Numbers Game

PRIMARY POSSESSION

Overall Kerry: 24 from 58, with 6 uncontested, 41% Own puck-outs won: 17 from 22, 10 from 13 first half, 7 from 9 second half, 77%

Individual Kerry: Brandon Barrett 5 (2 catches, 3 breaks); Mikey Boyle 3 (1 catch, 1 break, 1 shor t puck-out); John Buckley 2 (2 shor t puck-outs); Bryan Murphy 2 (2 short puck-outs); Tomás O’Connor 2 (2 breaks); Brendan O’Leary 2 (1 catch, 1 break); Seán Weir (1 short puck-out); Dáithí Griffin 1 (1 catch); Pádraig Boyle 1 (1 break); Colum Har ty 1 (1 break); Daniel O’Carroll 1 (1 break); Barry Mahony 1 (1 break); 2 sideline balls

Overall Meath: 34 from 58, with 20 uncontested, 59% Own puck-outs won: 29 from 36, 11 from 16 first half, 18 from 20 second half, 81%

Individual Meath: James Toher 5 (1 catch, 2 breaks, 2 shor t puck-outs); Stephen Morris 5 (5 shor t puck-outs); Niall Weir 4 (4 shor t puck-outs); Seán Geraghty 3 (3 shor t puck-outs); Shane Brennan 3 (1 break, 2 shor t puck-outs); Darragh Kelly 2 (2 shor t puck-outs); Damien Healy 2 (1 break, 1 shor t puck-out); James Kelly 2 (1 catch, 1 break); Alan Douglas 2 (1 catch, 1 shor t puck-out); Joe Keena 1 (1 break); Paddy Connelly 1 (1 break); Cathal McCabe 1 (1 catch); Eoin Marsh 1 (1 catch); 2 sideline balls

SCORING CHANCES CONVERTED

For the second week in-a-row Kerry ceded the puck-outs to their opponents, especially so in the second half. It’s obviously a deliberate ploy by Fintan O’Connor and co.

They seem quite happy to allow the opposition to take the ball out of defence – out of the 34 puck outs Meath won on Sunday 20 of those were won shor t on their own puck-out – and instead focus on shoring up the Kingdom in and around the half-back line. It seems to be working a treat with Mikey Boyle providing real leadership there again this round.

Alongside Boyle young Tomás O’Connor seems to be really coming into his own – he won two breaks against the head in the first half, which was probably a factor in Meath keeper Shane McGann opting for more shor t-pucks outs the longer the game progressed.

So, while Meath did win majority of the primary possession available, they weren’t able to do as much with it as Kerry were. Kerry created fourteen more chances in the game despite ostensibly winning less primary ball. Out of 41% of the puck-outs, Kerry crafted 61% of the chances in the game and, as one would expect given the finishing margin, Kerry converted a much higher percentage of their chances.

Interestingly both sides struggled somewhat with the breeze at their backs. In the first half Meath pucked a not inconsiderable eight wides, while in the second Kerry went one worse with nine. It was obviously a tricky, swirling breeze, but it does seem as though there’s a temptation to shoot from distance with the breeze in a way players wouldn’t under more placid circumstances.

When it works obviously that’s great and can result in some spectacular scores – Mar tin Stackpoole firing over a free from his own half of the pitch for example – but it can obviously result in a higher wide count.

A big plus for Kerry to come out of Sunday’s games was their brilliant discipline in the first half when the game was still very much in the melting pot. In the first half Kerry conceded just three frees and the first of those came a remarkable twenty four minutes into the game (and that one was for a technical offence).

With the brilliant young Jack Regan on the frees for Meath, Kerry were obviously on guard and unwilling to give away easy scores to the Royals.