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Post by greengold35 on Jun 22, 2014 20:53:35 GMT
A reality check today in Ennis not just for supporters but for management too; I unlike Veteran( great to have you back) have to be critical of the sideline though: 1. Mikey Geaney got his chance in 2013 and was not up to this level- a good club footballer but that's where it ends. 2. David Moran was rumoured all last week not to have recovered from his knee injury sustained on the 1st June vs South Kerry- why was he started? 3. Bryan Sheehan had begun to win ball when moved to midfield- we replaced David with Aidan O'Mahony and moved Sheehan to the "40" again- surely the logic here would have been to keep Bryan midfield, bring Declan to centre forward and introduce one of Lyne/Casey/ O'Leary - our 2 inside men were outstanding and would have been better off being inside on their own. Killian is not a No 6, Crowley the best option here but both continued to be played way out of position. No marks for the sideline today I am afraid.
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Post by misteallaigh abú on Jun 22, 2014 21:18:58 GMT
I heard earlier in the week that David Moran wouldn't be playing due to a knee injury. Declan wasn't moving freely either and you have to feel great sympathy for Darran. Working so hard to get the body right but let down by it again when the pressure of championship comes around. I would dearly love to see an injury free Darran again before seasons end. The fact that these lads were on the pitch speaks volumes about the limitations of our wider panel. We should be under no illusions as to where we rank in the greater scheme of things. We are a good bit off the top table. We were rusty, we hadn't played for the guts of 3 months, we have a huge amount of work to do to keep it kicked out to Cork in a few weeks time. Well done to Clare today, they will be hard to beat in the qualifiers granted a home draw. We move onto a Munster football final, a lot of question marks over the team, many of those will be answered on July 6th.
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Post by blackisbad on Jun 22, 2014 22:25:56 GMT
Veteran im sorry to hear about ur recent setback but im afraid it might have clouded ur judgement
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Joxer
Fanatical Member
Posts: 1,364
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Post by Joxer on Jun 23, 2014 7:22:55 GMT
Though I would argue one or two points Veteran, overall I think you're pretty close to the money with your account. Assuming ( and I don't know how big an assumption this may be) that James O'Donoghue will be available for the Munster final, a full forward line of James, Paul Geaney and Stephen O'Brien looks pretty good to me. Perhaps a half forward line of Declan at centre, Darran (who was poor yesterday) on the right and Donnacha (poorer still but will improve) on the left might be our best option right now. Johnny Buckley if fit might offer options on the wing. Midfield will have to include our best midfielder in Bryan Sheehan I would imagine. Anthony Maher, despite his red card yesterday, is not an imposing midfielder and rarely/never uses his strength to telling effect. Donaghy to partner Bryan? Kieran's kick passing is slow , too high and not terribly accurate so not sure about this option but with David Moran injured/off form, he may offer the best option.
As for the half-back line, Peter Crowley or Fionn Fitzgerald in the centre would appear like the best options. Mark Griffin shouldn't be ruled out either. Killian at wing-back at best. I'd persist with Marc at full-back , Paul Murphy at right corner and would prefer Pa Kilkenny to Shane Enright on the left. Brian Kelly will have to retain the goalkeepers jersey.
The reality is that we are unlikely to be contesting the All-Ireland final and this year, for me at least, is about getting the foundations in of the next team...in other words, the dreaded word 'transition'. To that end, yesterday wasn't a bad start, believe it or not. The Juniors played a free-flowing brand of football too it should be noted, with a pretty young team....midfield options from there anyone? Or wing forwards?
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Post by Mickmack on Jun 23, 2014 7:30:28 GMT
IRISH INDEPENDENT
Eamonn Fitzmaurice's post-match interview was only seconds old when he referenced "dirty petrol". Kerry had been almost three months out of action, he explained, and some sort of sluggishness was to be expected.
Kerry 1-17 Clare 1-13 - Munster SFC semi-final
The 70 minutes in Ennis certainly reflected that. Down by a point at half-time, Kerry had played in only fits and starts against a team who operated in Division 4 this spring.
As the game wore on, they got stronger and looked like they had done enough after Declan O'Sullivan pointed to put four between the teams.
Clare rallied again late on but Kerry never looked like coughing up the goals they needed. For Fitzmaurice, it was job done and time to move on.
Judging Kerry teams in June is a fool's errand but they looked decidedly shaky at times. Clare's plan was simple but effective and underpinned by an excellent work ethic and great tackling.
Podge Collins lined out at centre-forward but essentially played in his half-back line, clogging the path to the scoring zone and creating the overlaps on which their attacks were built.
Paul Murphy followed the dual star for the day and even when he got on to the end of a Kerry attack to goal on 13 minutes, Clare stuck doggedly to their plan and reaped the rewards.
There was hardly 20 minutes gone and Fitzmaurice was performing major surgery on his side. Midfielder David Moran was taken off having been taken for 1-2 by Shane McGrath.
McGrath's coolly finished goal after 19 minutes put Clare three points clear as they continued to impress and Kerry struggled to deal with the likes of Gary Brennan, David Tubridy and the industrious Collins brothers.
By the break that lead was cut to just one point (1-8 to 1-7) and while Kerry had spurned some goal chances, Clare looked like a side that had more to give going in at the break.
Fitzmaurice made more changes before the restart. Darran O'Sullivan didn't reappear and the Kingdom looked smarter after the break. Stephen O'Brien pointed after just 30 seconds to level before Paul Geaney gave them the lead. While it was far from plain sailing from there, Kerry wouldn't be headed again.
