EAMON: IT MAY BE WILD

KERRY boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice is gearing up for a “helter-skelter” return to Pairc Ui Chaoimh for this evening’s Munster final.

It’s the first football Championship match to be played at the revamped ground as underdogs Cork bid to turn the tables on their arch rivals, who are bidding for a Munster six-in-a-row for the first time since 1980.

“A Kerry-cork Munster final, there is a special feel about it,” said Fitzmaurice (above). “There always is. It’s like all sports. Regardless of where a Liverpool or Man United are at at a given time, when they play each other in a derby game, it is always going to be helter-skelter and it is always going to be a tight game. I am expecting the same. They’re a bit under the radar but I can definitely see signs of a lot of progress from last year.

“It is the first Munster final they’ve had down there against us. It is our first time going down there in four years.

“There is a special feel about it. If we are going to win, we have to go up and we have to perform and perform close to the top of our ability. If we don’t, we will be beaten.

“We know that ourselves and we’ve shown it plenty of times, we’ve shown it during the League that when we are on and play well, we’re capable of delivering big performances, but when we’re off, we can be poor.

“We need to bring it and we need to play.” VERDICT: Kerry