Frustration the name of the game for consistent Kerry hurlers

Not for the first time the apparent incongruity of the Allianz League has been illuminated – in this case by Kerry hurling manager Eamon Kelly.

Indeed if the entire purpose of any sporting league is to reward consistency and progress it’s no surprise Kerry are wondering what they’ve done to deserve this: a promotion/relegation play-off against Antrim, set for Parnell Park in Dublin on Saturday, the only prize on offer going to the winner.

That’s because Kerry, despite winning the Division 2A title for the last two years, are still jumping through hoops trying to secure promotion.

They played in the same promotion/relegation game against Offaly, last year, and although level at half-time, got run out of it in the end.

Same boat

Now, after beating Westmeath in the Division 2A final last weekend, Kerry are back in the same boat – taking on an Antrim team who didn’t win a single game in Division 1B, and also lost their relegation play-off against Laois.

“I would think that if a team wins their league outright they should be promoted, automatically, same as they would in every other league,” says Kelly, the Tipperary native in his second year as Kerry manager.

“Or else there should be some bit of a reward for us, even if that meant us having home advantage, in Tralee.

“Instead, we have to drive four and half hours to Dublin on Saturday morning, while Antrim only have to drive about an hour and half from the other way. They’re also after having a free weekend, while we’re coming off a very hard game against Westmeath. So you would have to say that the odds are stacked against us, and in favour of keeping the top teams up there. Although I wouldn’t have a big gripe about it.”

And here’s where the incongruities continue – because Kelly admits to being careful what he wishes for. Kerry hurling has been making considerable progress in recent years, not just under his tenure, although there’s no denying either that Division 1B hurling is a slightly different ball game to what they’re used to.

“We do know as well how serious the hurling is in Division 1B, and there would be a fair gulf between Division 1B and Division 2B. And for Kerry, the more important transition is to win the Christy Ring Cup, and get into the round-robin group of the championship for 2016, where the likes of Westmeath and Carlow are.

“I certainly think Kerry would be competitive in that section. But Christy Ring will be very competitive again. Kildare beat us in the final last year, after we had beaten them twice already, earlier in the year.

“But the lads are very committed, very honest, and young as well. There will always be a very small pick of hurlers in Kerry, although the club scene is huge in Kerry.

“They really love their club hurling. Football, obviously, is the sport in Kerry, so we’d be a bit further down the food chain. But the support has been good, and in fairness we’d great support down in Limerick last Saturday (against Westmeath).

A boost

“So again, what I find disappointing is that the supporters are now being asked to travel up to Dublin on Saturday afternoon. I’d love to see this game played in Tralee, to give Kerry hurling a bit of a boost.”

Despite the weightier reputation of their football counterparts, the Kerry hurlers remain one of the most consistent teams around in their division – losing only one league game in the last two years (against Westmeath, this year, before beating them in last Sunday’s final).

Kelly, from the Kildangan club, who represented Tipperary in both hurling and football, at minor and under-21 level, has strengthened the panel this year by adding the likes of goalkeeper James Logue, also from Tipperary, and also Patrick Kelly, who was part of Clare’s All-Ireland winning hurling team in 2013.

“His (Kelly’s) mother is from Moyvane, so he came in under the parentage rule, but he always said it was something he wanted to do, to hurl with Kerry, if he wasn’t getting that playing time with Clare.

“And he has an All-Ireland senior medal in his back pocket, so it’s great to have someone like him. He’s a great attitude to training, and put in an unbelievable shift for us last Saturday, our man-on-the-match.”

Truth is Kerry will have to reach new heights again to beat Antrim, even if the Ulster champions haven’t won a game this year: “Yeah, but they came within a point of two of Wexford,” says Kelly, “and are coming off playing the likes of Limerick, and Offaly.

“So we know how hard it is to look beyond Antrim. They’re coming in fresh, have been up there, know what’s involved, having played the more experienced teams. They’ll be firm favourites to retain that 1B status. We’ll have a right crack at it,” he says, talking up and talking down their chances in the same breath.

Spoken like a true Kerryman.