The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Were you not entertained?
Expert analysis from All-Ireland winner Sean O’Sullivan Twitter: @SeanTheBawn
AS I stood in Croke Park on Sunday watching the Dublin and Fermanagh teams go through their respective warm ups ahead of their quarter-final the grumbling had already started around me.
Supporters from all the counties involved in the day’s double header expressed their upset and disappointment at what they had just witnessed in the seventy minutes of football between Kerry and Kildare.
‘Very one sided’, ‘boys versus men’, ‘gulf in class’ were some of the sound bites going up and down the rows of the lower Hogan Stand. One part of me had to agree of course but another part of me was irked. We should have been applauding the winners for their superior skill, fitness and all round game rather than pick holes, glaring as they might be, in the opposition.
It reminded me of that famous scene in Gladiator in which Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, defeats several enemies in a gladiator pit and dramatically exclaims ‘Are you not entertained?’ ‘Is this not why you are here?’
Kerry had ruthlessly done what the whole of the country had expected them to do and gave a very clear signal of intent.
From the word go it was clear that Eamonn Fitzmaurice had his charges really tuned in. The Finuge man does not do complacency. Kerry were raging hot favourites for this one even though Kildare had promised so much more after an impressive victory over Cork.
Jason Ryan’s men were never given even a glint of light at the end of the tunnel by a group of Kerry players, who, on this evidence, are just peaking nicely ahead of a semi-final at the end of the month.
They simply dominated every sector of the pitch and when a team of that class and potency gets a run on you especially in a wide open arena like that it can feel like the loneliest place in the world.
It helped Kerry’s cause greatly that Kildare more or less threw in the towel after Donnchadh Walsh finished his and Kerry’s first goal to the net on the second attempt. Some might argue they had given up the ghost before that. They just could not live with what Kerry brought to the table and looked out on their feet before the half-time whistle.
Time and time again Kerry players just blew past their opposing marker. Take for instance Stephen O’Brien. He had a field day. He got on loads of ball, faced his man up every time and just went for the jugular. He ended up with 1-4 from play which on any other day would have been a healthy tally.
Darran O’Sullivan and Barry John Keane, who both came on as subs, helped themselves to 2-1 and 1-3 respectively in what turned into a free for all for the Kerry forwards.
O’Brien’s goal typified the difference between the type of defending and pressure we faced Sunday and what we will come up against in the last four. He just breezed past his man and put on the after burners to finish to the net. Will we get it as easy against Monaghan or Tyrone?
There were positive performances all over the field for Kerry but it was that type of day. David Moran and Anthony Maher once again set the tone around the middle. They had their homework done, as did the management, on Cribbin and Moolick and never let them settle. Tommy Walsh was introduced late on and showed some spectacular fielding that may come in handy before the season is out.
At the back we were rarely troubled with Shane Enright and Paul Murphy snuffing out any real threat from Kildare’s two main men Niall Kelly and Alan Smith. Up front it was a joy to watch at times.
Colm Cooper came in from the start in place of Kieran Donaghy and looked like a man who is more at home on that field than he is in his front room! He knows the angles, the bounce of the ball and as the old saying goes, the goalposts don’t move! Gooch will take huge confidence from the game whilst knowing that there are tougher tests ahead.
Darran also showed that he might have finally put those injuries behind him. He arrowed through the Kildare back line like a gazelle and had the cool head to slip Colm in for a simple tap in. He helped himself to two goals as well that must feel like a great reward after a few frustrating seasons. What a weapon Fitzmaurice now has at his disposal if he wants to spring him from the bench.
I suppose the only downer on a very good day was the injury to James O’Donoghue. He had looked really sharp before he seemed to hurt his shoulder so that will be a concern until scans reveal the full extent of the damage.
Kerry would have preferred a better test at this stage of the year and that test is only around the corner. Until then though we should stand back and admire how they went about their business on Sunday. They were ruthless, efficient and powerful.
A bit like gladiators I suppose and I, for one, was entertained.
David Moran and Anthony Maher once again set the tone around the middle. They had their homework done