy Moran proved in Mayo’s semi-final win, the basic skills are still very much part and parcel of a winning combination and Kerry are loaded in this respect with James O’Donoghue, Paul Geaney and Colm Cooper.

Equally Dublin with Diarmuid Connolly, Bernard Brogan and Ciarán Kilkenny.

But if one is to assess the outcome, which is pretty difficult to say the very least, one feels that goals will be decisive. One apiece in the 2011 final, Dublin’s being extremely decisive, with the issue delicately poised.

Three apiece in the 2013 semi-final, two for Dublin in the dying minutes which swung the tie decisively in their favour.

Three for Donegal in the 2014 semi-final with Dublin failing to raise a green flag, meant that the defending champions made their exit at the penultimate stage and, of course, Donaghy’s match winner in that year’s final against Donegal.

So, if Kerry are to upset the odds they will probably need to score goals, and, be in front, going into the final fifteen minutes, because one of Dublin’s greatest strengths is their ability to finish with a scoring flourish exemplified so clearly in this year’s National League final.

The general opinion of Kerry’s chances here in the county is pretty divided.

Push up on Cluxton’s kick-outs and pepper their full-back line with deliveries is seen by some as the recipe for success. Others are extremely concerned with Dublin’s pace, and power running from back to front.

Despite their current domination, Dublin, will obviously be mindful of the threat Kerry possess in attack along with the benefits, which tradition brings to the wearers of a Green and Gold jersey.

One thing which can be said with real certainty is that in Kerry / Dublin games nobody really knows how events will ultimately transpire. Games such as this provide stakes which are much higher than, any other fixture.

Kerry will need to produce something special, something different to overturn recent results between the sides and it’s certainly not beyond their capabilities if they fire on all cylinders for the duration.

It’s not going to be easy, it never is when these two superpowers collide.