RHYTHM
Clare refused to wilt and kept to within a single score for much of the second half but Kerry were finding their rhythm. Bryan Sheehan kicked three excellent long-range points while Declan O'Sullivan, who had his left knee heavily strapped, also imposed himself on the game.
The loss of the excellent full-back Kevin Harnett through injury seemed to unsettle Clare and when Declan O'Sullivan put four points between the teams approaching the hour mark, Kerry were already looking to Cork – even the late dismissal of Anthony Maher on a second yellow card couldn't derail them.
To their credit, Clare never stopped but their race was run at that stage, leaving Fitzmaurice plenty to reflect on.
"We got a result, we didn't play well, we made it very hard for ourselves," he said. "You have to give Clare a lot of credit as well but we are relieved to have won the game and be going on to a Munster final.
"We got a bit of the dirty petrol out in the first half and you see the difference in the teams in terms of the intensity levels; you could see Clare have played a couple of games and that it was a while since we had an intense game like that. It probably took us a while to get up to the pace of the game. The second half was a good bit better but well have to really improve for Cork."
The Kerry manager handed out five full debuts yesterday and could hardly have asked for more. Goalkeeper Brian Kelly made an excellent double save in the first half and used the short kick-out to good effect.
Paul Murphy grabbed a goal, while the other three debutants all got on the scoresheet. Paul Geaney was particularly impressive, kicking six points from play, three in either half, as he led the line in the absence of James O'Donoghue, who, along with Johnny Buckley, could return in time for the Munster final.
"I think all the debutants did quite well and we're happy with them," Fitzmaurice added.
"We see them at training so we know what they are capable of. I was happy for them to get their first game under their belt. It's a big deal in Kerry to have a championship jersey so it's nice for them to have played and see that they are up to it, so we are happy with them."
For Clare and Colm Collins, there was some pride to be taken from a gutsy performance but he felt Clare might have been more economical in possession.
"It's fierce disappointing, we were fully convinced we could win this game," he said. "We came here to win it and it doesn't matter whether you're beaten by one or 20 points. We felt we had a team to do it and we were in the right place, we had only one injury really so we were as strong as we could be.
"All year long, with the exception for periods of the drawn game against Waterford, this crowd have performed every day they have gone out. If you have any experience of being in charge of teams, that's all you can ask from players. Something out of your control can happen and a goal can go in and you can be beaten, but these fellas have performed all year long and I'm extremely proud.
"You've got to keep the ball, there's no excuse for it and this is something we have to work on. You can't give it away cheap or you can't drop it short, you've got to bring it up and kill it, hopefully score it. It's probably being nit-picky about it, you have to praise them for a great shift."
Scorers: Kerry: P Geaney 0-6, B Sheehan 0-4 (1f), P Murphy 1-0, S O'Brien, Declan O'Sullivan (1f) 0-2 each, A Maher, M Geaney BJ Keane 0-1 each. Clare: S McGrath 1-2, D Tubridy 0-4 (2fs), E Coughlan 0-2, M O'Leary (f), S Brennan, E Cleary, R Donnelly, S Collins 0-1 each.
Kerry: B Kelly 8; P Murphy 7, M O Se 6, S Enright 6; P Crowley 7, K Young 6, F Fitzgerald 6; A Maher 5, D Moran 5; Darran O'Sullivan 6, B Sheehan 8, M Geaney 7; D O'Sullivan 7, S O'Brien 7, P Geaney 8. Subs: A O'Mahony 6 for Moran (23), D Walsh 6 for Darran O'Sullivan (h-t), J Lyne 6 for M Geaney (55), BJ Keane for S O'Brien (62), P Kilkenny for Fitzgerald, K Donaghy for P Geaney (both 67).
Clare: J Hayes 7; D Ryan 8, K Harnett 8, M McMahon 7; C Russell 6, G Kelly 6, S Hickey 5; G Brennan 8, S McGrath 8; S Brennan 7, P Collins 8, S Collins 7; M O'Leary 7, D Tubridy 8, E Coughlan 7. Subs: J Malone 7 for Hickey (BC, 5), R Donnelly 7 for O'Leary (44), S McNelis 6 for Harnett (54), C O'Connor for S Brennan (59), E Cleary for Coughlan (69).
Referee: D Gough (Meath).
Game at a glance - Kerry v Clare
Man of the match
Paul Geaney (Kerry) - Bryan Sheehan was excellent in the second half, but Geaney gets the nod for his 70-minute performance. he was a constant threat throughout.
Turning point
Clare were within striking distance for most of the game, but when Declan O'Sullivan's point on 59 minutes put four between the sides, you felt that was too much for the Banner to reel in.
Talking point
Were Kerry blowing out the dirty petrol or are they as vulnerable as Clare made them look at times?
Magic moment
Sheehan kicked three excellent points in the second half, but his one from under the stands from the wrong side for a right-footed kicker was superb. One of the best ball strikers around.
Ref watch
David Gough (Meath) - Got the major calls right. No arguments over the black card decision or Anthony Maher's two yellows.
What they said
Éamonn Fitzmaurice (Kerry manager): "We got a result. We didn't play well, we made it very hard for ourselves. You have to give Clare a lot of credit as well, but we are relieved to have won the game."
Colm Collins (Clare manager): "We were fully convinced we could win this game. We came here to win and it doesn't matter whether you're beaten by one or 20 points."
Match stats
Wides
Kerry 7 (5 1st half)
Clare 8 (4)
Frees
Kerry 10 (6)
Clare 20 (8)
Black cards
Clare S Hickey (5).
