By Mark Jones
Kerry 1-14, Cork 1-11
Kerry were rusty, Kerry were by no means perfect, they hadn’t played a competitive game for 15 weeks, but the reigning All-Ireland champions still had enough ammunition to send Cork packing in last Sunday’s eagerly awaited Munster football semifinal at a jam-packed Killarney.
Alas for Cork, their challenge was honest, even though it never looked fierce enough to dethrone the champions. The gamble of pitching 35-year-old team manager Larry Tompkins back into the competitive fray didn’t pay off. Not that the veteran Tompkins flopped or anything. Rather, he was denied any opportunity to influence the game by Kerry’s vice-like grip on midfield.
If the great rivalry between the two counties rather than the overall standard of play kept the interest alive until the end, Kerry conclusively killed off the growing myth that they are still a one-man team.
In fact, Maurice Fitzgerald, who had almost singlehandledly led them to the Promised Land last summer, was far from his usual fluent self. Not surprising, given the rumors that he was behind in his training and that he was carrying a shoulder injury.
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That said, it was impossible to keep the brilliant Fitzgerald out of the plot. The teams were deadlocked at 0-6 at the interval, but as the second half developed, a Kerry victory looked increasingly likely.
Their forward line, which accounted for all but two points of the final total, was by far the sharper. However, when Joe Kavanagh picked off a point and Alan O’Regan followed that score with a well-taken goal with 14 minutes left, Cork were suddenly in front by 1-9 to 1-8.
Enter the previously subdued Fitzgerald. The excellent Liam O’Flaherty beat Kavanagh to a ball and his kick upfield found Fitzgerald ghosting in behind Cork defender Mark O’Connor. When his shot hit the net, Cork were finished and Kerry cruised to victory with a further five points in the closing 10 minutes.
If Fitzgerald’s contribution of 1-4 was modest by his high standards, the goal was without question the game’s turning point. Still, this time Kerry were able to find attacking inspiration elsewhere. John Crowley, a marginal figure last season, impressed at full-forward, where he gave Brian Corcoran a difficult time and ended up with 0-5 from play in the second half.
Mike Frank Russell also got in on the act with 0-4 from play and his accuracy kept Kerry ticking over after Cork had established an early lead.
“We were getting a lot of ball, alright,” said manager Paidi O Se, “but we weren’t putting moves together. That was a worry. At least though we responded well to their goal. I enjoyed that.”
In the final analysis, Cork were just not up to Kerry’s level and the selection of Tompkins was symptomatic of a wider malaise in the team. Kerry now go on to meet Tipperary in next month’s Munster decider in Thurles, and if they can tighten up defensively, they must be favorites to retain the All-Ireland title.
Roscommon 1-13, Sligo 0-15
This tense Connacht football semifinal replay at Markievicz Park was as much a tale of two managers as of two counties. As Roscommon celebrated qualification for a first provincial decider since 1993, Gay Sheerin was engulfed by spectators and journalists alike. Away to one side of the pitch, Sligo’s Mickey Moran was calling it a day.
“When I first came to Sligo a couple of years ago, there were about 50 spectators,” said Moran, “but now they’re here in their droves and the players are serious about the game. It will happen for Sligo. There’s a pride and a drive here that’s special and I’m sure whoever takes charge now will realize that.”
After coming back from a 7-point deficit in the drawn game, Roscommon came into the game with new-found confidence and even though it was desperately tight once again, they had the edge.
Through some good play by Paul Taylor, Brian Walsh, Ken Killeen and Eamonn O’Hara, Sligo did manage to take the lead for the only time on the half hour, but that was when the winners struck for the game’s all-important score.
Lorcan Dowd’s quickly taken free found Nigel Dineen, who in turn created the space for Tommy Grehan to score a superb goal. Grehan and Dineen quickly added two more scores to give Roscommon a 4-point advantage at the changeover.
To Sligo’s credit, they battled hard during the second half and reduced the gap to just a point with 6 minutes remaining. Taylor, who finished with 0-8, was outstanding, but Fergal O’Donnell was in brilliant form for Roscommon, and despite several wides, the winners held out to book their place against Galway.
Kilkenny 3-10, Offaly 1-11
You just can’t keep a good man down. Kilkenny and Offaly were slugging it out in an antiseptic Leinster hurling final at Croke Park, when D.J. Carey emerged from the shadows. Two second-half goals in the space of 8 minutes, and even though the genie disappeared back into his bottle just as quickly, Offaly were beaten.
A bit like Kerry’s Maurice Fitzgerald, people expect Carey magic every time he plays. This season he stunned the country by quitting the game and then changed his mind. So, now the pressure is on again, yet despite spending much of his time in the wings, he was still able to make a massive contribution to Kilkenny’s victory.
Carey’s goals, both smacked into the net from frees, came at a time when a hugely disappointing contest was refusing to swing in any direction. From then on, Offaly were playing catchup and the Kilkenny defense, with Canice Brennan, Tom Hickey, Willie O’Connor and Pat O’Neill in the thick of things, held firm.
Offaly had looked the more likely combination before the interval. The boost of a brilliant John Troy goal in the 6th minute should have set them on their way, but a total of 11 wides in the opening half alone cost them dearly.
With a sluggish Carey engulfed by Kevin Kinahan, Kilkenny had to depend on the talents of the emerging Charlie Carter and he didn’t let his county down. The razor-sharp Carter with 1-3 was responsible for all his side’s scoring in the first half.
It was a vital performance readily acknowledged by Carey. “Yes, it was important that Charlie was on form when a few of the rest of us were struggling,” he said. “I’m certainly not playing well at the moment. The game passed me by. I suppose I’ve only been training for the last two weeks.”
With Carey shackled, there was a strong case for Offaly to make more of battle of it in the closing quarter. They failed and manager Babs Keating was far from happy with his team. “That couldn’t be described as Leinster championship hurling,” he said. “My job is to teach them what to do and it appears to be falling on deaf ears. The players aren’t listening to me, we’re like sheep running around in a heap.”
As beaten Leinster finalists, Offaly are still in the Championship and Keating has three weeks to rebuild his team. “I feel awful disappointed with the quality of the play.” he said. “There’s not even a lot of soul-searching in the dressing room; they just take every day as it comes and I just wonder if I’m wasting my time. A lot of attitudes need to change quickly.”
Kilkenny have work to do as well, but they know Carey has plenty more to give in the All Ireland semifinal. Right now, Offaly have no such cushion.
Antrim 1-19, Derry 2-13
If 90 years of failure have made Derry the traditional also-rans of the Ulster hurling championship, the county’s current team is showing signs of better days ahead. Antrim were made to battle all the way in Sunday’s final at Casement Park and, in the end, it was Derry’s inexperience that let them down.
With the talented Oliver Collins leading the charge, they were in front by 1-6 to 0-8 at the break, but just when an upset was looking possible, it all went badly wrong.
Instead of capitalizing on that lead, Derry were outscored by 8 points to 1 immediately after the break and even though they rallied again, the gap proved to be too wide.
Greg O’Kane hit 0-10 for the winners, while Alastair Elliot contributed 1-3 with his 56th-minute goal proving crucial. Collins was Derry’s main man, with 10 points.