United Kingdom attack fires and reigns
Kerry goalscorer Declan O'Sullivan steals a march on Dublin's Bryan Cullen yesterday at Croke Park
The critical components of Kerry football yesterday, as they have been all down the years, were their determination particularly when opposed by traditional rivals like Dublin, their ability to score points from far out while running at the goals, and the facility they have to produce heroes at the drop of a hat when they seem to be in great danger of losing. The other vital component of Kerry football is that they are rarely knocked out of their stride by unexpected events in a game and yesterday was a brilliant example of this.
When they lost their talisman at midfield, Darragh Ó Sé, through injury after just 20 minutes it looked ominous, but in true Kerry style they cobbled together a new midfield mix, with Kieran Donaghy coming out to lend a considerable hand, that held the fort adequately until Darragh returned for the final quarter.
Other teams would panic or make drastic changes in a similar situation, but Kerry just take it all in their stride.
The ability to score longrange points is probably the single most distinctive aspect of Kerry football, even more so than the high catch, and this now rare talent won this game for them. Colm Cooper and Declan O’Sullivan in particular gave an exhibition of pointscoring and at the end Kerry had scored a staggering 1-13 from play in a tough, hardhitting game.
This win will go down in Kerry football as one of the great victories of modern times, especially in the context of all the hype about the 1977 semifinal, because they beat a very good Dublin team, overcoming adversity in the process and winning with real style.
They regained control of the match in the closing minutes after Dublin had held the initiative for the previous 15 minutes and scored five points in a 10-minute spell.
And the way the Kerry forwards controlled the game when they got the ball was pure class. Just as I had noted in the Munster final they excelled at close formation play in order to keep possession, frustrate the opposing defenders and eventually work their way into a scoring position for one of their forwards.
Conclusive
The final point of the game which shut the door on any chance Dublin had of saving the day was classical example of this play. Seven or eight players short-played the ball to one another from the right side of the field to the left before Declan O’Sullivan finally lofted over the insurance point.
They had adopted this same laid-back approach to retaining possession on several other occasions, including the clever patience-play of Colm Cooper which set up the only goal of the game for Declan O’Sullivan.
There is no need to philosophise deeply on why Dublin did not win the game. It was because they were just not good enough on this day – very nearly good enough, but that’s no use. All over the field they were ever so slightly less efficient than Kerry and it was as simple as that.
For example, while Darragh Ó Sé was off the field, Ciarán Whelan and Shane Ryan should have gained a bigger hold on that area. Ironically when Ó Sé did return in the second-half Whelan did raise his game and it was his brilliance then that inspired the Dublin rally that cut the Kerry lead from six points to one.
The Dublin defence, which in my opinion has regressed this year, was always on edge in thismatch and that accounted for Kerry’s huge tally from play.
When forwards are prepared to shoot from far out it poses big problems for defenders and so it was with Dublin’s backs who often found themselves clutching at straws.
In the second half, when the versatile Donaghy abandoned his place in front of goal for a wandering role all over the field, the Dublin defenders were completely bemused, not seeming to know who they were marking at times and leaving huge gaps.
Cooper also moved further out the field, which added to the Dublin uncertainty. That was why in the opening 14 minutes of the second-half Kerry scored 1-5, and but for some untypical ‘showboating’ by a couple of Kerry forwards, would have scored more. That period was the most decisive spell in the game as it left Dublin with a mountain to climb.
The same scenario had unfolded at the start of the game when Dublin conceded three points in three minutes, and it took them all of 18 minutes to wipe out that deficit – a very costly period of wastage for Dublin. But when we look closely at the Dublin forwards we can say that they simply did not do the business in this match.
They only scored two points from play in the second half which is just not good enough at this level. Alan Brogan was the only Dublin forward to match the scoring ability of several Kerry forwards. Therein lies a huge problem for Dublin.
Watertight
Of course the Kerry defence, about which many of us had serious doubts, deserve great credit for this low scoring rate of Dublin. Marc and Tomás Ó Sé were outstanding and what a rallying figure Tomás is when he comes charging outfield with the ball after beating one or two opponents.
Padraig Reidy put Scartaglin on the map, proving that Kerry can always produce new players to replace recent greats. Tom O’Sullivan looks like he will become yet another excellent Kerry full-back recycled from another position.
This was a terrible game for Dublin to lose because they played nearly as much good football as Kerry. But they were not as clever in their approach. There was a lot of rushing and running about when maybe they would have been better to adopt a more cagey approach when they had possession.
It is important to stress that Dublin were very close to winning this game, but a lack of self belief after so many disappointments in recent years has perhaps taken its toll mentally on some players.
It is a difficult road ahead for this set of Dublin players, as this seemed to be the year to make the breakthrough and at least get to the All-Ireland final.
But it is by no means a lost cause. They can start the 2008 championship as one of the top five teams in the country, not a bad place to be. But whether enough of the present Dublin players can improve by 20 or 30 per cent in the future is the great imponderable.
By the way, I hope Kerry people take note that just because I am from Longford I cannot be blamed for John Bannon’s refereeing yesterday!
The Kingdom did appear to come out on the wrong side of a few big decisions alright, but it worked the other way for Kerry in the past and I’m sure they will agree that all's well that ends well.
- Eugene McGee
