It is often said that the penultimate day in a major golf classic is moving day. Well if that is the situation, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then last weekend was definitely moving weekend as far as this year’s football championship is concerned. All the main protagonists were in action and, some more than others, issued a statement or two regarding their ambitions. You may recall around this time last year it was Tyrone who had limped through the back door before giving a warning to any other pretenders to the throne. Same scenario in 2009, only difference this time is that it was Kerry who jumped to the front of the queue with the performance of the year so far.
Great men fade away but the great mentality endures. When it comes to the business end of the season, particularly during the months of August and September, Kerry footballers seem to grow to fit their great mythology. Opposing teams should know that in such contests their most assuredly demanding confrontation will be with the Kerrymen’s attitude. Kerry arrived in Croke Park last Monday like wounded tigers. They looked mean, totally focused and their jubilant after-match attitude highlighted just how committed they are to one another. Their performances since the commencement of this year’s championship can only be described as mediocre as they literally huffed and puffed to get to this stage of the competition. Rumours emanated from the camp about boozing sessions, bust-ups between manager and players, and a suggestion of a loss of appetite for success. Severe judges understandably questioned the team’s ability to compete with this year’s best, with quite a few so-called shrewd footballing men suggesting they were definitely gone past their sell by date. Jack O’Connor’s credentials were also questioned, with many hinting that he had ‘lost the dressing room’, with the ‘expert’ inside view having it as fact that his book, written two years ago, was the primary reason for most of the fall outs.
Kerry favourites
Despite the rumours, most were eagerly anticipating a fascinating and close encounter as the Dubs had thrown enough shapes through the Leinster championship to suggest that they themselves were serious contenders for Sam. I watched the game at home and before the game as a little exercise I sent out 10 texts to friends of mine with the simple question; Dublin or Kerry? Nine replies favoured the Dubs. Within seconds of the start the ‘Gooch’ was spinning away from the hill, having displayed that magic touch of his in rolling the ball past Cluxton. Incredibly it was Kerry’s rejuvenated centre half back, Mike McCarthy, that sauntered through the middle of the Dublin defence, with his opposite number nowhere in sight, to pop the ball to Cooper to finish the job. It wasn’t the first time last Monday afternoon that a Kerry footballer was given the freedom of Croke Park. And remember McCarthy was only called into the panel in June of this year, having opted out two years ago due, ironically enough, to a loss of appetite for football. Last Monday’s performance was as brilliant a display of pure football as I have witnessed and the performance has restored Kerry as joint favourites to win this year’s All-Ireland in the most emphatic fashion possible.
I do have a fair splattering of sympathy for the Dubs. It is the second year in a row that they have trailed off the pitch in Croke Park at this stage of the competition, completely embarrassed after buckling under the pressure of expectation. You will recall they were obliterated by Tyrone, suffering a 12-point defeat last year. That was bad, but the ’09 capitulation was worse. Last year the Dubs were reasonably competitive for 40 minutes. Last Monday’s match was over by the 10th minute. On occasions like this you need leadership on the field, not off it. Sadly Dublin have been found wanting in this department in recent years. It will take a while to find that type of player in the capital and I would suggest that it will be nigh on impossible to motivate many of the Dublin players that participated in Monday’s game to have another go. Pat Gilroy, the Dublin manager, has arguably the most difficult job in the country. Who would swop places with him today?
It was left to Kildare and Tyrone to provide the excitement last weekend and they really did provide a wonderful entertaining encounter. Tyrone have developed such a wonderful telepathic understanding of one another in recent years that you could have put your house on them winning this match once it was in the balance coming into the home straight. That’s when the real leaders on this magnificent side stood up and were counted. Kildare, on the other hand, were out on their feet having tried their hardest to create the winning opportunities, for a forward line that needed about six chances to convert one, in the last quarter. They ran out of time and energy and lost nothing in defeat. They are worthy recipients of the gong for the most improved team of the year.
Cork are the real deal
Cork really enhanced their reputation further with a demolition job on the hapless Donegal. Isn’t it funny that all the various commentators that I listened to after this particular game referred to the fact that Donegal were listless, tired, and drained after the back door system militated against them as a result of having to play weekends on the trot? Kerry were out on their fourth weekend on the trot, and I very much doubt, if they had to play another two or three consecutive weekends, it would have hampered their energy levels. Anyway, Cork look the real deal and I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if it is they and not the All-Ireland Champions, Tyrone, who will advance to the third Sunday in September after their meeting on August 23. Either way the championship has sprung to life after a pretty inept start and everyone that knows anything about Gaelic football could make a sound argument for any of the remaining teams left in this championship to go on and win it.
This weekend we have the footballing spotlight all on Meath and Mayo at HQ. So what do I make of Mayo’s chances of advancing to an encounter with Kerry on August 30? I thought last weekend that it might have been Limerick and not our old friends from the Royal that we would be meeting on Sunday. Meath came away from the weekend fixture with Limerick with the win and, despite the score line suggesting otherwise, I thought they won the match convincingly. Meath had the greater hunger and completely out-muscled the much-vaunted Limerick midfield, gaining a foothold in this crucial area that ultimately laid the foundation for their success.
Meath had the upper hand up front also where they were cuter and sharper in converting their chances. Talented captain Stephen Bray, who had scored four points from play before being dismissed on a straight red card, will miss Sunday’s game, but they are still a serious enough outfit. Most of the experts that I have listened to over the last few weeks have spoken of Mayo as being serious contenders for an All-Ireland this year. Most of those also consider this match to fall into the ‘handy’ category for Mayo. I don’t think so and if we prevail with a couple of points to spare it will be a job well done. And God knows we owe Meath one.
