All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final: Dublin v Kerry
(tomorrow, 3.30pm, live on RTE2 & Sky Sports 3)
THIS rivalry was first forged in glorious Technicolor during the rare oul times of ‘Heffo’ and ‘Micko’ 40 years ago.
The era produced icons like Sheehy, Spillane and ‘the Bomber’ on one side and Mullins, Keaveney and Kelleher on the other. Barney Rock, Bernard Brogan, Denis ‘Ogie’ Moran and John McCarthy all played their parts back then and tomorrow, like their fathers did, they’ll watch their sons from the stands.
Kerry and the Dubs were the best in the ’70s as they are today. Between them these counties have won 61 of 127 All-Ireland titles and, while this decider maybe lacks the personality of Ulster or the charm of Connacht, the top two teams will decide who takes home the cup and that’s what knockout football is all about.
It’s such is a tough one to call because neither county has looked unbeatable. There have been times when both sailed close to the wind but they’ve taken the hits and come through rough patches to win.
Like Cork, Tyrone tested Kerry. Down the stretch the Red Hands were level but the Kingdom pulled away with the last four points to settle it and, in the end and though the Red Hands had their chances, the Kingdom were worthy winners.
Then Mayo tested the Dubs twice. Over two meetings in six days the westerners had them on the rack at times but couldn’t put them away.
Mayo made mistakes, but it was Dublin’s point-blank refusal to accept defeat that saw them through in a replay they ended up winning by seven points. They will have learned a lot about themselves from those two games but so will Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice who will have watched both and has had hours to pore over the footage.
With the calibre of the forwards on display the kick-outs, as ever, will be crucial. Why always the kick-outs? You may ask, well statistics show that there are on average 40 kick-outs per game, that equals 40 possessions and winning 30 of them should win the game.
Against Mayo, Stephen Cluxton was regularly allowed to punt the ball to corner-back Johnny Cooper on the wing. Cooper came back inside and the ball was worked to midfielder Brian Fenton who started off a succession of lightning breaks.
Having watched the Dubs pick their way through Mayo it seems likely that Fitzmaurice will send his men out to mark up once Cluxton puts the ball down for a restart and force him to kick long.
In Anthony Maher and David Moran Kerry have a colossal and settled midfield pair and so far this season they have opted to kick the ball down the middle and back them to catch it or the likes of Donncha Walsh to win the breaks.
Winning possession so far up the pitch has obvious advantages and if Kerry do play that way it’s unlikely they’ll use a sweeper. Fitzmaurice has made two changes in his defence, which give it a more robust look - Fionn Fitzgerald and Aidan O’Mahony come into the full-back line in place of injury victims Paul Murphy and Marc Ó Sé.
Alongside Shane Enright they’ll have their hands full, particularly against Bernard Brogan (1-1) and Paddy Andrews (0-5) who were superb against Mayo.
But the Kerry half-back line may have to work hardest because in Ciaran Kilkenny, Paul Flynn and Dairmuid Connolly, Dublin have the best half-forward trio in the country.
Flynn hasn’t found his best form and Connolly (who had a late night at an appeals hearing) was quiet last time out so you’d expect better tomorrow.
Of course Kerry have an embarrassment of attacking riches themselves and from 10-to-15 they include six potential match-winners and there are plenty more on the bench.
News that Kieran Donaghy won’t start means that Paul Geaney and James O’Donoghue are likely to play inside with ‘Gooch’ Cooper drifting off to find space out the field.
Dublin full-back Rory O’Carroll would certainly have picked up Donaghy had he played and may now have to switch to Geaney with Philly McMahon taking O’Donoghue.
As for Cooper, he may be marked by another Cooper (Johnny) particularly if Cian O’Sullivan is ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Like Edward Woodward’s character in The Equaliser, he has a handy habit of turning up just where he is needed and has been excellent for the Dubs this year.
He reads the game well and covers acres of space from the full-back line to midfield to restrict the sort of goal-scoring opportunities that Kerry have been conceding all year. In his absence Johnny Cooper could slot in with Michael Fitzsimmons coming into the side, but O’Sullivan’s absence will be a bonus for Kerry.
The Dubs have no concerns about their wing-backs, but Kerry will have because the pace up both flanks, through James McCarthy and Jack McCaffrey, has hurt them in the past. Donncha Walsh and Stephen O’Brien will be told to keep both on the back foot as much as possible. Walsh in particular is more than capable of doing so.
If either runs out of puff then the electric pace of Darran O’Sullivan will be introduced from the bench. Dublin can cancel that out with McManamon and they also have Alan Brogan up their sleeve while Kerry can unleash Donaghy, Tommy Walsh, Paul Galvin, Barry John Keane…
There is nothing between the sides and both even have the weight of history on their shoulders. Kerry hope to complete notoriously difficult back-to-back All-Ireland titles while Dublin have never beaten the Kingdom three times in-a-row in the Championship.
But they can set that record straight tomorrow. The way they came back against Mayo in the replay was hugely impressive - they refused to lose and they’ll carry that spirit with them tomorrow.
Kerry have won 37 All-Ireland titles and could bring home number 38 on Monday, but there’s a shade more energy and purpose in this Dublin side and they have the pace and ability to land decisive blows. If they take their chances they should win it.
