Weeshie's Week

Kerry's dramatic extra time win over Cork in replayed Munster Semifinal

June 15th, 2010
by Weeshie Fogarty

Thirty four long years ago I sat in the stand in Pairc Ui Chaoimh greatly enthralled as Kerry and Cork battled it out in the re-play of the Munster senior final. The occasion was the opening of the re-vamped old Cork Athletic Grounds and the massive crowd spilled on to the side lines as the stewards and referee, the late John Moloney struggled to keep control of the occasion. It was the greatest most exciting game of football I had ever seen. Incidents and drama abounded as that re-play went into extra time and eventual Kerry won the day, 3-20 to 2-19. Great names adorned both counties. John and Ger o Keeffe, Pat McCarthy, (my man of the match), John Egan, Mickey Ned o Sulivan, Mickey Sheehy for Kerry. For Cork, Denny Long, Billy Morgan, Jimmy Barry Murphy, Declan Barron, Donal Hunt and Johnny Coleman were all magnificent players. Last Sunday was for me a return in many ways to that glorious day back in 1976. Marc o Se's equalizing point for Kerry after being brilliant set up by Daniel Bohane will remain forever etched in the memory. This re-play and extra time was every bit as great as that previously mentioned. Tony Davis the former Cork star and Sunday Game analysis said recently that the players are sick of each other. Well Cork might be sick of Kerry but Kerry are never sick of meeting, matching and beating them.

The display of Colm Cooper was as great as I have ever seen in one of these wonderful Munster derbies and I have seen a fair old few since 1955. Cooper was sheer class in everything he did. Whenever he touched the ball you could sense something near magical was going to happen. His pass to set up Kieran Donaghy for the goal just after half time was so sublime and weighted so beautifully as it barley drifted over the head of the Cork defender that I believe no other player could have the sheer skill needed to execute the move. It looked so simple and yes it was a moment of sheer magic. Donaghy finished to the net with great coolness. And yes I believe the referee who did not in my opinion have a good game was right to issue Graham Canty a second yellow and then a red card for what was a cynical tackle on Gooch. Only for the Kerry man half avoiding that sliding tackle he could have been injured.

It was a wonderful game of football  and a credit to both counties and another one of those great Kerry displays that have earned for the county so many All Ireland titles in all the different grades. Once again the introduction of Paul Galvin had a dramatic effect on the result. The Finuge man is simply getting better and better and without him Kerry would not have survived. Centre field continues to be unsettled; nevertheless the selectors are getting over this by changing around the partners when tiredness sets in.  While everyone would love to have two big dominant men at mid field at the moment it will take time following Dara o Se's retirement to straighten this out and settle on a permanent partner for Seamus Scanlon.  I would not be too worried about this. Even here in Kerry great midfielders can not be pulled out of the hat like rabbits.  The substitutes introduced were outstanding, Michael Quirke, Darren o Sullivan, Daniel Bohane, Adrian o Connell and in particular Barry John Keane all improved the situation greatly.  Brendan Kealy will be very unhappy with his clearance that led to the goal and then the manner in which he was disposed to easily as Daniel Goulding poked the ball to the net. While the Kilcummin man is still learning his inter county trade and is a great close range shot stopper he must realize that the one single most important part of net minding is eliminating the simple mistakes when under pressure. That old goal keeping mantra I often heard is still good to-day, "save the easy ones first".

If space permitted we could eulogize on last Sundays happenings until the cows come home The sheer enthusiasm, fitness, freshness and pride in the jersey as this group of young men attempt to reach another All Ireland final is simply mind boggling. While the players deserve the gratitude and thanks of every Kerry follower around the world for me the men behind the scene Jack o Connor, Eamon Fitzmaurice and Ger o Keeffe and in particular those who have trained them to reach this state of freshness deserve special mention.  There are many hard battles ahead. No one can foretell who will win the All ireland however I will say this, there is a good few counties out there who might say, "give us yer side line generals and we will play ye all over again". And what of Cork now. I believe much of their trouble is in the mind. Two weeks before the drawn game in Killarney I mentioned the following here and I believe more firmly now that what was said is even more relevant following events last Sunday.

Quote "any discussion about the two counties in recent years revolves mainly about the Croke Park meetings and it's amazing that in those five meetings (excluding the drawn game of course) but including the re-play Kerry has been victorious on each occasion. The Cork players will tell you (Michael Shields said this to me in a recent interview) that what has happened in the past has no bearing what so ever on next Sundays game. No so in my opinion, those Cork men are human too and that little niggling doubt about that dramatic and magnificent win by Kerry last year in the final will have left a scar that can only be erased by virtue of a comprehensive win by Cork next Sunday". It will not happen.

Fogra; The comments passed on last weeks Sunday Game by so called experts Colm o Rourke and  Anthony Tohill  in relation to Paul Galvin finger in the mouth of Eoin Cadogan incidence were grossly unfair and unwarranted.  To highlight what was for me a minor incident and then say Galvin could not be considered for the accolade of man of the match because of this was unbelievable stuff.  Of course Paul has transgressed in the past. He did his time for all of that, and now to isolate him out from all the other more dangerous incidents of the day in all games was disgraceful.  A finger in the mouth, what a joke. It would have been more in their line to come out and strongly condemn the disgraceful booing this amateur player was subjected to on both days as he prepared to enter the fray. Booing in any sport is deplorable and for me in this instance it's a sorry state of affairs that not one scribe in press, radio or TV has condemned it and backed him. Why is this? Because its Paul Galvin. That's why.



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