Wicklow another tricky assignment for Kerry

IT would have been a lot more obvious to us what the Kingdom have to do over their remaining two games to qualify for the league final had the game between Offaly and Antrim (delayed owing to Storm Dennis) gone ahead last weekend.

A win for the Glensmen over the Faithful and a victory this weekend over Wicklow would have been enough to secure passage to the league final for Fintan O’Connor and co. As it stands it will probably go down to the final day against Antrim (and possibly even beyond).

Either way Kerry will need to secure the two points from Arklow this weekend so from that point of view it won’t effect this squad of players one way or another in the short term and looking ahead to that game it’s another the Kingdom should be winning.

As ever the proviso is that this doesn’t necessarily mean that they will. If they’re not on their game there’s a chance Kerry could slip up and drop points, but all things being equal they are a much more formidable force than Wicklow.

The Garden County did down Mayo in Castlebar last weekend – by three points, 1-16 to 1-13 – and ran Meath close earlier in the competition – losing out by three points in Páirc Táilteann – so they will be competitive.

“Nothing is straightforward especially with our lads because of travelling and all that,” O’Connor says.

“There’s never an easy, easy win. Even against Meath the other day we probably were four-nil up after fifteen minutes and we probably should have been eight-nil up and probably should have been over at half-time and we still found a way to make it hard on ourselves.

“We have to get better at being more clinical, being more ruthless when we’re on top, maybe put a team to the sword better, but we’ll get there.”

Kerry go into the game in a really good place, however, off the back of victories over Mayo, Offaly and last weekend against Meath in a potential banana skin fixture in Trim. That Kerry came through that – and something of a tempest in the east – is another big positive.

“It was miserable in fairness,” O’Connor explains.

“It was just so cold and wet and horrible to play hurling in, it was far from ideal hurling conditions so it was good to get a win on the road and hopefully the players are a little further along the way.”

Kerry were boosted by a return to action – albeit only in injury time at the end of the match – of Jason Diggins and look set to be further boosted by the return to action of the captain of the side, Bryan Murphy, this weekend.

“I’d be hoping Bryan is definitely back for this weekend,” O’Connor confirms.

“Daniel’s [Collins] knee is proving a bit slower than we thought and it might be maybe even the Antrim game or the league final maybe if we’re lucky to have him back for that. It’s kind of a contra balance in that Shane Nolan actually picked up a bit of a knock on his elbow so I’m not sure about him, but I’m hopeful Michael Slattery will be back for this weekend following his hamstring.

“Podge Boyle is also not available this weekend as well.”

Losing Boyle (and potentially Nolan) is real blow, but even so there should be more than enough talent in that Kerry squad to see off Wicklow. Kerry’s path to the final remains clear despite all the confusion. Just keep winning and they can’t be caught.