The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Minors up against it in Pairc Uí Rinn
MUNSTER MFC SEMI-FINAL Cork v Kerry
IT all hangs in the balance once more for a Kerry minor football team as they enter another Munster semi-final with their whole year at stake and the fact it is Cork in Pairc Uí Rinn making it all the more difficult and intriguing.
Kerry have won the last two ‘all-or-nothing’ encounters between the sides at this stage back in 2008 and 2015, but there is a sense that this might be Cork’s best chance to get one over on the Kingdom after the last three All Ireland minor titles coming the county’s way.
First competitive outings are difficult to judge but the big margin the Rebels beat Tipperary by in the First Round indicates a side eager to claim a first piece of silverware at minor level since 2010.
Kerry did what they had to do against Clare, but there is a sense that much better is needed before they step into tonight’s cauldron and injuries have forced two changes upon Peter Keane with the injuries to defenders Sean O’Leary and Pa Warren. Cian Gammell of Legion replaces O’Leary in the full-back line while Niall Donohoe of Firies replaces Warren.
While Donohoe has experience of such a position playing with St Brendans College in their Hogan Cup success, Gammell operated more at midfield for the Sem this year despite having played corner-back in the 2016 Hogan Cup winning side.
In the forwards, team captain David Clifford moves out to centre-forward and Donnachadh O’Sullivan moves into the full-forward berth as Brian Friel and Donal O’Sullivan swap forward-lines and Fiachra Clifford also moves into right corner-forward.
Donal O’Sullivan was the most impressive performer in the Clare game but this will be a much bigger examination of the team’s credentials overall. Mark Cronin and Cillian Myers-Murray will be familiar to everyone who followed Colaiste Chriost Rí’s three game saga with Tralee CBS in the Corn Uí Mhuirí while Cathail O’Mahony, Damien Gore, Colm O’Callaghan and Kevin McMahon were on the Cork side who ran Kerry so close in last year’s decider.
In much the same way as Kerry fell victim to Cork for so many years at Under 21 level, the op- posite has been true at Minor level where the last time a Cork side beat Kerry was in the replay of the 2013 First Round encounter in Tralee.
This particular format has had Cork as arguably its biggest victims since the turn of the decade, three times in the last five years they have been beaten here by either Kerry or Tipperary while seeing both reach Croke Park thereafter.
There appears to be a purpose about them not just at minor level, but also in their Under 17 ranks, to redress the balance in the province this year although Kerry’s big advantage heading this would appear to be the big game experience of many of its players between All-Ireland Minor and Post-Primary success.
The close confides of Pairc Uí Rinn will create its own challenge, a Kerry minor team in 2008 that featured James O’Donoghue, Jonathan Lyne, Brian Kelly, Fionn Fitzgerald and Barry John Keane amongst its ranks did triumph in such a context nearly a decade ago, but these are different times and pressures with what the county’s revival at underage level has created about expectations at this level.
If Kerry are to win they need to be firm and decisive in the face of what is likely to be a ferocious challenge from the Rebels. Cork will feel on the law of averages they are due a victory at this level, but as Kerry know from Under 21 level, it doesn’t just happen automatically.
Kerry have game winners in both David Clifford and Donal O’Sullivan but it might be stopping Cork at the other end that will be key to the outcome as this looks a potent forward line for the Kerry defence to deal with.
It could go all the way, but Kerry’s nineteen match unbeaten run at minor level faces its greatest threat yet tonight.
Verdict: Cork