Whether the Kerry footballers will be in the mood on 14 June for introspective reflection is debatable. That weekend will be the next time they are witnessed in action, but with safety nets removed, a consequence of the ten-point dismissal they suffered at the hands of Donegal on Saturday.
As the one-year anniversary approaches of another emphatic mid-summer defeat that Kerry sustained, nine points in arrears against Meath in the home of Offaly GAA last June, Jack O’Connor was invited post-match in Killarney to make comparisons between then and now.
There was no long-lasting damage when they were handed off by the Royals, in fact Kerry transformed their season from thereon and claimed one of their most satisfying Sam Maguire triumphs.
Sustenance to be taken then, if Kerry did it before, they can do it again?
“I’m not too sure now, we’ll see,” said O’Connor, avoiding the temptation to draw parallels.
He was still processing his thoughts after a game which is completely coloured by the flashpoint that erupted before half-time. For Kerry, the fallout was severe. The red card suffered by Micheál Burns setting them at a disadvantage which they could not overcome.
Cork demonstrated on Saturday that 14 men can still sweep to a rousing championship success, but Donegal were never going to let such a winning position slip from their grasp. They controlled the second-half tempo, patiently holding onto the ball, probing until gaps appeared and picking off points.
They won comfortably, Kerry stuck in chase mode and resorting to ambitious two-point attempts in an effort to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Kerry only shot four scores in the second half, Tony Brosnan with a pair of two-pointers, David Clifford with one, and substitute Cillian Trant raised a white flag. It was never going to be sufficient, particularly given Donegal’s stunning efficiency in front of goal as they only chalked up two wides throughout.
The game was a curious affair, captivating in the first half and delicately balanced at the midway mark. Both played some good stuff early on, Donegal boosted by an opportunistic Ciaran Moore goal and confident two-point conversions from elsewhere.
The attacking wizardry of Oisin Gallen and Dylan Geaney stood out in opposing camps. Gallen struck four points in the opening period, Geaney weighed in with three and set up two more. So much attention was consumed by the intrigue of marking duels elsewhere – Foley v Murphy, Roarty v Paudie, McCole v David – and in that context, Gallen and Geaney stood forward to shape the game.
And then the afternoon felt flat, Donegal’s 15 toying with Kerry’s 14 as the second half slowly rolled towards an inevitable end result.
The circumstances make analysis difficult in evaluating the long-term health of both, yet this latest instalment fed into a recurring theme of the modern Donegal-Kerry relationship, emphatic defeats and how teams subsequently react.
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Last July, the fight for Sam Maguire supremacy swung decisively in Kerry’s way, Joe O’Connor’s late thunderbolt to the net providing the finishing touch.
Donegal hit back. There may have been a low-key feel to this spring’s league meeting in Ballyshannon, but the renewal of acquaintances in Croke Park carried greater personal meaning for their crew. Posting 3-20 on the board against Kerry and departing with some national silverware was a boost.
Kerry countered by rattling off another Munster title, overcoming a growing list of injuries and ailments to take care of Cork last Sunday week. Donegal were rattled in the interim, Down’s stunning success in Letterkenny diverting Jim McGuinness away from Ulster at an unusually early juncture.
And then Donegal landed in Killarney to conjure up the type of performance and victory they would have craved beforehand. They amassed a healthy scoring tally of 2-20, were boosted by the reassuring presence of Michael Langan in the middle of the park once more to fire them on, and are travelling the direct route towards the All-Ireland latter stages.
And what of Kerry?
They find themselves searching for a reaction. The long undefeated reign at home in Munster may continue to endure, but Donegal emulated the Mayo class of 2023 by inflicting a defeat in Kerry’s Killarney backyard. The damage from that loss may have felt light as it occurred in a group stage format, this reversal could sting more depending on how the draw pans out in Kerry’s favour in the coming weeks.
If they keep progressing, their June schedule will look more hectic and frenzied. It was Jim McGuinness who spoke afterwards that too much emphasis is currently placed on form lines, in the world that Gaelic football now inhabits, the most important criteria of assessment is player availability.
That is the area of fundamental importance for Kerry. They got to start Graham O’Sullivan here against Donegal, while ushering Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Joe O’Connor in off the bench. Attaining match sharpness is not easy. Paudie Clifford is clearly not ticking at his usual high rate.
And there was no sign of Shane Ryan, Paul Murphy, Gavin White, Seán O’Shea, and Paul Geaney from the match day squad, a considerable array of talented and significant figures not at Kerry’s disposal.
Facing into a three-week layoff, O’Connor’s aim is to get some positive bulletins from the medical team.
“At this stage we’re not in a position to be too precious about what road we go. We’ll just do our best, gather the troops next week and we’ll try and get a couple of fellas back if we can.
“Obviously, we’re down important bodies at the moment, and even fellas who are coming back are a bit undercooked. No better crowd to exploit that than Donegal because they’re a very fit team. An athletic team. And if you have any chinks in your armour they’ll find them.
“Looks a long road back at the moment, but we’ll gather ourselves and we won’t die without a fight. We’ll bring a bit of fight to it over the next three weeks and see where that takes us.”
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'We won’t die without a fight' – After latest Donegal defeat, Kerry look to recover
A YEAR ON from the turning point of Tullamore.
