O'Neill wary of the threat the students pose

MUNSTER CLUB SFC FINAL DR CROKES v UCC:DR CROKES have only recently switched their full attention to UCC's visit to Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday for the Munster club football final.

After climbing out of Kerry, they were tasked with seeing off a well-organised, laser-focused Kilmurry-Ibrickane.

The Clare champions targeted the Gooch and the ploy very nearly paid off. Colm Cooper was grappling with two markers all afternoon. Yet, the majesty of this unique player rose to the surface late on as he pilfered the scores that settled the contest.

“We knew Kilmurray would come with that sort of game,” said Dr Crokes manager Harry O’Neill yesterday. “They came with a 15-man shove. They had their homework done. They came down to Killarney believing they could beat us.

“They sucked us into their way of doing things. I mean we picked up 10 yellow cards in that game. I’ve been in charge of the team for the last three years and I don’t think we’ve had 10 yellow cards in the previous two and a half years. We got sucked into tackling maybe a little bit recklessly.

“They are very aggressive the way they play. We had Colm Cooper and Eoin Brosnan who kept plugging away right to the bitter end. And then Gooch came up with those four points.”

In most counties, the weekend before a provincial final would be fixture free. Not Kerry. Dr Crokes had to go full throttle against the neighbours.

“We couldn’t really think about UCC until this week as we had a divisional game,” O’Neill explained. “Played our local rivals, Killarney Legion. Beat them 1-14 to five points. We played practically the full team. David O’Leary obviously injured the thumb against Kilmurry, but he was training Tuesday and should be okay.

“It was a good game for Ambrose O’Donovan, who has been struggling with a back injury. He didn’t have a good game against Kilmurry, but he got through the full game. He showed some form at the weekend and now knows he can get through a game.

“Colm came off after about 45 minutes. Kieran O’Leary was taken off too. They all came through fine, which was great.”

Switching the focus to the students doesn’t require much research. The UCC team that beat Castlehaven to capture the Cork football title in October featured 10 Kerry men.

Two of them have since switched allegiance back to Dr Crokes. Daithi Casey registered 1-4, all from placed balls, in that final. Johnny Buckley provided the bulk and agility in midfield.

“Midfield is an area we haven’t dominated this season. Will Kennedy played with Johnny Buckley through the year and is no mean footballer.” This is a recurring theme. “Peter Crowley will know Colm Cooper quite well from Kerry training. I imagine they will put Peter marking him.”

Tactically, it won’t be like the Munster semi-final. For one thing, UCC are young and faster than Kilmurray Ibrickane.

“UCC will be younger than us, but Eoin Brosnan certainly doesn’t lack pace.

“One of the other older guys, Shane Myers, is probably one of the fastest guys we have on the team.”

O’Neill is a great admirer of the students halfback line.

“Tom Clancy, Niall Daly from Roscommon and Seán Kiely, who won man of the match in the county final. He had to go in and mark Mark Collins who is a fantastic footballer and he still got up the field to score two or three points.”