JACK O’CONNOR INSISTS talk of a Kerry-Dublin All-Ireland final is premature ahead of this weekend’s semi-finals and is not expecting ‘a classic’ when taking on Ulster kingpins Derry.
Kerry face their All-Ireland semi-final clash next Sunday at 4pm in Croke Park and O’Connor revealed forward Killian Spillane is back available for selection after injury.
Spillane hasn’t played since he came on as a second-half substitute in the Munster final against Clare and kicked a point, but has been hampered by an ankle injury since then.
“He is back training anyway and participating in the football. He will be available for selection. We have a pretty good bill of health at the minute.
Spillane’s return means that O’Connor has the fullest hand of the year so far to name his Kerry match day squad from, bar the long-term injured duo of Joe O’Connor and Stefan Okunbor
“Probably, yeah, which is a great testament to the boys that are doing the training and the physios because we have had a few fairly significant injuries. Thankfully, they have managed to get the boys back on the pitch. There are always bits and pieces coming up to big games, but I don’t think anything major (wrong).”
O’Connor says the talk about a repeat of the 2019 All-Ireland decider is premature with his focus fully on the challenge that Ulster champions Derry pose.
“We’re approaching it in a very serious way in the sense that we’re expecting a huge battle here, because all the evidence would point to that Derry are better than Tyrone. They’ve proved that by winning Ulster the last couple of years.
“They’ve also beaten Tyrone pretty comprehensively the last two times they met them. They’re on another level to Tyrone; therefore we’re expecting a huge battle. Regardless of what people are talking about our eyes are fully on Derry the next day.”
The experienced Kerry boss is not expecting a classic.
“We are not expecting a classic or anything like that, because the way Derry has set up all the year. I couldn’t see it being an open end-to-end game. I think we are going to have to be very patient.
“The Kerry supporters are going to have to be patient because the last thing you do with these is be cavalier with the ball and just be giving it back to the opposition. If you do, you mightn’t see it again for a few minutes.
“We will have to think our way through the game. We will have to be efficient. They are a team that pride themselves on their tackling and counter-attacking, and we are going to have to be good defensively because they are well capable of working scores. They have some really good forwards and some really good individual players.”
O’Connor also dismissed any advantage Kerry and David Clifford might have after the Fossa’s talisman scoring 4-4 against Derry in the 2017 All-Ireland minor final.
“Ah no, minor is minor. This is a different ball game altogether. So I wouldn’t think that would have any bearing on it. In my own time with the minors in ‘15 we came across Derry in an All Ireland semi-final as well. Conor Glass and Shane McGuigan were playing, and even at that stage Glass was standing out as potentially a huge player for the future and that’s the way it turned out.
“I think he was getting Aussie Rules trials at the time. I mean Shane McGuigan has turned out now to be a huge senior player as well. I wouldn’t be taking too much notice of the minors to be honest with you. It’s a different kettle of fish.”