Yellow cards
Kerry 2 (A Maher 55, 58),
Clare 1 (J Malone 57)
Red Cards
Kerry 1 (A Maher 58)
What's next?
Kerry take on Cork in the Munster final on July 6. Clare head for the back door.
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IRISH EXAMINER
Clare 1-13 Kerry 1-17 Ultimately, like Tipperary the evening before, Clare were left with just the crumbs of a moral victory to pick at.
But on top of what transpired in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, there’s clear evidence that the margins aren’t as wide in Munster football as would be imagined.
Obviously, both Clare and Tipperary were motivated by the unfair seeded draw and steeled by the extra games they have had in contrast to Kerry and Cork who have been sitting on their hands for 11 and 10 weeks respectively.
Had the Division 4 finalists pulled off the wins, we might be terming it as the weekend the whipping boys whipped back or referring to it as The Munster Spring.
But they didn’t and in this latest case Kerry weren’t as troubled as Cork were by Tipperary, extending their lead to six points with two minutes of normal time remaining.
It wasn’t that Clare lost steam, though. Their accuracy in front of goal deteriorated as the game progressed and they had earned their half-time lead, 1-8 to 1-7.
Yet within five minutes of the second half, Kerry had levelled the affair for the sixth occasion and a Paul Geaney point in the 43rd minute, one of six from play from the Dingle man, pushed Kerry into the lead.
They never looked back from that moment on, forcing Clare into high risk shots and restricting them to just five points in the second half.
Bryan Sheehan and Declan O’Sullivan were to the fore in grabbing the semi-final by the scruff of the neck and Kerry were comfortable enough without Anthony Maher for the last 13 minutes of action after the midfielder was red-carded for a second yellow card foul.
But then midfield was regularly ignored by both teams from restarts and David Moran made way in the 23rd minute not because of the heavy strapping around his right knee but as a sacrifice for a new approach.
Darran O’Sullivan also made way at the interval after a solid first half, replaced by Donnchadh Walsh. He too appeared to have picked up a knock to his arm but Eamonn Fitzmaurice revealed both substitutions were tactical.
“We said we’d change it up. We felt David was doing fine but he was marking a forward really in midfield and that can be tough. Darran has had a few injuries and probably wasn’t fully up to game speed and we gave Donnchadh a cut at it.”
Clare themselves had lost Shane Hickey to a black card in the sixth minute but it hardly rocked them as the benefit of their games against Waterford was obvious to see. Kerry were forced into a number of turnovers as their opponents’ intensity shone out.
Yet it was Kerry who grabbed the early initiative with a well-taken Paul Murphy goal, the debutant corner-back slotting the ball past Joe Hayes after creating an overlap following some good work by Stephen O’Brien.
But there were alarm bells for the visitors shortly afterwards as Brian Kelly, also making his first championship start, had to be on his toes to deny David Tubridy. From the parry, Shane Enright then had to make a goal-line clearance from Enda Coughlan.
Clare did find the net in the 18th minute when, after converting three points on the spin to draw level, Shane McGrath expertly shot home after he was set up by the ever-industrious Podge Collins.
The goal sent the home support in the 5,938 crowd into rapturous delight, although Kerry restored parity with three unanswered points by the 23rd minute.
The half ended positively for Clare, Tubridy tagging on a couple of points, one of them originating from a possession conceded cheaply by Sheehan. He, however, was a different player in the second half while Paul Geaney was the toast of the debutants with another three points in that latter period.
“I think all the debutants did quite well,” said Fitzmaurice, “and we’re happy with them. We see them at training so we know what they are capable of.
“I was happy for them to get their first game under their belt. It’s a big deal in Kerry to have a championship jersey so it’s nice for them to have played and see that they are up to it.”
Game-changer
Barry John Keane’s 68th- minute point, putting Kerry six up, put the game beyond Clare.
Talk of the town
For the second day in a row, another Munster minnow gave aristocrats a hard time of it.
Did that just happen?
Paul Geaney’s 52nd- minute point was a clear wide yet it was deemed good by the umpires.
Best on show
Paul Geaney will rightly pick up the plaudits for his six-point return. Bryan Sheehan and Declan O’Sullivan impressively led the team in the second half.
Black card watch
An early call by David Gough to dismiss Shane Hickey for a cynical foul on Darran O’Sullivan was spot on.
Sideline superior
Eamonn Fitzmaurice kept things simple whereas Clare were constantly chopping and changing the positions of their personnel. It worked well for them up to a point.
The man in black
David Gough’s free count was two to one in Clare’s favour. He managed the game competently.
What’s next?
A second successive Munster final for Kerry against Cork on July 6. Clare’s second round qualifier is the previous day.
Scorers for Clare: S McGrath 1-2; D Tubridy 0-4 (2f); E Coughlan 0-2; M O’Leary (f), S Brennan, S Collins, R Donnelly, C Cleary 0-1 each.
Scorers for Kerry: P Geaney 0-6; B Sheehan 0-4 (1f); P Murphy 1-0; Declan O’Sullivan (f); S O’Brien 0-2 each; A Maher, M Geaney, BJ Keane 0-1 each.
CLARE: J Hayes; D Ryan, M McMahon, K Hartnett; C Russell, Gordon Kelly, S Hickey; S McGrath, G Brennan; S Collins, P Collins, S Brennan; D Tubridy, M O’Leary, E Coughlan.
