Kerry v Cork - Munster Final

Kerry Mike · June 25, 2007, 09:28:17 AM

Well its the week thats in it and the first of this years provincial finals, sees bitter rivals Kerry and Cork do battle in Killarney this Sunday.

Everyone from Kerry looks forward to this game all year and even though the qualifiers take some of the gloss off the fixture it is still one of the great GAA derbys. Let hope the crowds from both counties come out to support it.

Cork will be itching to take a Kerry scalp for the second year running in a Munster final and I can see very little between either team. Nothing gets the blood boliing in either camp than that opposition jersey.

There will be some fantastic individual battles on display next weeend,
Donaghy v Canty
Brosnan v Spillane
Darragh O'Se v Nicholas Murphy
Marc O'Se v Masters
Anthony Lynch v Paul Galvin
Tom O'Sullivan v Cussan
O'Neill v O'Mahony

to name just a few. I hear on the grapevine Cork are flying in training, there are no reported injuries from the Kerry camp though there are a few hamstrings from the Cork training camp in La Manga 2 weeks ago.

No word on the Kerry line up just yet , though I'd expect little change except maybe Griffin in for Quirke at midfield but Quirke's height may be used to counter act Cork.

So looking forward to a cracking game in prospect and a good bit of banter with the langers.

SuperDooperCooper · June 25, 2007, 11:04:56 AM

Looks like Kerry will be unchanged from the side that beat Waterford if trial matched are anything to go by.
A tad surprised that Quirke will still be there but Kerry have the strength on the bench is thing not going according to plan.
Was at a Nemo Rangers wedding in Garryvoe in Cork last Wednesday and Mr Morgan was telling anyone who would listen that Nicholas Murphy and Anthony Lynch were struggling with hamstrings so they obviously flying......Had to order beer in my best Jackie Healy Rae accent after listening to as much as I could. Billy was doing his Kevin Keegan 'I'd love it is we beat them' line as I was leaving.
Won't be much in it - this will probably be the tightest of the provincial finals I'd say.

Kerry Mike · June 25, 2007, 11:34:04 AM

Wait for the papers this week, Morgan will be full of all his usual "cynical" Kerry shite trying to soften up the referee for the game. Hopefully it will be someone like McEneaney on the whistle who will not be bothered by any auld shite talk like that. Is there a more spiteful manager in the GAA?

This could be Morgans last chance to win Sam and we would love to have a hand in retiring him again.

Will be a tough game neither team will want to be losing. Cork have beaten us 3 times in Munster in recent past but also will be aware we have beaten them in 3 All Ireland Semi finals in the same time.

Could come down to the mental attitude on the day, we were shocking last year in both Cork Munster final games so Kerry will not want to give way this time around.

SuperDooperCooper · June 25, 2007, 12:04:45 PM

Ref is some fella from Sligo I've never heard of.
Kerry haven't beaten Cork in a Munster final in Killarney since 1986 but we have won a few in Cork in that time.
We have mainly beaten Cork in Semi finals in Killarney since then.
Winner has a 6 week gap to the quarter finals loser has a 3 week gap to the qualifiers.
A joke the way the football has been run off to make the schedule easier for the hurlers - Sean Walsh should ensure this farcical situation shouldn't happen again.
Results in Killarney since 1986
2006 Draw Munster Final
2004 Kerry semi final win
2002 Draw semi final
2000 Kerry semi final win
1998 Kerry semi Final win
1995 Cork Munster final win
1993 Cork Semi final win
1991 Kerry semi final win
1989 Cork Munster final win
1987 Cork Munster final replay win
1986 Kerry Munster final win

p.s. Mike did you ever sign up to the munstergaa news emails? - they send out fixtures, team line-up, articles etc they are excellent.

Kerry Mike · June 25, 2007, 12:12:29 PM

Martin Duffy (Sligo) is the referee it seems, never heard of him, anyone got his track record.

SDC I must sign up for those Munster GAA updates.

Fear ón Srath Bán · June 25, 2007, 12:18:33 PM

Quote from: Kerry Mike on June 25, 2007, 12:12:29 PM
Martin Duffy (Sligo) is the referee it seems, never heard of him, anyone got his track record.

I'd be hoping for a big improvement from his display in our Ulster opener against Fermanagh, didn't seem assured too often, and still something of a stage-struck starlet it would appear.

magickingdom · June 25, 2007, 12:26:49 PM

definately think it will be a close one, cork will be smarting after getting done over in the semi-final (yet again!) last year and no one better to keep his grudge than morgan. the focker has some list at this stage. i really hope kerry manage to give them a hiding and give morgan one in the eye. cork will be on to donaghy big time so i hope pat o shea is up to it....

Msgr. Horan · June 25, 2007, 12:33:07 PM

Mayo beat Cork in a challenege at the weekend, Cork were missing Murphy and Masters, Mayo were missing a few as well I think.

Kerry Mike · June 25, 2007, 12:44:56 PM

Its a cliché at this stage but Midfield dominance will be vital, Darragh O'Se will need another big performance against Nicholas Murphy. If its Quirke in Midfield you could see him on Murphy freeing Dareragh to probe out the inner lines. The O'Se's love playing Cork and will rise to the atmosphere and occasion.

