Kerry swagger returns, Dublin have issues to solve and a fascinating replay in store

By Ciaran Deely

* An shortened version of this article first appeared in the sports website www.the42.ie on Monday 02.09.2019

In a pulsating game, with end to end attacking and the ebb of flow of the great game of Gaelic football at its most exciting, if not highest quality, best…we discovered that Dublin have finally found a true nemesis; that Kerry can now mix it with the very best; and that this rivalry will determine the fate of the All Irelands into the next decade.

This was a game that was all about Kerry for me. At this stage we know so much about Dublin that there is very little more to learn about them. It may very well be the case that Dublin will go on to win the replay in 2 weeks’ time and clinch the famed 5 in a row. But we learned so much more about this young Kerry team yesterday.

That Kerry will go on to win All Irelands in the coming years is now no longer a doubt for me. They have the players, the know-how and ominously for the rest of the country- they’ve got the Kerry swagger and confidence back!

This game was a story of smashing goals, big refereeing calls, missed chances and a truly breathless finish. It would have been a shame for it to end with a pointed free after a slow methodical build up from Dublin. Having said that, I don’t believe in the tired old cliché of neither side deserving to lose and I believe there should always be a winner on the day, with the match going into extra time, rather than a replay.

It was already telling that after the first 10 minutes in which Kerry’s forwards had their Dublin man markers all at sea, that the Capital were still in the lead with a 2-point margin. Kerry’s 1 point from 5 chances in comparison to Dublin’s 3 from 5 told a story and one which was to continually repeat itself throughout the day.

Then came the penalty decision. Which to me was not a major decision at all. I applaud David Gough for having the guts to give it. It was a foul and so was the right call. Before the game I predicted Dublin would have a man sent off and Johnny Cooper was my favourite, along with John Small. Both received early yellow cards, and for such tight man markers who continually play on the edge, it was inevitable one was going to get the line. The missing of the penalty by Paul Geaney brought back comparisons with another outstanding corner forward from Kerry, Mickey Sheedy in the infamous 1982 final penalty, but luckily the irresistible Sean O Shea was once again on the money with the resulting 45 and Kerry seemed to be motoring well.

Though Kerry were young and inexperienced, it is rare that you see an opposition team give as good as they get from Dublin. During that period, they showed why they will win All Irelands, but also why they perhaps are not quite ready yet. Showing immaturity in some wild shooting and missing 3 good goal scoring chances. They had huge momentum and we all knew we were in for a proper game this year, in contrast to the one-sided contest last year with Tyrone.

Of course, Dublin, as Dublin always do, found a way! Both teams impressed me so much in their bravery on opposition kick outs. Instead of the typical 3-3-2 zonal positioning of all 6 forwards in position and midfielders, what we saw from both teams was often a 4-4-4 or even a 4-5-3 formation. The problem, of course with such an aggressive press, is that you leave some opposition forwards inside unmarked, including some of the sharpest marksmen in the game. At one point in the second half, there were only 2 Dublin defenders marking 4 Kerry attackers inside the Dublin 65, with even Cluxton marking Tommy Walsh inside. Brave stuff!

It is a high risk, high reward tactic and in this case for Dublin, the reward was huge. A laser kick-out from Cluxton found Brian Howard soaring above the Kerry midfield, a quick offload to Ciaran Kilkenny, onto an accelerating Niall Scully who promptly released Jack McCaffrey who put on the burners and he finished with aplomb. One of the best All Ireland Final team goals I’ve seen!

Kerry’s momentum was gone and after 20 minutes the Dubs had hit 1-4 from 8 chances, with Kerry falling well behind that efficiency in getting 0-5 from 8 chances. Kerry were beginning to really struggle with the supply of ball into Clifford and Geaney had largely fried up and after 27 minutes it had been 10 minutes since their last score and they were behind by 4 and seemingly conceding all kick outs short to Dublin and things were beginning to look bleak for Kerry. The excellent Sean O Shea was continually keeping Kerry in it with played balls and from play. The first half at times seemed like a shootout between O Shea and Dean Rock, with Rock bagging 6 points. Though Con was showing flashes of brilliant, Paul Mannion struggled to get into the game, along with Scully and Kilkenny. It was left to Rock and Howard to pick up the slack.

