JACK O’CONNOR COULD not mask his satisfaction.
Kerry have had some tricky days on the 2023 championship road but this was not one of them.
A 12-point success in an All-Ireland quarter-final as they swatted Tyrone aside. This was an excellent afternoon for the Kerry manager.
“Delighted with the performance. We felt we were coming into good form the last couple of weeks. We were very happy with the way we played against Louth two weeks ago in Portlaoise and it’s just a matter of trying to get that form into Croke Park here.”
Kerry’s defending was a strong characteristic of their performance.
“We’re very, very determined. We have a pile of work done on trying to improve defensively and get a good structure and not concede goals.
“The last time the two teams played here, Kerry lost the game on turnovers and goals and they are the two areas that we worked very, very hard on since we got the job two years ago.
“I think today the defence was a bedrock and we were able to play from there. We still think we left scores after us out there. We were just a bit trigger happy in the first half and not working the ball to positions where we had a better shot selection. But delighted overall, it’s very hard to pick holes in that.”
O’Connor highlighted the theories discussed about this Kerry team this season, their midfield struggles and the reliance on David Clifford’s attacking talents.
“Look, there’s no one harder on Kerry, than our own people. I mean the narrative all year is that we don’t have a midfield. We thought the two boys did really well out there today.
“And if people write us off a bit, sure we’re only delighted with that. We can’t control what people say, but we certainly think we are not a one man team, despite what other people think.”
Clifford’s pass to Tony Brosnan in the build-up to Kerry’s second goal was one of the standout moments of the game.
“I didn’t think it was a great pass to him in the first place to be honest with you,” said O’Connor.
“I was just following the play and said to myself ‘Jesus, they are lining him up here now to nail him,’ because he was near the sideline and he just got the ball away, but sure that’s the mark of the man he is, and he has tremendous vision. To be fair to Tony Brosnan, he showed great composure by drawing the man and slipping it in.”
Tyrone’s display was sub-standard for long stretches as they fell away in the second half in the face of Kerry’s dominance.
O’Connor admitted their recent hectic schedule may have counted against them.
“It’s tough going on anyone. Like, they had to go up to Ballybofey which isn’t an easy place, even though they had a facile enough win but it still knocks it out of your legs. We had a real break and two weeks ago when Cork beat Mayo we finished top of the group and we were delighted with that, because it is the ideal break.
“Tyrone had six or seven days and it’s not easy coming into a fast pitch like Croke Park. We thought at times that it showed in patches there, we had the legs in certain areas at certain stages of the game. It is a big ask.”
