Kerry expected to advance

ALL-IRELAND MFC SEMI-FINAL/Armagh v Kerry:A KERRY team backboned by the All-Ireland colleges champions Coláiste na Sceilge, who were managed by Kerry senior boss Jack O'Connor whose son Eanna scored the winning goal in the final, are expected to overcome the Ulster champions Armagh tomorrow.

It will be a far from simple task, however, as the Down side who recently overcame Dublin were not good enough for Armagh in the provincial decider.

Armagh recently beat a decent Kildare team with six points to spare to reach this stage and they have already accounted for defending All-Ireland champions Tyrone.

Kerry had to play Tipperary twice to get out of Munster and were given a stern test by the Roscommon minors in the All-Ireland semi-final, a match that at least provided them the experience of Croke Park as it was played before their seniors’ emphatic quarter-final victory over Dublin on August 3rd.

Kerry manager John Kennedy has made three changes in pensonnel from that game with Pádraig O’Connor starting at corner back for Niall Fitzgerald, Michael Brennan switching to wing back and Donal O’Sullivan moving to midfield as Ian Galvin comes in, while Kieran Hurley is preferred at full forward to Mark Reen.

Captain Niall O’Shea, Greg Gibson, Damien Kelly, Galvin and O’Connor all featured in the colleges success giving the impression that they should have enough quality to progress to the All-Ireland final.

KERRY: P O’Sullivan; M Galvin, P Galvin, P O’Connor; G Gibson, J Coffey, M Brennan; S Carroll, D O’Sullivan; J Sherwood, D Kelly, I Galvin; N O’Shea, K Hurley, E O’Connor.

ARMAGH: TBC

Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).