UNDER THE GUIDANCE of Eamonn Fitzmaurice, the Munster senior championship has been the stage for complete and utter dominance by Kerry.
Since taking charge for the start of the 2013 campaign, Kerry have strung together five successive titles with Fitzmaurice at the helm. He’s chasing a sixth successive triumph in Saturday’s final – Kerry’s last provincial six-in-a-row arrived in 1980 and they would add another two final successes to that, before Cork ended that winning streak in 1983.
The odds and opinion are squared firmly in Kerry’s favour before the latest instalment of their provincial final rivalry on Saturday night.
So what areas must Cork target in an attempt to break this cycle of Kerry dominance in Munster?
Competitive on the scoreboard
The most recent final between these counties and the last final between the pair in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, points to an obvious aim for Cork. It may sound simplistic but for Cork the starting point on Saturday is staying close to Kerry on the scoreboard for as long as possible.
In 2014 they trailed by eight points at half-time and were ten adrift by the 56th minute. Last July they were six behind at the midway mark of the first half, and while Cork cut the deficit to four by the interval, Kerry had an eight point cushion entering the last quarter. Staying competitive at the start and preventing Kerry from streaking clear must be a key objective.
Protect their full-back line
The wide prairies of space between the Cork full-back and half-back lines were ruthlessly exposed by Kerry in the opening period of the 2014 game, essentially ending the match as a contest. Kerry also found plenty room to manoeuvre in last summer and enter the game in a strong scoring mood after posting 0-32 against Clare.
It was notable against Tipperary that Cork worked hard on supporting their inside rearguard and shutting down those channels. Stephen Cronin dropped deep at times to double up on Michael Quinlivan, John O’Rourke swept around the half-back line while Ruairi Deane and Kevin O’Driscoll came deep to offer an outlet for possession.
Cork’s team selection indicates they will attempt to set up a defensive shield with a half-forward line of O’Driscoll, White and Deane equipped to aid their back line. Cork need a strong foundation for their challenge.
Scoring support for Connolly
The scoring options named on the bench for Cork are striking with Colm O’Neill, Paul Kerrigan and Brian Hurley hitting a combined haul of 1-3 during their different cameos against Tipperary. That trio have had their injury travails which means the spotlight from the start will fall on Luke Connolly.
He set the bar high by weighing in with 0-10 in the win over Tipperary, matching the tally he contributed against Kerry opposition when Nemo Rangers lifted the Munster club crown last November. Connolly has matured as a footballer to showcase his natural attacking ability.
His threat is well advertised now and Kerry will be mindful of quelling his influence. Connolly will aim to deliver yet Cork need to support him as well, whether it is Mark Collins or Sean White launching over from play, or to wheel scoring options off the bench as the game unfolds.
Keep a close eye on Geaney
Kerry have an array of forwards that can hurt Cork but with the expectation surrounding youngsters Sean O’Shea and David Clifford continuing to rise, and the focus on 2014 Footballer of the Year James O’Donoghue’s restoration to form and fitness, it is important to note just how much Paul Geaney has tended to influence these encounters.
He’s an unblemished record since his Munster senior bow for Kerry in 2014 and 2-12 in his four championship appearances against Cork, including Kerry’s only goal in the last two final wins over the Rebels.
Even when it wasn’t a traditional Munster final pairing, Geaney did the damage in hitting Tipperary for 2-3 in 2016 and sweeping up the man-of-the-match accolade. Cork will need to carefully police him.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