Whether the Kerry footballers will be in the mood on 14 June for introspective reflection is debatable. That weekend will be the next time they are witnessed in action, but with safety nets removed, a consequence of the ten-point dismissal they suffered at the hands of Donegal on Saturday.
As the one-year anniversary approaches of another emphatic mid-summer defeat that Kerry sustained, nine points in arrears against Meath in the home of Offaly GAA last June, Jack O’Connor was invited post-match in Killarney to make comparisons between then and now.
There was no long-lasting damage when they were handed off by the Royals, in fact Kerry transformed their season from thereon and claimed one of their most satisfying Sam Maguire triumphs.
Sustenance to be taken then, if Kerry did it before, they can do it again?
“I’m not too sure now, we’ll see,” said O’Connor, avoiding the temptation to draw parallels.
He was still processing his thoughts after a game which is completely coloured by the flashpoint that erupted before half-time. For Kerry, the fallout was severe. The red card suffered by Micheál Burns setting them at a disadvantage which they could not overcome.
Cork demonstrated on Saturday that 14 men can still sweep to a rousing championship success, but Donegal were never going to let such a winning position slip from their grasp. They controlled the second-half tempo, patiently holding onto the ball, probing until gaps appeared and picking off points.
They won comfortably, Kerry stuck in chase mode and resorting to ambitious two-point attempts in an effort to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Kerry only shot four scores in the second half, Tony Brosnan with a pair of two-pointers, David Clifford with one, and substitute Cillian Trant raised a white flag. It was never going to be sufficient, particularly given Donegal’s stunning efficiency in front of goal as they only chalked up two wides throughout.
The game was a curious affair, captivating in the first half and delicately balanced at the midway mark. Both played some good stuff early on, Donegal boosted by an opportunistic Ciaran Moore goal and confident two-point conversions from elsewhere.
The attacking wizardry of Oisin Gallen and Dylan Geaney stood out in opposing camps. Gallen struck four points in the opening period, Geaney weighed in with three and set up two more. So much attention was consumed by the intrigue of marking duels elsewhere – Foley v Murphy, Roarty v Paudie, McCole v David – and in that context, Gallen and Geaney stood forward to shape the game.
And then the afternoon felt flat, Donegal’s 15 toying with Kerry’s 14 as the second half slowly rolled towards an inevitable end result.
The circumstances make analysis difficult in evaluating the long-term health of both, yet this latest instalment fed into a recurring theme of the modern Donegal-Kerry relationship, emphatic defeats and how teams subsequently react.
Last July, the fight for Sam Maguire supremacy swung decisively in Kerry’s way, Joe O’Connor’s late thunderbolt to the net providing the finishing touch.
Donegal hit back. There may have been a low-key feel to this spring’s league meeting in Ballyshannon, but the renewal of acquaintances in Croke Park carried greater personal meaning for their crew. Posting 3-20 on the board against Kerry and departing with some national silverware was a boost.
Kerry countered by rattling off another Munster title, overcoming a growing list of injuries and ailments to take care of Cork last Sunday week. Donegal were rattled in the interim, Down’s stunning success in Letterkenny diverting Jim McGuinness away from Ulster at an unusually early juncture.
And then Donegal landed in Killarney to conjure up the type of performance and victory they would have craved beforehand. They amassed a healthy scoring tally of 2-20, were boosted by the reassuring presence of Michael Langan in the middle of the park once more to fire them on, and are travelling the direct route towards the All-Ireland latter stages.
And what of Kerry?
They find themselves searching for a reaction. The long undefeated reign at home in Munster may continue to endure, but Donegal emulated the Mayo class of 2023 by inflicting a defeat in Kerry’s Killarney backyard. The damage from that loss may have felt light as it occurred in a group stage format, this reversal could sting more depending on how the draw pans out in Kerry’s favour in the coming weeks.
If they keep progressing, their June schedule will look more hectic and frenzied. It was Jim McGuinness who spoke afterwards that too much emphasis is currently placed on form lines, in the world that Gaelic football now inhabits, the most important criteria of assessment is player availability.
That is the area of fundamental importance for Kerry. They got to start Graham O’Sullivan here against Donegal, while ushering Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Joe O’Connor in off the bench. Attaining match sharpness is not easy. Paudie Clifford is clearly not ticking at his usual high rate.
And there was no sign of Shane Ryan, Paul Murphy, Gavin White, Seán O’Shea, and Paul Geaney from the match day squad, a considerable array of talented and significant figures not at Kerry’s disposal.
Facing into a three-week layoff, O’Connor’s aim is to get some positive bulletins from the medical team.
“At this stage we’re not in a position to be too precious about what road we go. We’ll just do our best, gather the troops next week and we’ll try and get a couple of fellas back if we can.
“Obviously, we’re down important bodies at the moment, and even fellas who are coming back are a bit undercooked. No better crowd to exploit that than Donegal because they’re a very fit team. An athletic team. And if you have any chinks in your armour they’ll find them.
“Looks a long road back at the moment, but we’ll gather ourselves and we won’t die without a fight. We’ll bring a bit of fight to it over the next three weeks and see where that takes us.”
The road to recovery starts now.
*****
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Donegal GAA Kerry Setback