Local students should pose a tough test for weakened Kerry

MCGRATH CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND

KERRY IT TRALEE

V When: Saturday, January 5 Time: 2pm Where: Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney Referee: Keith O’Brien (Tipperary)

IN the greater scheme of things an opening day defeat for new Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice wouldn’t turn the sky dark and send the birds scurrying for the trees. Fitzmaurice will be judged - by himself and by others next September, not here in early January - but a McGrath Cup preliminary round defeat to the scholars of the local Institute of Technology would be a sobering introduction to his new job.

In all probability a Kerry defeat here shouldn’t happen but if ever there was a stage for David-like slayings of intercounty Goliaths then it is these pre-League provincial competitions.

For a start many of the dice are loaded in favour of the third-level institutes who compete in these competitions.

First, the colleges are training collectively since late September while the ban on inter-county training means that in Kerry’s case this year they have only be allowed to get together as a squad since December 8.

Then the colleges have first call on all their players; this means that any intercounty footballer who is enrolled in one of these competing third-level institutions is obliged to play with his place of study first. College before county is the motto of the McGrath Cup and its equivalent across the other three provinces.

And now, in Kerry’s case, Fitzmaurice is also short quite a number of senior players who would be asked to play their part in making Kerry competitive in this McGrath Cup.

With Dr Crokes, Finuge and Kenmare all preparing for All-Ireland Club semifinals coming up in the next few weeks the new manager is down some key players like Colm Cooper, Kieran O’Leary, the new team captain Eoin Brosnan, and his own club mate Paul Galvin.

Others unavailable through injury and for other reasons include Declan O’Sullivan, Bryan Sheehan, Aidan O’Mahony and Donnchadh Walsh, while Darran O’Sullivan will undergo a late fitness test this week to ascertain the extent of an injury he is nursing.

Anthony is committed to the replay of the North Kerry SFC final next weekend.

Brian McGuire and Peter Crowley are tied to their colleges, so all in all it leaves Fitzmaurice’s hand considerably weakened in terms of the team that played Donegal in last year’s All-Ireland quarterfinal. And while a Kerry team of that order shouldn’t be required to beat a decent but limited IT Tralee side, suddenly the county team manager isn’t far away from knocking on unfamiliar doors or considering bringing his own gear just in case.

Okay, so it’s not quite that bad. Tomas and Marc O Se will be there, as will Kieran Donaghy, but it’s not exactly as Fitzmaurice would like it.

He has managed to get Jack Sherwood’s release from the University of Limerick to play with Kerry in the McGrath Cup, while Dr Crokes (wisely one would think) have released Johnny Buckley, Fionn Fitzgerald and Brian Looney to the county team for the time being.

However, others that the management would like to take a closer look at - Mark Griffin from St Michaels/Foilmore and James Walsh of Knocknagoshel for example - will play for their colleges this weekend.

The management will hit on a panel of players for Saturday match after training tonight (Wednesday) after which it will become clearer how capable or otherwise a Kerry team will be of negotiating what should be a stern test from what will be a well prepared IT Tralee team.

With the O Se brothers along with Donaghy, Shane Enright, Jonathan Lyne, Mike O’Donoghue, Patrick Curtin, Mikey and Paul Geaney, there should be enough in reserve to ensure Fitzmaurice and his management team get off to a winning start.