Numbers Game

PRIMARY POSSESSION

Overall Kerry: 32 from 58, with 8 uncontested, 55% Own kick-outs: 16 from 20, 9 from 11 first half, 7 from 9 second half, 80% Individual Kerry: Jack Barry 7 (4 marks, 2 breaks, 1 short kick-out); Paul Murphy 6 (1 break, 5 shor t kick-outs); David Moran 4 (1 mark, 1 break, 2 shor t kick-outs); Seán O’Shea 4 (4 breaks); Tadhg Morley 3 (1 mark, 2 breaks); Barry John Keane 2 (1 clean catch, 1 break); Ronan Shanahan 1 (1 break); Gavin White 1 (1 break); Micheál Burns 1 (1 break); Paul Geaney 1 (1 break); 2 sideline balls Overall Clare: 26 from 58, with 6 uncontested, 45% Own kick-outs: 22 from 38, 12 from 19 first half, 10 from 19 second half, 58%

Individual Clare: Gary Brennan 4 (3 marks, 1 break); Cathal O’Connor (3 marks, 1 break); Cian O’Dea 4 (1 mark, 3 shor t kick-outs); Pearse Lillis (1 mark, 2 breaks); Jamie Malone 3 (1 mark, 2 breaks); Kieran Malone 2 (1 break, 1 shor t kick-outs); Conal Ó hÁinféin 2 (1 free, 1 shor t kick-out); Eoghan Collins 1 (1 shor t kick-out); Aaron Fitzgerald 1 (1 break); Eoin Cleary 1 (1 break); 1 sideline ball

The thing that struck you on Sunday about Kerry’s performance was its lethal efficiency and that efficiency is certainly backed up by the stats.

It was cer tainly a case of waste not want not when it came to Kerry’s restarts. The Kingdom managed to retain a mammoth 80% of their own kick-outs as keeper and half-backs, midfielders and half-forwards worked in unison. We can only recall one kick-out that malfunctioned – one went out over the stand side end line in the second half – but other than that Kerry were completely on their game.

Shane Murphy will probably have more testing days than the one he had against the Banner, but for a debut championship performance neither he nor his manager could have asked for better.

At midfield, meanwhile, Jack Barry had a whale of a game. The Na Gaeil man managed to claim seven kick-outs – three of those against the head on Clare restar ts – including four marks. Remember too that this is a highly rated Clare midfield and while they star ted like a house on fire – Gary Brennan and Cathal O’Connor claimed four marks (two each) inside the opening fifteen minutes – Kerry soon got on top of them in that department – you could see Kerry forwards really pressuring Eamonn Tubridy’s restarts after placed balls.

Up front Kerry were hugely efficient also. By our tally they conver ted 76% of the chances they created, but that includes two half chances of goals for David Clifford. Being generous and taking those out and Kerry’s rate of return goes up to 80%. That’s an absolutely brilliant return. Kerry didn’t drop a single shot short in the game.

All of this is set against the fact that Clare were dreadfully poor. That said you have to give credit where credit is due, to these Kerry players and their management team for a job well done.

On Sunday Kerry restricted the Banner to twenty fewer chances than they created themselves and allowed them to take just 45% of those. That suggests not only that Kerry’s midfield were on top – as weknowtheywere–butthat Kerry’s defensive structure is much improved.

Given that Kerry have coughed up a lot of goal scoring chances of late it’ll come as a relief that Clare managed just one shot at goal – late in the first half – and that was dragged wide by Keelan Sexton under pressure.