National League Final - Kerry v Derry

[cadhlancian]

A repeat of last year's final and the makings of a cracking gam, yet not a peep about the second most important final in senior intercounty football. 

Maybe for Kerry lads, provincial championships are still waaaay more important in Ulster, certainly for Derry who have won 4 leagues since last winning an Anglo-Celt.

Injuries considered I'd fancy Kerry, hopefully we'll give them a right good battle though to keep a bit of momentum for the Monaghan game.

Cassidy will have to make sure and rein in our boys in case they get too excited and rack up a 10 point victory or something in that region. Its not the time to show our hand.

and what exactly type of hand is this you speak of? Much the same as last year, full throttle in april and may, and an empty tank in july, Derry are playing as well now as they will be in 2 months!

[screenexile]

A repeat of last year's final and the makings of a cracking gam, yet not a peep about the second most important final in senior intercounty football. 

Maybe for Kerry lads, provincial championships are still waaaay more important in Ulster, certainly for Derry who have won 4 leagues since last winning an Anglo-Celt.

Injuries considered I'd fancy Kerry, hopefully we'll give them a right good battle though to keep a bit of momentum for the Monaghan game.

Cassidy will have to make sure and rein in our boys in case they get too excited and rack up a 10 point victory or something in that region. Its not the time to show our hand.

and what exactly type of hand is this you speak of? Much the same as last year, full throttle in april and may, and an empty tank in july, Derry are playing as well now as they will be in 2 months!

HAHA! We're in the National League Final without ever playing our full team! You will be proven very wrong come a few months time!!!

[cadhlancian]

A repeat of last year's final and the makings of a cracking gam, yet not a peep about the second most important final in senior intercounty football. 

Maybe for Kerry lads, provincial championships are still waaaay more important in Ulster, certainly for Derry who have won 4 leagues since last winning an Anglo-Celt.

Injuries considered I'd fancy Kerry, hopefully we'll give them a right good battle though to keep a bit of momentum for the Monaghan game.

you are missing the point, right now, who do you think has the least upside for july, august? Kerry , tyrone or Derry? I would have to say Derry. Both Tyrone and Kerry will significantly improve between now and the end of the summer, not saying Derry are a bad team, far from it, but they are still a considerable way short of these 2 teams, ( as are everyone else)Cassidy will have to make sure and rein in our boys in case they get too excited and rack up a 10 point victory or something in that region. Its not the time to show our hand.

and what exactly type of hand is this you speak of? Much the same as last year, full throttle in april and may, and an empty tank in july, Derry are playing as well now as they will be in 2 months!

HAHA! We're in the National League Final without ever playing our full team! You will be proven very wrong come a few months time!!!

[cornerback]

A repeat of last year's final and the makings of a cracking gam, yet not a peep about the second most important final in senior intercounty football. 

Maybe for Kerry lads, provincial championships are still waaaay more important in Ulster, certainly for Derry who have won 4 leagues since last winning an Anglo-Celt.

Injuries considered I'd fancy Kerry, hopefully we'll give them a right good battle though to keep a bit of momentum for the Monaghan game.

Derry won Ulster in '98 - 2 league titles since then!  But i get your point...

[Rav67]

A repeat of last year's final and the makings of a cracking gam, yet not a peep about the second most important final in senior intercounty football. 

Maybe for Kerry lads, provincial championships are still waaaay more important in Ulster, certainly for Derry who have won 4 leagues since last winning an Anglo-Celt.

Injuries considered I'd fancy Kerry, hopefully we'll give them a right good battle though to keep a bit of momentum for the Monaghan game.

Derry won Ulster in '98 - 2 league titles since then!  But i get your point...

D'oh!  Can't think how that slipped my mind!

[whiskeysteve]

A repeat of last year's final and the makings of a cracking gam, yet not a peep about the second most important final in senior intercounty football. 

Maybe for Kerry lads, provincial championships are still waaaay more important in Ulster, certainly for Derry who have won 4 leagues since last winning an Anglo-Celt.

Injuries considered I'd fancy Kerry, hopefully we'll give them a right good battle though to keep a bit of momentum for the Monaghan game.

Cassidy will have to make sure and rein in our boys in case they get too excited and rack up a 10 point victory or something in that region. Its not the time to show our hand.

and what exactly type of hand is this you speak of? Much the same as last year, full throttle in april and may, and an empty tank in july, Derry are playing as well now as they will be in 2 months!

Went fishin' and caught myself a cadhlancian...

[gerry]

from todays indo

O'Connor refusing to fixate on Ulster


By Martin Breheny

Thursday April 23 2009

JACK O'CONNOR yesterday displayed some nifty footwork to sidestep the question of why Kerry have encountered so many problems with Ulster teams this decade.

