1. Kerry pushed to the limit
It wasn’t the first time this Kerry group have stared at an interval deficit against Ulster opponents at half-time in an All-ireland semi-final. Four years ago they were four points down at the break, Tyrone having dictated the first-half terms of engagement. Kerry figured out a way to win that day, transforming the game with their second-half showing.
The parallels with yesterday’s semi-final are easy to draw. Trailing 1-11 to 1-8 at the interval, they outscored Derry 0-9 to 0-4 afterwards. The shift in scoring was underpinned by the attacking brilliance of David Clifford and Seán O’Shea, how the pressure intensified on the Derry kickout in the closing stages and the greater success the Kerry rearguard enjoyed in closing those gaps that had been too readily apparent in the opening period.
If Kerry’s season has seen them blitz a series of opponents in Munster, while also cruising past Louth and Tyrone, it is in those tougher tests where they have learned most. Their poorest showing was against Mayo in Killarney but they have rebounded. The game smarts to survive down the stretch against Cork were replicated this time against Derry.
Kerry’s last three All-Ireland semi-final success – Tyrone 2019, Dublin 2021 and Derry 2022 – have been by an aggregate margin of six points. That demonstrates how they have become a team with the know-how to get the job done when pushed to the limit.
2. Derry’s huge regrets
When Derry left Croke Park last year after the All-Ireland semi-final they could have had little cause for complaint. They were soundly defeated by Galway, only posting a meagre total of 1-6 on the scoreboard. The approach that saw them claim the Ulster title had failed to work on the national last four stage.
But yesterday was different. They arrived armed with ambition. It took them 25 minutes to match the entire tally they had registered in the 2022 semi-final. Their first-half attacking play was a joy to watch – clever angles of running and stylish point-taking. They were still two to the good with five minutes left and then Kerry overtook them with a closing kick for the line that Derry could not match.
It is an outcome that will spark huge regrets. There will be frustration over Joe McQuillan’s decisions, particularly the free awarded for a foul on Stephen O’Brien that saw Kerry end an 18-minute barren scoring spell. But also frustration over Derry’s own mistakes. In that middle phase of the second half, after they looked to have weathered the Kerry post-interval storm, Derry missed chances to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Gareth McKinless was denied a goal by a superb Shane Ryan save. Ciarán McFaul, Niall Loughlin and Ethan Doherty all kicked wides, Lachlan Murray saw his shot blocked down. Derry only scored a single point after the 59th minute and that was an overcooked Shane McGuigan free late on as he sought to drop the ball into the square. To compound matters Derry’s kickout unravelled at an inopportune time and after a terrific display, they were left with the sinking feeling that a big opportunity had been missed.
3. Impact of the benches
Both the Derry and Kerry panels have faced major question marks this year. With the prize of an All-Ireland final place on the line, the differing responses of both shaped this outcome. Kerry’s reserves may not be weighed down with stars like squads of old but when Jack O’Connor summoned players from the Hogan Stand in that frantic second half and pressed them into action, he was rewarded with strong responses.
Stephen O’Brien was the most prominent figure in influencing the game. He set the tone with two turnovers and a block down inside the opening five minutes of the second half. He won the free that Seán O’Shea converted at a critical point when Kerry were struggling for scores, before then hooking over a left-foot shot that crucially nudged them into the lead a few minutes later. Brian Ó Beaglaoich and MIcheál Burns may not have been as visible but they injected energy into their respective sectors, Ó Beaglaoich impressing with his ball-carrying out of defence.
Derry didn’t get the same bounce from their bench. Their panel has had a compact nature to it in terms of the players used in the past couple seasons. There was always a doubt about how they would react if hit with injuries. Losing Padraig McGrogan, a key component of their defence, so early in the game was a huge blow and just after he had bagged a point.
The replacements Ciarán Meenagh utilised did not shape the game like Jack O’Connor’s did. The success of the county’s underage and schools teams show that Derry do possess raw materials but they will need to be nurtured to bolster the senior squad and help take Derry to the next level in the coming seasons.