If James Masters gets enough supply of ball he will cause us big damage and whether Marc O'Se or new kid Padraig Reidy gets the job of marking him will have a big bearing on the outcome.

Likewise if we get the ball moving well into our inside line Gooch and MFR will pick off the scores if Donaghy can keep Canty busy. Donaghy needs to be back to his peak, after a poor performance against Waterford and in the county championship with Stacks he will hopefully have taken on the intensive training over the last few weeks to build up his shoulder again, I think he was lacking confidence in it. He needs to stand up to whatever physical punishment is thrown at him early in the game while holding his head. If he can do this and setup a few early scores for his corner men he will thrive.

Eoin Brosnan too will have a big bearing on the game, if he can link well with Donaghy and Gooch we could see lots of his trademark powerful runs through the middle, Ger Spillane will have his hands full , but he showed last year that he is an excellent centre back.

But Kerry may use Gooch as more of a target man too, he is well able to win his own ball and Shields would be seen as a possible weak link in the corner for Cork.

Pat O'Shea's first big championship game could see him involved in a big of a sideline battle with the old wily dog Morgan and it has been known for Morgan to stick the shoulder into a passing manager on the sideline in the past.

I'm getting excited about it already...

Barney · June 25, 2007, 12:50:25 PM

QuoteMartin Duffy (Sligo) is the referee it seems, never heard of him, anyone got his track record.

As bad as there is. Promoted from ladies football. He did last years Leinster Final. Famous for running around after players calling on them to "behave". Black books every foul so game usually descends into farce.

Bensars · June 25, 2007, 12:55:00 PM

Quote from: Barney on June 25, 2007, 12:50:25 PM
QuoteMartin Duffy (Sligo) is the referee it seems, never heard of him, anyone got his track record.

As bad as there is. Promoted from ladies football. He did last years Leinster Final. Famous for running around after players calling on them to "behave". Black books every foul so game usually descends into farce.

Looks like a cracker of a game, however i hope it doesnt resemble the Derry/Monaghan game. after 3 minutes 2 yellows and a black after 13 minutes 5 yellows and numerous black with hardly a bad challenge in the game.

IolarCoisCuain · June 25, 2007, 01:58:52 PM

What do you Kerry boys make of the extracts from Jack O'Connor's new book that were in Saturday's Irish Times? He seems a bit of a bitter lemon to me. I was surprised at the amount of score-settling he was up to.

He has the back up about poor Billy as well. I wonder why? I hope it's not just because he seems to have the knack of beating the Kingdom. You fellas would be bigger than that, I'm sure.

SuperDooperCooper · June 25, 2007, 02:27:06 PM

The thing with Billy goes way back to when he took the Bomber out of it in a Munster final in the early 80's, the man seems to have a pathological hatred of all things Kerry.
I was in his pub in Cork after a Munster semi final in 1994, Cork won the game by 2 points after Kerry shooting something like 15 wides.
The major talking point was our hero Billy and a Kerry selector Johnny Mulvihill (from Moyvane) nearly coming t blows for about 5 minutes on the sideline.
After the game Oige and the bomber went into Morgan's pub and when our hero Billy arrived he asked then to leave saying they weren't welcome.
They left without any fuss (pints not finished) but every Kerry person in the bar left with them, I didn't even finish my coke....... Billy issued an apology on Monday morning.
Also his claims that every Kerry win was down to cynicisms over the last few years even after big wins got a bit tiresome and smacked of pure bad sportsmanship.

I'm looking forward to the game, think 2.00 is a strange time for a game but them the breaks, disillusioned that the referee is a card happy official but all new ref seem to throw them around like confetti.
It's a shame Brian White doesn't do it anymore he and McEnaney are by far the best, unfortunately ref's seems to be modelled on Bannon or Kineevey now. Christ the ref in last year's all-Ireland final didn't even look fit...Hopefully we will not be discussing the ref come Monday morning that said I can't see a free flowing game however....The hits will come early and often...

IolarCoisCuain · June 25, 2007, 02:34:24 PM

I remember that shameful story about the Bomber alright. If he had run Spillane you all probably would have cheered and stood him pints.

I'd say it goes back to the seventies myself, when Billy saw himself on the verge of a decade's All-Irelands and then you had your Golden Era to ruin all that. I'd be bitter myself.

I'm still waiting to hear what you fellas thought of Jack's book extracts though. Don't be shy now, after all Mayo and Kerry have been through in recent years.

SuperDooperCooper · June 25, 2007, 02:41:30 PM

I was in London the weekend and didn't see the extracts but I would have preferred the book to come out after the championship to be honest.
I have heard that he has a go at a few people in the book none more so that Pat O'Shea and every member of the Golden team era.
I believe what occurs in the dressing room should stay there so I would be fundamentally against the book but if a book is to happen let it happen after all the main players have left the stage.
Jack has a record second to none, 2 All-Irelands, 2 league and 2 Munster titles in 3 years, hopefully he doesn't tarnish his record by settling a few scores in a book for a few quid.