This article is from page 87 of the 2008-06-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 87 JPG
CLARE on the radar. Two years ago, a sopping, soggy Fitzgerald Stadium housed a little over 6,000 punters for Kerry’s opening game in the 2006 championship. Waterford visited and brought almost as many fans as those that showed up for the home side.
It was late May and one of those days when the mountains behind the stand can only be felt and not seen, when the slate on St Finian’s Hospi- tal beyond the terrace turns black.
Nobody knew it at the time but that wet May afternoon was the begin- ning of Kerry’s shot at what has now become a three-in-a-row possibility.
It was difficult to predict the suc- cess that the two years since then would bring because for parts of that game, Waterford caused problems Kerry and in fact, should have been closer than the eight point winning margin that Kerry recorded. At one stage in the second half, Waterford could have drawn level but Andy Hubbard’s penalty was saved by D1- armuid Murphy and Gary Hurney’s follow-up was brilliantly taken off the line by Seamus Moynihan.
That game is recalled merely as a Starting point for all that has hap- pened for Kerry in 2006 and 2007. Even leaving the All-Ireland of 2004 aside, the current Kerry side has evolved into one of the finest teams to ever play football.
They’re fluid and powerful in at-
tack, composed and dogged in de- fence and since 2006 their approach has again evolutionised the game. Those qualities of power and com- posure were seen several times over the past two seasons but particularly at different stages of the Dublin and Monaghan games last year.
Against Monaghan, the ball was never passed laterally in their own half and against Dublin, only very
rarely. During both games, they dic- tated the pace at key moments as time was running out and they man- aged to score goals at crucial times. It’s unfair to say that the Clare chal- lenge doesn’t register on the Kerry radar this week and that alone, high- lights the approach in the county. Twenty years ago and as recent as ten — even including ’°92 -, Clare was seen as little more than something to
swat away.
Now, there are senior players who genuinely feel as though they’re play- ing for their place on the panel, not to mind the team. Two weeks back, a handful of Kerry players were gath- ered for extra training in Killarney. It was a backflip to Mick O’Dwyer’s days but shows that Kerry are taking the Clare challenge on board, if for no other reason than to nail down places for later in the year.
“There are potential pitfalls out there. I have always maintained that,” sayS Kerry manager Pat O’Shea. “Look at Wicklow beating Kildare in the Leinster championship. Look at Fermanagh beating Monaghan. They are two prime examples of teams getting turned over unexpectedly this season.
“*T have said that to the lads and they know that. Clare will come down here with nothing to lose and they will be full of confidence after their win against Waterford.
“Tt’s a tricky tie for us because we will, obviously, be that bit ring rusty while Clare will have the benefit of their game against Waterford. But the bottom line is this is a match that we are treating very seriously, like we do with all our games. If we don’t perform then there is a good chance that Clare will beat us. We have to be at our best.”
Down the tracks, the prospect of that third title looms, strange as it sounds considering that only two
years ago, the prospects of any coun- ty achieving back-to-back titles was considered slim.
“Being honest, we haven’t spoken about that [the three-in-a-row bid] in training and we don’t have any say in regards to what people write and what people say. All we can do is concentrate on our own game and take it match by match, one step at PIB une lee
‘“That’s what we did last year and we see no reason to change a win- ning formula. The only match on our horizon is Sunday’s against Clare.
“We try to make sure that the panel is stronger every year and I think that the Under-21’s All-Ireland win is a big boost.
“The league was encouraging also with a lot of players making a claim for starting spots so the task for me 1s to now find the best balanced 15 that can Start.”
“There were times in the league when we saw the fight, heart and hunger that a team that wants to be successful needs. It was very heart- ab eehee
“These lads have always proved that they can rise to the occasion, and they will have to do that against Clare. That’s the first step in what we hope will be a long journey.”