IT’S BEEN an odd minor championship. Dessie Farrell’s Dublin remain untouched thus far despite the litany of shock results as they face a Kerry team many expect they will sweep aside.
It should be noted straight away that Kerry are under the guidance of Mickey Ned O’Sullivan and John O’Keeffe. This being Kerry in Croke Park. In September.
“The very nature of minor football, especially in this topsy-turvy year, confirms that any team can get the better of another over the course of 60 minutes,” said Farrell. “Lots of favourites have been knocked out of the championship so far and that proves that on any given day you can be presented with a different number of scenarios that both the players and management need to address.”
Roscommon and defending All-Ireland champions Tipperary looked stronger than most but the former got pipped by Kerry in the quarter-final while Tipp were caught by Mayo.
The Connacht champions were in turn dumped out by a late Meath surge.
Dublin boast established quality from the group surprisingly caught by Tipperary in last year’s final with Cormac Costello in particular growing into a serious prospect in both football and hurling. He has posted 4-18 so far.
Costello is seeking to reach his fourth successive minor final tomorrow having lost both of the 2011 deciders. Conor McHugh, Eric Lowndes and Donal Gormley are the other dual players still waiting on that All-Ireland medal.
It is all set for Dublin to progress. But, remember, this is Kerry in an All-Ireland semi-final at headquarters. Granted, neither side has won the ultimate prize at this grade for some time – Kerry since 1994, Dublin way back in 1984.
“They play a traditional brand of Kerry football with plenty of foot passing and there is a great deal of quality within their panel so we’re under no illusions as to the task that awaits us,” Farrell continued.
“We played them in a challenge game roughly eight weeks ago when both teams were, I’m led to believe, at full strength so there is absolutely no chance that we would ever under-estimate them.”
To underestimate talent like Niall Sheehy and Jack Savage would prove very costly. They have been beaten twice this summer, albeit by an impressive Tipp. The response was to catch Roscommon.
“The team has continuously improved with every outing in terms of proving that they are grafters and battlers and they have upped the tempo every time and they are here cause they deserve to be here,” Mickey Ned O’Sullivan was quoted in The Kerryman.
So, Dublin to progress. This is based on pedigree and form and all those other irrelevant things once matters get under way tomorrow lunch time.
DUBLIN: TBC.
KERRY: G Curran; C Ó Lúing, G Crowley, P O’Connor; B Crowley, R Murphy, G Horan; K Murphy, J Barry; D Foran, J Savage, C Fitzgerald; É Ó Conchúir, N Sheehy, C Keane.
Referee: F Kelly (Longford).
