Rejuvenated Kingdom have what it takes to triumph in Galway
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TO say that Kerry are back to their best would be to overstate their second half performance against Derry last Sunday.
What that performance did show, however, is that Kerry are moving in the right direction. It was always going to be difficult for an injury hit (as well as retirement and AFL hit) squad to be at their very best at the beginning of this year's National League
In the two weeks since the defeat to Cork Jack O'Connor has been able to both rally and muster the troops – back are Tom O'Sullivan, Marc Ó Sé, Darran O'Sullivan and Colm Cooper.
Not only that but the Kerry boss has captain Bryan Sheehan, Anthony Maher and Aidan O'Shea all back from injury. With that amount of talent coming back on stream there was always going to be an up tick in performance.
Not that you would have known it from Kerry's stuttering first half display – it was sloppy and disjointed, but as Jack O'Connor pointed out it gives him something to work on. These are early season problems that will improve with each and every game – in Pearse Stadium they're unlikely to be eradicated completely, but they won't be as prevalent. Bad news for Joe Kernan's new look Galway.
Ki e ra n Donaghy and Colm Cooper's working relationship is likely to improve further still between last Sunday and next so Finian Hanley and Garret Bradshaw will have their hands full – considering Galway conceded 1-19 to Cork last Saturday night the Kingdom should be aiming to put up a reasonable score.
Galway may only have one win to date – away to Monaghan – but they're moving nicely under their new manager. Their second half fightback in Pairc Uí Rinn last weekend was impressive and their forwards were in fine form (especially Nicky Joyce), but their display against the Rebels did demonstrate that the Tribesmen retain many of their old failings.
They're not good enough at the ugly stuff. When Cork needed a score, even when they were under the cosh, they got it, and when Cork needed to win possession of the ball around the middle of the Park they could. Barry Cullinane and Paul Conroy are good players, but they don't have the physical presence of Seamus Scanlon and Micheal Quirke.
There's every chance that Galway could go on one of their scoring sprees and shoot down the Kingdom, but one, nevertheless, feels that even in their present inconsistent state Jack O'Connor's men should have the measure of Joe Kernan's work in progress.
Kerry
- Damian Stack
