Juniors Croke Park date with Mayo for AllIreland title

Jason O’Connor looks ahead to Saturday’s AllIreland Junior Football Final that sees another hotly anticipated Kerry versus Mayo meeting in Croke Park

WHILE it was a campaign that could have just as easily finished before it started, the Kerry Juniors have made it back to an All-Ireland Final for the second consecutive year with arguably a bigger reward for their efforts with a trip to GAA Headquarters for the decider on this occasion. They are also facing the county they defeated in their last All-Ireland success at this level back in 2012 in Mayo. This will be a more difficult assignment than Ennis of that year however as it is as good as home advantage for Mayo in that it will be played as a prelude to their senior team’s All-Ireland quarter-final with Donegal. Kerry will be outnumbered in terms of supporters but it won’t be the first time this team has faced adversity throughout their campaign.

Remember it was looking likely that the team would have to contend with a round of County League fixtures with their clubs the night before their first encounter with Tipperary. Common sense prevailed and it didn’t come to such a scenario and the performance on the day against the Premier County spoke of a side all the better for being fully rested and focussed on the task of making it back to the Munster Final. The provincial decider was a strange one in going up by five points so quickly and then being so rugged for the rest of the first period in finding themselves three points down at the break. The second-half performance was flawless and spoke volumes of a side able to dig themselves out of a hole when all seems to be going against them. The situation was far graver against Wexford in being five points down at more critical juncture of proceedings in Dungarvan but once again characters and leaders emerged That’s the impressive thing about this Junior side so far. Any day a player he been having an off day another he

emerged to rescue matters and it has kept everyone on their toes in terms of their starting place with management also proving they are not afraid to make changes when needed. One of the peculiarities of this competition is that Mayo practically had half their campaign played a month before Kerry even started as the Connacht Championship was concluded by the middle of May, with Sligo and Galway accounted for by the Westerners.

A novel semi-final with British Champions Kilkenny two weeks ago saw them reach the Final and while match sharpness is arguably in the favour of the Kingdom, one shouldn’t dismiss the Mayo challenge especially with the advantages in their favour in terms of Saturday’s surrounds. The opportunity to play in Croke Park will never be shunned by any Kerry side in any circumstances and on the evidence of the forward play seen in their three games so far, it should lend itself to the team’s strengths.

The sooner Kerry settle the better for their chances but once they focus on what happens between the white lines and not the lack of cheers from the crowd then a 16th title at this level should be secured.

Brendan O’Sullivan in action against Alan O’Riordan, Tipperary, in the Munster JFC semi-final in Thurles

Conor Cox in action against Cork’s Darren Murphy in the Munster JFC final in Pairc Ui Rinn

Kerry’s Tadhg Morley and Wexford’s Donal Shanley in action in the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship semi-final in Dungarvan