As they prepare for another major final against Ulster opposition whey they take on Derry in the National League Divison 1 decider at Croke Park on Sunday, O'Connor claimed their approach would be the same irrespective of who they were playing.

"I don't want to get caught up in this Ulster thing -- we want to win every game, whoever we're playing against," he said.

Kerry have already beaten three Ulster teams -- Donegal, Tyrone and Derry -- in this year's League. They beat Derry by two points in Bellaghy and O'Connor expects it will be just as tough on Sunday as Damien Cassidy's men attempt to retain the title.

"They beat Kerry in the League final last year and our game earlier this season was very close, so we know what to expect," he said.

BoNUS

Meanwhile, he believes that Tadhg Kennelly's return from Australia is a huge bonus for Kerry as they attempt to plot a course back to the All-Ireland summit.

"Apart altogether from his enthusiasm and his vast experience in the Australian game, the fact that he was prepared to give up a professional career to try and get into the Kerry team has a big influence on other lads," O'Connor said. "When fellas see him making such a massive effort to play for Kerry because it means so much to him, they know what's expected of them."

Kennelly's arrival has intensified the battle for places in what is already a very competitive camp. Kerry remained unbeaten in seven League fixtures and are now heading into their fourth Division 1 final of the decade.

O'Connor has used over 30 players in the campaign so far but admitted that he is still undecided on what team he would like to start in the championship, should everybody were fit.

"I'd know my top 20 but not the first 15," he said. "I'd have a good idea of 12 -- but that's as far as it goes just yet. The great thing is that there's fierce competition for places which is ideal from my viewpoint."

He identified three games so far where he was especially pleased with the performances. "The way we came back against Dublin to earn a draw after falling six points behind was encouraging," he said.

"But we also played very well in the first half against Tyrone in Omagh and the second half against Galway in Tralee, although Galway might have thrown in the towel a small bit. We'd be looking at putting the first half from Omagh and the second half from Tralee together in one game."

Meanwhile, Derry manager Cassidy believes that Sunday's game will show how things had progressed for his side so far this year.

"We lost to Kerry and Tyrone in the League, so we know how much work has to be done," he said."We'll know more about where we stand after Sunday. There's no better way to find out that playing Kerry in a final in Croke Park."

- Martin Breheny

[Joel Cairo]

It's been a whole 50 years since Derry first met Kerry in a League Final.
Kerry lead 2-1 overall in NFL Final head-to-heads; hopefully Derry can tie it up on Sunday!

http://oakleafers.blogspot.com/2009/04/fifty-years-in-making.html

[SidelineKick]

I wonder who will be refereeing, could maybe throw 20 quid on himself for first goal. 5/1 not a bad price.

[whiskeysteve]

As KingLarsson would tell you we havent been scoring many goals, but still 5/1 sounds good value.

IF you fancy Derry to win then going for that 9/1 for us to score 1st, lead at HT and win sounds ok on the basis that we have been making quick starts this year (as against Kerry the last day)

[SidelineKick]

As KingLarsson would tell you we havent been scoring many goals, but still 5/1 sounds good value.

IF you fancy Derry to win then going for that 9/1 for us to score 1st, lead at HT and win sounds ok on the basis that we have been making quick starts this year (as against Kerry the last day)

look at the pic steve, there is a mistake where is should say "No goals" but it instead says "#ref".

But looking at it seriously that is the one that stood out for me too!  Great value in it.

[whiskeysteve]

ah feck, bit naive with the old 'odds and ends', unlike my Irish News neighbour over the road

[Billys Boots]

a damp squid

Are all squid not damp, Puck? 

[Our Nail Loney]

As KingLarsson would tell you we havent been scoring many goals, but still 5/1 sounds good value.

IF you fancy Derry to win then going for that 9/1 for us to score 1st, lead at HT and win sounds ok on the basis that we have been making quick starts this year (as against Kerry the last day)

Thats a mugs bet IMO, totally up in the air who could get the first point and could leave your bet dicked after ten seconds!!

[Bogball XV]

As KingLarsson would tell you we havent been scoring many goals, but still 5/1 sounds good value.

IF you fancy Derry to win then going for that 9/1 for us to score 1st, lead at HT and win sounds ok on the basis that we have been making quick starts this year (as against Kerry the last day)

Thats a mugs bet IMO, totally up in the air who could get the first point and could leave your bet dicked after ten seconds!!

but their basis is that derry have scored first in all 7 of their league games to date, thus the odds are incorrect (going on the basis that this is a trend) and value can be had!!