Sport

Well-rested Kerry will again prove too hot to handle for Clare

Kerry manager Eamon Fitzmaurice has had a month to prepare his team for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Clare - a team Kerry beat by 12 points in the Munster semi-final in June
Kerry manager Eamon Fitzmaurice has had a month to prepare his team for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Clare - a team Kerry beat by 12 points in the Munster semi-final in June Kerry manager Eamon Fitzmaurice has had a month to prepare his team for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Clare - a team Kerry beat by 12 points in the Munster semi-final in June

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Clare v Kerry (Sunday, Croke Park, 2pm)

SHOULD Kerry beat Clare on Sunday, they will surely have had one of the easiest ever routes to the last-four of the All-Ireland series.

No disrespect to both Clare and Tipperary, but Kerry were never going to be beaten against either team and now face the Banner again for a place in the semi-finals. Is there a chance they can be caught cold by Clare? The answer has to be an overwhelming ‘no’.

Deprived of their annual Munster joust with Cork in the Munster decider by the Rebels’ surprise exit at the hands of Tipperary, some would argue Kerry are perfectly set up for a Clare ambush. Those people are, I’m afraid, in fantasy land.

Although Kerry have been out of competitive action since their 10-point dismissal of Tipperary a month ago, one can hardly imagine they have been idle. There is frenetic competition within the closed Kerry ranks for a starting jersey and manager Eamon Fitzmaurice will have used that period to assess his talented troops and fine tune how he wants them to play.

The truth is these two counties are on totally different trajectories at present. Kerry are looking over Clare’s shoulder, hoping for two more successful raids on Croke Park after this one. For Clare, the season has already been a success and this is not wishing to appear patronising. They will play Division Two football next season after winning the Division Three title and, in also beating Roscommon to reach this stage, have plenty to look back on with satisfaction.

So where will this contest be won and lost? The starting point for analysis is the clash between the two in the Munster semi-final on June 12 in Killarney. Kerry started like a whirlwind and scored two goals inside the first five minutes.

Although one was a fortuitous effort from Colm Cooper (who has been ruled out for Sunday), Stephen O’Brien rattled in the other and, after seven minutes, the score was already 2-2 to 0-1. It will have demonstrated to Clare boss Colm Collins just how dangerous Kerry can be when they cut loose. They are laden with natural footballers and their speed of hand and thought is remarkable.

To stand any chance of beating Kerry, Clare must close out the space in their own defence as much as possible and they cannot allow their defenders to be pulled around as they were in Killarney. Fitzmaurice’s side are masters at exploiting gaps and they possess the firepower to hurt any opponent very quickly, if allowed the merest sniff of a chance. Between them, the full-forward line of Darran O’Sullivan, Paul Geaney and O’Brien plundered 1-12 that day. 

Midfield will also be an area of concern for the Clare men. Their captain and best player Gary Brennan was largely quelled by Kieran Donaghy in the first-half, during which the foundations for the win were built. It is not hard to surmise Fitzmaurice may try and repeat the tactic, as Brennan is such a vital player for Clare.

Another huge positive for the Kingdom is the strength of their bench. In the Clare game, they were able to introduce Marc Ó Sé, David Moran, Jonathan Lyne, BJ Keane, Michael Geaney and Anthony Maher, for his first appearance of the season.

Against Tipperary, Fitzmaurice sprang from the bench Geaney, Moran, Lyne, Keane and Maher, as well as James O’Donoghue. For a team to know their opponents have such weaponry in reserve is demoralising before the ball is even thrown in.

Kerry, then, can be relied upon to score and probably very heavily. Their forward unit is as tenacious in the tackle as any around and they force errors from their opponents as a result. The fact is though Clare kicked 17 points against them and Tipperary registered 2-10. Those are healthy returns for two Division Three sides and it must surely be some cause for concern.

There were gaps in the Kingdom rearguard in both their Munster Championship outings. And while defenders Tadhg Morley and Brian Ó Beaglaoich are coming along well, they are wet enough behind the ears. If there are any weaknesses again, Clare will seek to exploit them. The question is whether they have the tools to do so. They have regrouped well since June 12, accounting for Laois, Sligo and Roscommon in the Qualifiers.

They are a team who exhibit an admirable work ethic and nowhere was this better exemplified than against Roscommon - a team not that long ago being heralded as a coming force. In the first-half of that game, the Rossies could not live with their energy as they led by five at the break against a strong wind.

Brennan was outstanding, as were David Tubridy, Jamie Malone and Martin McMahon, but it was every player's willingness to throw everything they had at the cause that marked their display. Their performance after the break though showed up their limitations and how difficult their task is against a stellar outfit like Kerry. They scored only one point in the first 25 minutes and poor decision making led to many chances being passed up.

Although the Qualifiers have allowed a county like Clare to play Championship football at the tail end of July, the fact that Kerry will, in all likelihood, make the last-four at a canter vividly illustrates the Championship set-up must be reformed.