A FAMILIAR SCENARIO for Jack O’Connor to face in victory.
Kerry’s collective progression assured in Croke Park and yet an All-Ireland semi-final outcome that was shaped by his captain’s performance more than anyone else.
David Clifford finished top scorer and departed with the man-of-the-match crystal in his hand. Five points before half-time, four points afterwards.
Another afternoon where the Fossa man illuminated the biggest stage.
“An incredible performance, particularly in the second half,” remarked O’Connor.
“It was like he was willing the team. The way he played in the second half that he was willing the team to get over the line. I thought it was an incredible second half performance.
“This is a man that’s playing under pressure with all the expectation on him – double, triple marked and he still finds a way, so hats off to him, what a great performance.
“It was just the fact that he came out the field (in) the last quarter of an hour and he was back in his own full-back line and he was just doing things that I’d never seen him doing before – winning ball inside in his own square and stuff like that.
“It was almost like he said ‘whatever happens, we are not going to be beaten today’.”
Kerry needed the input of their brightest star. This was a game that tested them in a multitude of ways.
“It wasn’t a great game for the heart,” reckoned O’Connor.
“But the way the crowd got into it there in the last quarter of an hour, it felt like it was a great battle.
“Any questions that were asked of our fellas you know, had we the bottle for it? Had we the heart for it? That’s what that game turned into in the end.
“There were huge mistakes but by God was there some honesty in that and some honesty by the players, honesty of effort was incredible.”
The struggles Kerry endured were rooted in the questions that Derry posed.
“I mean you’d have to take your hats off to Derry. They played some football out there. They didn’t lie down. They were a serious team today.
“Derry are a tough nut to crack. They are not easily penetrated. They have that structured set defence, they have it fairly down to a tee. We had to be incredibly patient.
“We were expecting that they’d try and get goals because a big part of their gameplan is to try and get ahead of you and play you on the break a bit. They’ve an awful lot of good footballers. I’ve been saying that consistently for the last while. They have a defensive system that is extremely difficult to break down. They were as good if not better than we expected.
“We had nothing to lose at half-time. We felt we weren’t going after the game in the first half. We took a few chances in the second-half. There was no such thing as a sweeper. There was no such thing as extra men back. It was man on man. We put a bit more pressure on Derry in the middle third of the pitch. That was key.
“So hats off to our fellas, they found a way. They made mistakes, but they kept at it and they found a way.”
The reward is a final date then with Dublin. The Kerry manager is bracing himself for a furious contest.
How much improvement will Kerry require for the 30 July showdown?
“I’m not too sure now, I haven’t reflected on it or I haven’t seen it back obviously, but we made a lot of mistakes. I feel the game will bring us on. It was a very intense game. I feel the fact that our panel contributed will help training and will put a spark in training the next couple of weeks. But I do feel we need to improve.
“I mean, ‘tis very obvious that that Dublin team have been gearing up for two weeks’ time – from well back. They’ve brought back the cavalry; they’ve even brought back Pat Gilroy. They didn’t bring those fellas back for the craic.”