Cooper’s sending at the stroke of half time gave Kerry a much-needed lifeline, but I felt they really could have done with it happening just after half time. Jim Gavin is obviously notoriously diligent, and the half time break would have given him and his management staff a chance to reorganise, dedicate switches in man marking duties and hatch new a plan for Clifford et al- which involved Michael Fitzsimons picking up Clifford for the second half, something I felt should have been done from the beginning. Interesting, I believe Jim Gavin showed momentary weakness in not changing Cooper off Clifford, or even taking him off in the first half. It could have proved fatal. I suspect Cooper was the happiest man in Croke Park today at the final whistle. If opposition teams are looking for a clink in the armour of Jim Gavin’s team, perhaps Jim usual ruthlessness in getting rid of players off the squad is showing some bias about some players who have been with him on the road since 2013. If Cooper are to struggle against a new breed of young Kerry forwards, then Jim will have to show more ruthlessness than ever to fight against any kind of loyalty or bias.

As an aside, RTE’s analysis of Johnny Cooper’s sending off was bias in the most extreme form and once again showed the fallacy of using analysts who are unwilling to show impartiality and who have preconceived agendas. Sky Sports’ tactical analysis was excellent with Peter Canavan and Kieran Donaghy giving real insights. We, the referee, and the game in general deserve more from our national broadcaster and one of its flagship programmes.

At half time you felt Kerry were ruing the missed goal chances yet once getting the first score of the second half, they had so scored the last 4 points of the first half and first of the second. They showed a renewed appetite for work and forced the type of turnovers around the middle third that Dublin are not known for.

Once Dublin finally settled and Kerry had enjoyed their near 10-minute bounce from the sending off either side of the half time whistle, a moment summed up for me the beauty in how Jim Gavin works with this team also. Davy Byrne made a wonderful turnover through pure strength and guile along and set Dublin off on the counter attack again. Byrne had missed all last season, but now was back in for this season. Typical Jim, if the player was performing in training, he gets the nod, regardless of last season.

Cluxton still finding spare kick out options was perplexing. With Kerry having the extra man, how were they not continuing their full press through the second half? Tiredness I’m sure was a contributing factor. But still, especially since Brian Fenton was having as quiet a game as I could remember and the excellent David Moran dominating in the air and around the pitch with his sublime kicking.

Paul Geaney was surprisingly, but effectively, playing more as a deep lying play maker in the second half and setting the play rather than finishing it off. Often your marksman is also potentially your purest ball player also further out the pitch, but it’s the opportunity cost of losing his presence inside. In this situation I think his play making further out was a wise move, especially with Tommy Walsh and Spillane entering the fray and finishing moves now further up the field. After 45 minutes Kerry were only 2 points down and were still very much in the game at 1-10 to 0-11.

Notwithstanding the definite stonewall penalty for Stephen O Brien that wasn’t given, they never seemed exploit their period of dominance. As is typical in these big games (and especially those involving Dublin) momentum swings back in Dublin’s favour again and they capitalise no it ruthlessly. They are so efficient in their use of the ball, in how they build a score, suck teams into a melee and then play out of it, switching the ball to the open side where Con and Mannion are left in a one v one situation, or into an overloaded zone of the pitch where careering defender from deep ploughs forward through the mass of bodies and creates an opening for a score. Jack McCaffrey made hay during this period with several scores like this.

I was surprised at Peter Keane for this. Dublin gets their scores methodically, often working the ball through the centre and famously predominantly only shoot from within the scoring zones. To beat Dublin, I would have flooded that central area with defenders but also half forwards to snuff out that avenue for the Dublin attack. It was surprising to see such gaps opening right through the heart of the Kerry defence.