Subs for Clare: J Malone for S Hickey (bc, 6); R Donnelly for M O’Leary (44); S McNelis for K Hartnett (inj, 53); C O’Connor for S Brennan (60); E Cleary for E Coughlan (69).
KERRY: B Kelly; P Murphy, S Enright, M Ó Sé; P Crowley, K Young, F Fitzgerald; A Maher, D Moran; Darran O’Sullivan, B Sheehan, M Geaney; S O’Brien, Declan O’Sullivan, P Geaney.
Subs for Kerry: A O’Mahony for D Moran (23); D Walsh for Darran O’Sullivan (ht); J Lyne for M Geaney (55); BJ Keane for S O’Brien (63); P Kilkenny for F Fitzgerald, K Donaghy for P Geaney (both 68).
Red card: A Maher (59, second yellow).
Referee: D Gough (Meath).
© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved
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IRISH TIMES
Kerry 1-17 Clare 1-13
Kerry were made to battle all the way by Clare before eventually emerging with a four-point victory at Cusack Park, Ennis, in front of a crowd of 5,938.
Excuses can be offered for what can only be termed a poor showing by Kerry, like the absence through injury of the likes of Seanie Buckley and James O’Donoghue, or the 11-week period since their last competitive outing.
But in the end they scraped through, defeating a gallant Clare outfit who practically controlled matters in the opening half and went in 1-8 to 1-7 ahead at the break.
Opening goal
Clare opened the game with a Martin O’Leary pointed free in the third minute after he was fouled by Kerry’s Shane Enright. But moments later the other Kerry corner-back Paul Murphy grabbed the game’s opening goal.
But this three-pointer didn’t unsettle Clare and with a dominant midfield pairing of Gary Brennan and Shane McGrath they gave the Kerry some headaches. McGrath grabbed Clare’s goal after 18 minutes when dual-star Podge Collins made space for him with a good hand pass.
Kerry manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice replaced centrefielder David Moran with Aidan O’Mahony in the 23rd minute in an attempt to halt Clare’s dominance in the middle third.
Clare went in a point ahead at the break and when Kerry re-emerged Darren O’Sullivan made way for Donnchadh Walsh.
Two points by Stephen O’Brien and Paul Geaney regained Kerry’s lead within four minutes. Bryan Sheehan scored to make it a three-point game in the 53rd minute.
As the half progressed, the Kingdom seemed to ease into it and when Clare kicked away possession they capitalized on it. The loss of Anthony Maher in the 58th minute for a second bookable offence prompted the Kerry management to take a more defensive approach and endeavour to hold onto the five-point lead they enjoyed.
With four minutes on the clock, the visitors held a six point advantage but a never say die Banner outfit ploughed ahead until the whistle, yielding two scores by David Tubridy and substitute Eoin Cleary late in the game.
Fitzmaurice was happy to get the win and said as much when he spoke afterwards. “A win’s a win” he said. “We were far from perfect today. We got a result, didn’t play well, made it very hard for ourselves and you have to give a lot of credit to Clare for that.”
Clare manager Colm Collins commented: “We’re fierce disappointed. We were fully convinced that we could win this game today. We came here to win it and getting beaten by whatever amount of points . . . I mean one point is the same as 20 as far as I’m concerned. We felt we had the team to do it.”
KERRY: B Kelly; P Murphy (1-0), M Ó’Sé, S Enright; P Crowley, K Young, F Fitzgerald; A Maher (0-1), D Moran; D O’Sullivan (0-1), B Sheehan (0-5, 0-2 frees), M Geaney (0-1); Declan O’Sullivan, S O’Brien (0-2), P Geaney (0-6). Subs: A O’Mahony for Moran (23 mins), D Walsh for Darren O’Sullivan (half-time), J Lyne for M Geaney (55 mins), BJ Keane (0-1) for O’Brien (63 mins), P Kilkenny for Fitzgerald (67 mins), K Donaghy for P Geaney (67 mins).
CLARE: J Hayes; D Ryan, K Harnett, M McMahon; S Hickey, G Kelly, C Russell; G Brennan, S McGrath (1-2); S Collins (0-1), P Collins, S Brennan (0-1); D Tubridy (0-4, 0-2 frees), M O’Leary (0-1), E Coughlan (0-2). Subs: J Malone for Hickey (black card, 5 mins), R Donnelly (0-1) for O’Leary (44 mins), S McNeilis for Harnett (inj, 53 mins), C O’Connor for S Brennan (59 mins), E Cleary (0-1) for Coughlan (69 mins). Referee: D Gough (Meath)
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Post by Mickmack on Jun 23, 2014 7:53:45 GMT
Brian Kelly, Paul Murphy, Paul Geaney and Stephen OBrien didn't feature v Dublin last year. They are a huge addition. Its a good day when you find 4 guys like that. The goalkeeper position has been a problem since Diarmaid retired and hopefully its solved now. Bryan Sheehan didn't feature v Dublin either and David Moran played on a bit part. That's a third of the team.
Clare club football is better than Kerrys so its understandable that they would put it up to Kerry.
I salute Aiden. Few decorated heroes are willing to sit on the bench and come on to put the shoulder to the wheel and be happy to go back to the bench the next day. This is a great sign of the man.
Welcome back Veteran. I don't always or ever often agree with you tactical viewpoints but as a writer you have no peers.
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Post by homerj on Jun 23, 2014 10:41:29 GMT
general consensus around is that our 4 best players yesterday were 4 of the 5 making their full championship debuts.
if we can get the same impact from them as we got from last years break through players, we could have a good year. Marc, Killian, Maher, Sheehan, declan, O Donoghue, Darran, Donnacha and Star all need to step up though for the final.
