THE influence of Paddy Tally’s coaching on Kerry’s defensive structure and movement this season has been obvious. Tally linked up with the Kingdom after parting company with Down at the end of last season and has helped to plug the holes in a leaky defence.
On the way to the National League title, the Kingdom conceded just two goals (one from a penalty) in eight games against the best attacks in the country. In contrast, last year Kerry shipped four in one game against Dublin, in 2020 they conceded six, in 2019 eight, in 2018 it was 10…
Any team conceding that amount of scores will get caught out at some stage and so it has proved for Kerry. Before last Sunday’s walk-in-the-park 15-point victory over Mayo, the Kingdom had won just once in 10 visits to Croke Park.
After the game, Kerry manager Jack O’Connor explained that he’d been alerted to Galbally native Tally’s tactical savvy in head-to-head meetings with the former Down manager.
“Paddy is a very clever coach,” said O’Connor.
“I know that because we’d been friendly for a few years and we came across each other when I was in Kildare and he was in Down.
“He’s just a good fella, very bright and very sharp. He probably gives us a different angle that we didn’t have and I think the management work very well together. Diarmuid (Murphy) and Mike (Quirke) really contribute as well and all’s well at the moment, so we’ll see down the line, and we hope it keeps going.”
National League titles don’t guarantee Championship success but Kerry did follow their wins in 2004, 2006 and 2009 with All-Irelands the same year. However, the Kingdom bowed out in the semi-final (after a replay against Mayo) after winning the League in 2017 so O’Connor will take absolutely nothing for granted.
“We’ve been working on getting a good shape on the team, a good structure and the lads are enjoying it which is a big part of it,” he said.
“They are buying into the team ethos and concept. There were six changes from last Sunday, the boys accepted that and most of them came on today and did well.
“We are happy with where we are at, but there's a long road there. Kerry had huge wins in the League last year and when push came to shove down the line in the Championship it didn’t do them a pile of good, so we are certainly going to keep our feet on the ground.”
O’Connor – who also includes Armagh native Jason McGahan in his management team - will send his players out to club pastures now. Kerry don’t begin their Munster Championship campaign until May 7 when they take on Cork at the semi-final stage.
Pairc Ui Chaoimh has been ruled out as the venue due to worries over the condition of the pitch after two Ed Sheeran gigs at the end of April. The Munster Council switched the game to Killarney but Cork have called for that decision to be revisited and insist the game should be played in front of 11,000 spectators at Pairc Ui Rinn.
The Kerry players will see action with their clubs before the semi-final is played.
“I’m big into getting lads that haven’t had much football playing club football,” said O’Connor.
“Some of the lads on the extended panel played county league this weekend, we are hoping Stefan (Okunbor) would play a county league game but he has to get an all clear tomorrow in Santry, and after that he should be good to go.
“We just need to get games into fellas, because it’s all about matches and we are mad anxious to get matches into lads in the next few weeks.”