By this stage Kerry were hardly retaining their kick outs and worse, missing chances at the other end. The indefatigable Howard stationed himself behind midfield and made the play, sometimes showing his incredible footwork and deftness of movement to get him out of sticky situations and help Dublin launch further attacks. I’ve never seen such a young player play with such maturity. He has all the attributes needed for the crazy cauldron of frantic big matches in Croke Park and you know he is going to perform on the big day.

Another thing that really surprised me with both managers was what little changes they made and how late those changes were. Niall Scully had an extremely quiet game by his standards yet didn’t get replaced till very late on and Diarmuid Connelly entered the fray with little time to have a lasting impact. Could this be a little ray of hope for all other teams out there chasing Dublin- that the extreme pressure of the race for 5 in a row is getting to the Dublin management, the refusal to make changes when most needed. You often see players being consumed by fear and nerves as the years go by, and paradoxically are more aware of what they are doing the more experienced they become. Managers are not immune to that also. You generally see managers become more tactically cautious in advancing years. It is like they get it…it’s like it dawns on them that what they are doing means something. Younger players and managers often plot a course of action without too much thought for the consequences of those decisions. It’s what made the Kerry performance yesterday possible and why before the game, I thought Kerry were in with a shout. Not despite their inexperience, but because of their inexperience!

I was, however, more disappointed with Peter Keane’s insistence on keeping a Tommy Walsh on the side-lines until the 52 minute. It couldn’t understand why he was not introduced into the fray earlier, and even wasn’t the first sub in for Kerry. Now granted Spillane had a huge effect on proceedings also when he came in, but when I wrote a piece previewing the game, I thought Walsh was exactly what the Dublin defence didn’t want to come up against and should start. In ways it didn’t surprise me, with it being Peter Keane’s first Senior All Ireland Final, that he didn’t go all-out attack and start him from the beginning. In fairness to Tommy Walsh, when he did enter the fray, he had an immediate impact on proceedings. He lost one ball down the fight hand side, kicked a bad wide, but then showed all the bravery and experience to take on the next ball he got and score a monstrous point from down on the left-hand side under the Hogan. Sometimes I stop and gasp at the extreme skill and courage shown by these young men in such highly pressurised moments! I would have 100% started Walsh from the off- I believe to beat Dublin you must take risks, and everything must go right for you on the day. You never know when such an opportunity comes around again. So, you must be brave in your decision making. I would say Peter Keane’s selections and game plan were somewhat restrained. But not all out sit back and defend. You’d have to applaud at least that.

After 55 minutes the game looked up, Kerry kick outs were not being retained and they continued to miss chances. Dublin led by 5 and you knew a goal was the only thing that could spark Kerry back into life. Of course, Kerry being Kerry, that’s exactly what they got! David Moran with a speculative ball Walsh, with a mistake by a Dublin defender, the ball was quickly transferred to Spillane and a jinxing run and a finish with aplomb from the young corner for award. And suddenly Kerry were back in the game at 1-14 to 1-12 behind.

Of course, it is Brian Howard who wins the next kick out, a reminder that Dublin don’t do panic and have been in similar positions before in All Ireland Finals. They have won 4 of last 6 finals by a single point, and they normally come down the home straight with an inappropriate calmness for such pressurised situations.

This time, things felt a little different! Listening during the week to the Bomber Liston and Mickey Sheehy speak about the unknown pressure the Kerry players of ‘82 felt on the day of the game and especially coming down the home stretch, it made me think that regardless of all the structures, support system and constant talk of trusting the process that Jim Gavin and his management would have put in place to protect against any straying minds and nerves, the players themselves perhaps unbeknownst to themselves will start feeling the 5 in a row quest jitters. Even the strongest of minds feel the heavy weight of history on their shoulders. How else can you explain the subdued performances of Mannion, Kilkenny and the usually incomparable Fenton?