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Post by sidelined on Jun 23, 2014 10:49:19 GMT
will maher be suspended for the final, send off again yesterday for 2 yellows also send off in last championship game for 2 yellows or does the 48 week rule no longer apply
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Post by buck02 on Jun 23, 2014 10:50:25 GMT
For me positives were:
Kelly - his kickout task was easy with Kerry having an extra man at the back but bar one poor one, he will be happy with the save in the first have and high catch in the box in the second Murphy - although had a few dodgy moments in possession, overall he did really well. Good call by Fitzy to push him up. Enright - good display, will hopefully help his confidence and set him up for a crack at Kerrigan on Sunday week Sheehan - stepped up when we were in trouble at midfield and some of the second half points were outstanding O Brien - never hid and always caused trouble when on the ball. He also looks to have bulked up a lot in the last 6 months Paul Geaney - keep him in around the danger zone and he will do the business.
My major worry about yesterday was that we had to play 2 obviously injured players, which did them and the team no justice. It was madness to start David Moran, the man has had 2 ACLs in the last 3 years and then he's started on a dodgy knee. Word around the county all week was he wouldn't be right to play. And the word was right. Crazy stuff. And Donnacha Walsh? Why bring him on when he was injured and looked about 60% - doesn't say much for Casey, Leary and co.
And then there is Anthony Maher, he is very lucky we have very few midfield options at the moment because its been 2 years since he had a decent game.
I wouldnt be critical about the decision to bring in Mahony midfield, Sheehan was needed closer to goals and I felt Mahony did a decent job.
While I feel an All Ireland is most definitely beyond this team, I recall leaving Ennis 10 years ago with criticism about our rookie manager and a few championship debutants, Paul Galvin amongst them!
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Post by buck02 on Jun 23, 2014 10:53:36 GMT
Brian Kelly, Paul Murphy, Paul Geaney and Stephen OBrien didn't feature v Dublin last year. They are a huge addition. Its a good day when you find 4 guys like that. The goalkeeper position has been a problem since Diarmaid retired and hopefully its solved now. Bryan Sheehan didn't feature v Dublin either and David Moran played on a bit part. That's a third of the team. Clare club football is better than Kerrys so its understandable that they would put it up to Kerry. I salute Aiden. Few decorated heroes are willing to sit on the bench and come on to put the shoulder to the wheel and be happy to go back to the bench the next day. This is a great sign of the man. Welcome back Veteran. I don't always or ever often agree with you tactical viewpoints but as a writer you have no peers. Can you elaborate on that mickmack? Are you basing this on Currow and Crokes results against Clare sides in the middle of last winter? And read about in the paper or saw on TG4? Or are you basing it on the amount of club games you actually watch in Kerry and Clare - because I never hear you opinions on Kerry club teams unless they are on the telly. (Not counting the St Brendans hurlers obviously).
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Post by misteallaigh abú on Jun 23, 2014 12:17:57 GMT
will maher be suspended for the final, send off again yesterday for 2 yellows also send off in last championship game for 2 yellows or does the 48 week rule no longer apply No he won't miss the final, the number of offences resulting in a one match ban has been increased from 2 to 3 following the introduction of the black card.
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Jigz84
Fanatical Member
Posts: 2,017
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Post by Jigz84 on Jun 23, 2014 12:29:18 GMT
A win is a win and Kerry never really looked like they were going to get caught. Crowley should be centre-back, end of. Killian is not a 6 and this have been proved in the past, I actually don't think he merits a starting 15 spot at the moment, would be better to bring on I feel. Marc was given the run-around from early on and Enright was loose to start but tightened up a bit. Great move to push Paul Murphy up on Podge Collins. Kelly kicked a hospital ball to him amongst 3 Clare men close to the end and he still won it. Whatever about Paul Geaney and Stepehn O' Brien doing very well, this lad has been the find of the year.
Midfield was abysmal. Maybe Moran wasn't fit, but regardless, he didn't try one jot and turned his arse to it IMO. Maher very lazy again but he does have a tendency to play well v Cork so I'd still start him in 2 weeks alongside Sheehan.
The two wingmen were very average to say the least. Darran wasn't doing a whole pile anyway and missed a great chance, although Mikey Geaney did improve in the second half and kicked an important point.
Inside line was brilliant, despite Declan going out too far at times. We might not win the All-Ireland but this side are capable of taking out at least one big gun in Croker and that does include the Dubs. I can see O' Brien letting rip up there when we arrive.
Subs contributed very little, Lyne was particularly disappointing and Donaghy looked very awkward. Donnchadh was clearly not fit.
On another note, the Kerry Captain was left sitting on the bench. Time for the County Board to do something about the nomination of the Captain.
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Post by glengael on Jun 23, 2014 12:29:51 GMT
Looking forward to my first trip to the pitch in Ennis. I hope you won't be disappointed in the result but almost certainly will be as far as the 'stadium' is concerned. It's a kip and hasn't changed in 25years+. Anyway, as long as we win and move on.... Surprised that you'd never been to Ennis before Sully. Kerry have played quite a few games there over the years at various levels. The 2002 U-21 semi-final and the 06 Minor replay are 2 that stick in my mind and neither ended well for us. As for the condition of the stadium, it certainly hasn't moved on that much, if you compare it to other "town centre" venues like Mullingar or Longford. According to the man next to me yesterday, the Clare County Board had plans to sell up and move to an out-of-town location some years ago but Ennis Town Council refused the rezoning and then the economy went south and that was it. A familiar story. As for yesterday's match, we just about won. The only surprise for me was how poor we actually were at times.
