Lack of games ‘a disaster’ claims junior boss

KERRY junior boss Jimmy Keane has labelled it “a disaster of a situation” that the Kerry junior team and the Cork junior team will meet in tonight’s [Wednesday] Munster Final without either side having kicked a ball in anger in this year’s championship.

“It’s obviously a disaster of a situation,” the two time All Ireland winning manager told The Kerryman earlier this week.

“But it’s the same for Cork so we can’t complain about it in a sense going into this game, but from our own perspective it’s a total disaster. It was a great day out always, like last year we were above in Ennis and the guys got to play before the seniors at that stage always, which was a big day out and you were playing Limerick or you were playing Clare or whoever it was.

“Two years ago Limerick, behind in Killarney, we had to get a last minute goal to beat them, so you have to question the mentality of their county boards. They were that close to beating us, so in terms of development it’s a big step backwards for those counties, but I think a lot of it is financial that they just haven’t got the funding to be putting into a team and they don’t see a future for the competition of their own team.

“That’s why, but going back to us and Cork it’s not ideal by any manner or means, but it’s a level playing field.”

Keane named his team for tonight’s game on Monday evening, which is captained by Kilcummin’s Kieran Murphy (brother of Kerry senior captain Shane).

Kerry team to play Cork in the Munster Final: Dara Ó Sé (Ballydonoghue); Trevor Wallace (Ardfert); Dan Donoghue (Spa); Paul O’Sullivan (Valentia); Patrick Clifford (Templenoe); Andrew Barry (Na Gaeil); Sean Moloney (John Mitchels); Kieran Murphy (Kilcummin); Ronan Murphy (Beaufort); Evan Cronin (Spa); Paudie Clifford (Fossa); Lee Donoghue (Glenflesk); Thomas Hickey (Castleisland Desmonds); Dan Daly (St Mary’s); Niall Ó Sé (Dromid Pearses).