With 8 minutes to go, the teams were level. Again, it was Moran who strangled a grip on proceedings, playing the ball first time long into Tommy Walsh, who played off to the oncoming Sean O Shea- surely a call for Man of the Match alongside McCaffrey and Howard- and under pressure he pointed. I love watching O Shea, as a centre forward myself, I admire his play making abilities and eagerness to get in on the end of moves also. He is like a more athletic and high scoring Brian McGuigan from that great Tyrone team of the noughties.

Things from there on in went a bit crazy. Geaney somehow got back to help turn over Scully and when the ball ended up in the hands of David Clifford on the left-hand side, you sensed history beckoned. Instead, just like all through the game, his radar was ever so slightly off, and he kicked short. You expect this experience will only serve to make him a better, more mature player for the next day. Instead, regardless, Kerry were for the first time in the game ahead, following a point by that man again Spillane.

You just knew it wasn’t going to be the final score of the game. The ever-dependable Dean Rock equalised, before Dublin went into full Jim Gavin methodical mode- holding the ball while the clock ran down, allowing for them to conjure up a winning chance, but with not enough time for Kerry to respond if they were to go ahead. Instead, Rock didn’t quite catch the kick cleanly- which really was apt for the game in general…a breathless end to end encounter, which was low at times on execution, shown by the near 50% scoring efficiency of both teams by the end.

My initial feeling after the pulsating action, was that Kerry left their one great chance behind them. I could not understand, when a pint ahead with 5 minutes of normal time and a whopping 7 minutes of added on time to go, they weren’t more ambitious in their play and seek to at least hold possession further up the pitch, if they didn’t what to try and forced a further score that you felt would have finished off the game. I didn’t understand how Kerry didn’t take a chance and go for the jugular in the last few minutes, they seemed to run out of steam and cough up possession too easily in turnovers and nearly lost the game because of it.

My initial feelings quickly dissipated to the realisation that these last few minutes, finally, have shown how Dublin can be beaten. Or rather, Dublin will beat themselves. Their now innate cautiousness and methodical approach, and extreme trust in the process is at times hindering their ability to play off the cuff and show their undoubted natural ability. The one thing that Kerry can never be accused of is willingness to play off the cuff and let their big players the freedoms to play and show their quality. It’s in their blood, it’s their tradition and culture down there on the South West coast of Ireland. They feel it is their birth right to win All Irelands and beat Dublin along the way. That is a challenge this Dublin team has yet to face- a strong and confident Kerry team that is unafraid of the Dublin juggernaut.

The great Mayo team of 2016-2018 had some highly admirable traits and ability to take the game to Dublin. They lacked the extreme natural talent needed and the scoring forwards to finish off the game. Kerry do, in abundance. If there is one thing Kerry have, it is natural ability and scoring prowess. The final missing ingredient, that X factor that analysts often speak about, is the arrogance and confidence that they are good enough to put it up to Dublin. They have now show they can mix it with them on the biggest stage of all.

Many people will say Dublin will circle the wagons, problem solve the issues from yesterday the way that only Jim Gavin can, and come out firing on all cylinders with big performances from their big players the next day. You would expect big performances the next day from Kilkenny, Mannion, Fenton and McCarthy. I can certainly see that happening. I can also see Clifford and Geaney being more accurate the next day, Walsh having an even bigger impact on proceedings, and the Kerry defence taking heart from their subduing of some of the Dublin sharpest marksmen. It may be still, however, be the case that Dublin will achieve the amazing feat of 5 in a row the next day and that Kerry are not quite ready yet.

You cannot, however, get away from the feeling it will have spooked Dublin that the greatest team of all time could and should have been beaten by such a young inexperienced Kerry team, who will only get better. I have no doubt now that Clifford, O Shea et al will now become multiple All Ireland winners, and finally we have a properly rivalry for the ages to compete with this great Dublin team. The Kerry swagger is back! The replay will be fascinating…