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Post by shannonsider on Jun 23, 2014 15:18:45 GMT
Got the win after a rusty enough performance. To be expected really and at half time I was worried enough, but in fairness Sheehan, Geaney, O'Brien and Declan lifted it a good bit in the second half.
To start with the worries: -Marc wasn't great yesterday. Tubridy is a good player and there wasn't a whole lot of protection from the half backs, but he'll need to improve. - Half backs as mentioned were far too loose and didn't use the ball that well either. Young is not a 6, he's a good 7, can't understand why he isn't played there. Put Crowley 6 and Fionn right half back. - Midifeld, apart from the utter lunacy of starting Moran, we were poor enough. Need to improve. - Management..as other posters mentioned, some very strange calls. Starting Moran was just stupid. Bringing on Walsh who didn't look right was strange also. Starting a player who didn't even make the squad for many league games was very questionable also.
Positives: - Paul Geaney, O'Brien and to a lesser extent Kelly and Murphy..outstanding performances on debut. Cork is a step up, but signs are good. - Defence improved significantly in second half and only conceeded 5 points. That needs to be the benchmark now, not the loose first half performance. - Scoring 1-17 when not playing all that well is pleasing.
Anyway, onto Cork..who have their own problems. Need to step it up a lot, lets see what happens.
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Post by Mickmack on Jun 23, 2014 21:00:42 GMT
Brian Kelly, Paul Murphy, Paul Geaney and Stephen OBrien didn't feature v Dublin last year. They are a huge addition. Its a good day when you find 4 guys like that. The goalkeeper position has been a problem since Diarmaid retired and hopefully its solved now. Bryan Sheehan didn't feature v Dublin either and David Moran played on a bit part. That's a third of the team. Clare club football is better than Kerrys so its understandable that they would put it up to Kerry. I salute Aiden. Few decorated heroes are willing to sit on the bench and come on to put the shoulder to the wheel and be happy to go back to the bench the next day. This is a great sign of the man. Welcome back Veteran. I don't always or ever often agree with you tactical viewpoints but as a writer you have no peers. Can you elaborate on that mickmack? Are you basing this on Currow and Crokes results against Clare sides in the middle of last winter? And read about in the paper or saw on TG4? Or are you basing it on the amount of club games you actually watch in Kerry and Clare - because I never hear you opinions on Kerry club teams unless they are on the telly. (Not counting the St Brendans hurlers obviously). When my information changes, I alter my conclusions. What do you do, sir?” ― John Maynard Keynes
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Post by Deise Exile on Jun 23, 2014 22:15:32 GMT
Well done Kerry. A new team virtually and we got the win. Great to heading to the Marsh for the Munster final
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Post by colinsworth1 on Jun 23, 2014 23:41:38 GMT
A reality check today in Ennis not just for supporters but for management too; I unlike Veteran( great to have you back) have to be critical of the sideline though: 1. Mikey Geaney got his chance in 2013 and was not up to this level- a good club footballer but that's where it ends. 2. David Moran was rumoured all last week not to have recovered from his knee injury sustained on the 1st June vs South Kerry- why was he started? 3. Bryan Sheehan had begun to win ball when moved to midfield- we replaced David with Aidan O'Mahony and moved Sheehan to the "40" again- surely the logic here would have been to keep Bryan midfield, bring Declan to centre forward and introduce one of Lyne/Casey/ O'Leary - our 2 inside men were outstanding and would have been bettbber off being inside on their own. Killian is not a No 6, Crowley the best option here but both continued to be played way out of position. No marks for the sideline today I am afraid.
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Post by colinsworth1 on Jun 23, 2014 23:51:08 GMT
A reality check today in Ennis not just for supporters but for management too; I unlike Veteran( great to have you back) have to be critical of the sideline though: 1. Mikey Geaney got his chance in 2013 and was not up to this level- a good club footballer but that's where it ends. 2. David Moran was rumoured all last week not to have recovered from his knee injury sustained on the 1st June vs South Kerry- why was he started? 3. Bryan Sheehan had begun to win ball when moved to midfield- we replaced David with Aidan O'Mahony and moved Sheehan to the "40" again- surely the logic here would have been to keep Bryan midfield, bring Declan to centre forward and introduce one of Lyne/Casey/ O'Leary - our 2 inside men were outstanding and would have been bettbber off being inside on their own. Killian is not a No 6, Crowley the best option here but both continued to be played way out of position. No marks for the sideline today I am afraid. Greengold has made some valid point s here and really Nailed a few obvious miscalculations here on the sideline. Not to put any pressure on Paul Geaney but how good is This fella it's not too much of a stretch to consider him Our best player and could he play midfield for us With. Moran apparently injured maher needs a Dynamic Midfield partner that's also a scoring threat. Food for thought
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Post by kerrygold on Jun 24, 2014 8:12:55 GMT
A good game for Kerry to ease back into the scheme of things, one they were never going to lose on the day. Clare put in a huge shift and were full value for their performance, just short of a couple clinical finishers in front of the goal. Podge Collins is full of heart and is a fine footballer/duel player and competitor.
Plenty of positives for Kerry, in particular their five championship debutantes, who all held their own and performed very well. These are a nice addition to the new players called on board last year, Fionn, Peter, Mark and JOD etc.
Midfield is a concern, playing an unfit Moran sums up where we are at in the middle of the park and was a big risk on the back of two very serious knee injuries. Combined with his continuation in the club championship game while injured we probably won't see him in the Munster Final. Anthony Maher is really struggling to find form but could snap back into it quickly enough. A Munster Final should get the juices flowing.
Marc looked light years fresher last Sunday compared to his NFL performances and should be able to drive on now for Kerry for the rest of the summer. Indeed, Bryan, Declan, Killian and Marc to a lesser degree showed that playing NFL is not a requirement for senior players at a certain stage of their careers to put in a summer shift.
All in all, while it was suggested in some quarters that Kerry looked sluggish in this game, I thought there was a certain freshness lurking beneath the surface in the players demeanor that can be unleashed on bigger days.
It makes for an interesting Munster Final now, more so on the back of Corks struggles against Tipp. Can Kerry win this upcoming tie? Certainly, but everything will have to fall into place for them. The young players will want it badly after a few dustings at the hands of Cork underage teams. A game that should go down to the wire with very little between both sides in transition in what should be no more than a 3-5 point swing either way. Cork just about deserve the favourites tag but Kerry will have plenty to say on the day and may even sneak over the line.
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Post by keepitsimple on Jun 24, 2014 10:31:58 GMT
Why is Seamus Scanlon not coaxed out of "retirement"? Surely he is worthy of a call up with the calamity that is Kerrys midfield at present
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Post by lár na páirce on Jun 24, 2014 10:43:48 GMT
My 2 cents
Kelly - Looked good,Did well with the few dangerous high balls,Will improve - I find it amazing we still have no kickout routine yet though?
Murphy - Brill reminds me so much of his his club mate Tom Sullivan,Will hold onto that No.2 jersey for the foreseeable future
Marc - Found it tough going at times but we must remember Turbidy is a top drawer forward.He looks in far better nick than the league.Would think that Marc should be OK
Enright - 50/50 again on Sunday,He really needs to up his game,Find it very hard to imagine Mark Griffin/Aidan Mahoney below him in the pecking order
Crowley - Quite day for young Peter which isn't always a bad thing for a defender,Think his future lies at No.6.We have no need to fear about this man
Young - A long time since this man played a game of football for Kerry so understandably he was rusty.Think he was playing great stuff last year before the injury,But had a bad year or 2 before that.Needs to stand up as a leader for this team.
Fionn - Another man we will be looking to build the team around for the next few years.Thought he did OK Sunday.
Moran - Why would you start that man in the middle when he was so obviously way off the pace? Moran has so much potential to be our go to guy but we need to mind him with kid gloves taking into consideration his previous injuries. Why couldn't Sheehan/AOM/Star all start ahead of him?
Maher - Could be time for a spell on the bench after Sunday,His sending off just really told all that Kerry are not in a good place mentally.While myself am i huge fan of Maher it's been a long long time before he has lorded a game.Personally i think it's a lack of club games,Possibly out of all the Kerry panel it's possible Maher plays the least with the club.
Darran - Did nothing Sunday - Has not played well for Kerry since 2011 when Jack & Donie Buckley built some tactics around him.For a forward that has been playing for Kerry the past 8 years he at times can be a very poor decision maker.Would no longer be an automatic starter for me.
Sheehan - Extremely frustrating display Sunday from Bryan.His work rate is shocking for an Inter County player saying that though I would never go into battle without him though.When he turns it on he is unmarkable.Jack got a serious year out of him in 09.Maybe a return to i lar na pairce will reignite that flame.
Mikey Geaney - Kicked a nice point but seemed to struggle on his first big championship start,Nerves could of played a huge part in that.A man i have seen alot of at club level and he definitely has the raw material to play at this level.I watched him at the start of the year playing at wing back for the McGrath cup games was subbed in every game then started Wing forward v Dublin in the league,On the bench for the next 2 league games and then didnt see him for the next 4 games until Sunday.He needs consistent games if he will improve but maybe it's too late in the year for that
Stephen O Brien - This man impressed me most on Sunday.He has an incredible knack of making himself a yard and once he gets a little more ruthless in front of goal.We will be talking about this guy for a long long time
Declan Sullivan - A real warrior and his importance to Kerry this year should not be underestimated.His strength and intelligence on the ball are second to none.Needs a return to the No.11 position to take the over the Gooch role as leader of the forward line.
Paul Geaney - FINALLY ! - We have been waiting a while now for Paul's arrival.Super talented individual will get better and better. Geaney will be this year's James O Donoghoe
AOM - looked lean and sharp and has a big role to play for Kerry this year.Probably a specialist role.Looking after a big full forward or an anchor centre back.
The other subs had zero impact off the bench - surprised not to see Daithi Casey or Mark Griffin get minutes
Munster Final will come down to the wire but would expect Cork to have the upper hand.
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Post by greengold35 on Jun 24, 2014 11:43:52 GMT
One of the reasons being put forward for our rustiness/lethargy last Sunday was the lack of competitive fare we have had since our last match. That is wholly understandable and 10/11 weeks is a long time without a game and players will get bored with training/drills no matter who is in charge. This leads me to the county leagues & county championship; given the long lay off surely training could have been tailored to have guys playing with their clubs say 2 weeks before county championship which would have brought a more competitive edge to guys play? Round 5 of the county league was one of the week ends Kerry panellists were supposed to be with their clubs- it was the week end of the 18th May- exactly two weeks to the first round of the championship; Kerry players were denied a chance to play and instead had a bonding session some where in Limerick; players were again required on the following week end; most of the Kerry guys did not get to train with their clubs until 48 hours before they played with their clubs- this was a huge mistake in my opinion. I remember listening to Brian Cody some years ago and after winning an All Ireland semi final he was asked how did he cope with a seven week break since the Leinster final- he averred to the local championships which kept players fresh and focused- players need games, they enjoy being back within their clubs and the cut and thrust of local championship should never be underestimated.
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Post by Mickmack on Jun 24, 2014 12:33:45 GMT
Why is Seamus Scanlon not coaxed out of "retirement"? Surely he is worthy of a call up with the calamity that is Kerrys midfield at present is he playing well this year?
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Post by Ballyfireside on Jun 24, 2014 13:19:20 GMT
If Clare were good enough and we beat them playing so poor then things ain't so bad. Remember last year! Anyway if we knew what would happen ahead we wouldn't have to play games so maybe we should stop trying to predict? A wise man once said 'it is difficult to predict but to predict the future is impossible'.
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Post by keepitsimple on Jun 24, 2014 14:07:36 GMT
Why is Seamus Scanlon not coaxed out of "retirement"? Surely he is worthy of a call up with the calamity that is Kerrys midfield at present is he playing well this year? He is absolutely flying, he shouldn't have been discarded so soon
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Jigz84
Fanatical Member
Posts: 2,017
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Post by Jigz84 on Jun 24, 2014 15:19:21 GMT
is he playing well this year? He is absolutely flying, he shouldn't have been discarded so soon Scanlon left the panel of his own accord at the end of 2012/early 2013. His best days were behind him at Inter County level in fairness.
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Post by Mickmack on Jun 24, 2014 21:15:23 GMT
If he is still one of the best midfielders in the county then he should be invited back in quicker than you would say "Mike McCarthy".
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fitz
Fanatical Member
Red sky at night get off my land
Posts: 1,719
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Post by fitz on Jun 24, 2014 23:58:14 GMT
Scanlon did a fine job in his time with Kerry, but I don't think he's a solution. He hasn't got pace, which is needed and he's 2 years older.
I think we're a little bit short of All Ireland but think we still have made huge progress considering new personnel. As for the top table, well there's fcuk all at it. The Dubs and maybe Mayo. Then we're in with Donegal, Monaghan and Cork, who are 50/50 with us Imo. Hurley is their only consistently dangerous forward. As for last year's semi, again, I counted only 4 players playing well for Kerry - Gooch, JOD, Donnacha, Fionn and we lost by a break of a ball. This particular thread has been riddled with negativity and whilst midfield is a real concern, we're not the only team that needs improvement for the Munster final.Cork are as ever overhyped. They're a decent, solid team, but are beatable. Constructively assessing and critiquing players and management is a must, but I'm not sure I can put it correctly, but many of the opinions to me equate to "this team is no match for the last great team that won 4 AI", then followed by positively negative reaffirmations player by player. Bar exceptions like Murphy, players who play well usually read "was ok". The lads that don't do well get much more lavish reviews. We're demanding but overly negative. Outside the Dubs I don't see this AI requiring a chasm to bridge to win. We have found 3 good uns in one year which many would not have forecasted. The class of 75 was given little hope. Sort midfield to gain parity and our have o 15 play to their capability and we'll take beating.
To Cork...
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Post by jackmurphy on Jun 25, 2014 8:35:00 GMT
Scanlon did a fine job in his time with Kerry, but I don't think he's a solution. He hasn't got pace, which is needed and he's 2 years older. I think we're a little bit short of All Ireland but think we still have made huge progress considering new personnel. As for the top table, well there's fcuk all at it. The Dubs and maybe Mayo. Then we're in with Donegal, Monaghan and Cork, who are 50/50 with us Imo. Hurley is their only consistently dangerous forward. As for last year's semi, again, I counted only 4 players playing well for Kerry - Gooch, JOD, Donnacha, Fionn and we lost by a break of a ball. This particular thread has been riddled with negativity and whilst midfield is a real concern, we're not the only team that needs improvement for the Munster final.Cork are as ever overhyped. They're a decent, solid team, but are beatable. Constructively assessing and critiquing players and management is a must, but I'm not sure I can put it correctly, but many of the opinions to me equate to "this team is no match for the last great team that won 4 AI", then followed by positively negative reaffirmations player by player. Bar exceptions like Murphy, players who play well usually read "was ok". The lads that don't do well get much more lavish reviews. We're demanding but overly negative. Outside the Dubs I don't see this AI requiring a chasm to bridge to win. We have found 3 good uns in one year which many would not have forecasted. The class of 75 was given little hope. Sort midfield to gain parity and our have o 15 play to their capability and we'll take beating. To Cork... I'd agree with your accessment of where Kerry are, right now. The fixtures fell kindly for Cork in the league and they got momentum but have now realised that championship is very different. Eamon FitzM spoke very sensibly after the Clare game and knows that it was a decent win with 5 debutants. He's very unfortunate that after the loss of Gooch, a lot of potential leaders have been badly hampered by injury - Moran, Young, Donaghy, Darran O Sullivan, JOD & D Walsh and Buckley's injury has added to the problems. If all of these players were 100% fit and in flying form, then Fitzy's task would be 10 times easier. But he'll see Cork's weaknesses in Midfield and with kick-outs and Kerry Management is clever enough to exploit them. With home advantage and JOD unlikely to be 100%, it looks like Cork's to lose but Kerry are definately in with a decent shout.
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Post by Annascaultilidie on Jun 25, 2014 9:02:18 GMT
Kerry had the best midfield in the country not so long ago with similar personnel.
Hopefully we can get our mojo back in there.
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