Tony Leen: Could Brosnan and Geaney be the odd couple to elevate Kerry ambitions?
BLOCKED: Kerry's David Clifford has his effort for a point charged down by Killian Lavelle and Conor McCarthy of Monaghan at Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
MAYBE the solution to Kerry’s attacking pickle is right under their nose. In searching for additional gunpowder to the Cliffords and Sean O’Shea, have the merits of Paul Geaney and Tony Brosnan been overlooked?
It’s easy to understand why. Geaney is 33 and was an All-Ireland final goalscorer a decade ago. Trying to sidestep Father Time is supposedly a mug’s game. Brosnan has spent too many days in sick bay for a young lad and it’s been easy consign him to that oversized dugout of lost talents.
Not so fast. The Dr Crokes ciotóg has been released into a playmaking role, like his club colleague Colm Cooper once was by the Kingdom. He kicked two points on Saturday in Killarney but his best work was as a quarterback, releasing Paudie Clifford in the process. He’s also filled a problem jersey for manager Jack O’Connor.
“Tony’s very dangerous, and very creative,” O’Connor reflected, “you can’t stand off him because he will kick scores, That’s a big plus for us, he’s enjoying a new lease of life out there. The likes of Tony and Briain (O’Beaglaoich) have had a torrid run with injuries.
“Paul (Geaney is) playing great football, that’s why we picked him. He’s 33 but certainly not playing like it, he retains a great appetite for the game, and couldn’t ignore his form in training.”
There weren’t many downsides to Kerry’s best half of the season to date, but news afterwards that Graham O’Sullivan has picked up a fresh ankle injury does narrow down Kerry’s defensive options. The Dromid man went down in training a week ago, having just returned after a groin issue. "It's not a good time of the year to be picking up injuries," admitted O'Connor.
If the 0-15 to 0-2 first half saw the Kingdom at their hungriest, for Monaghan boss Vinny Corey, the first period was as bad a 35 minutes as he’s seen from Monaghan. Stick a fork in it after that. This roast was done early.
In its wake both Kerry manager and keeper Shane Ryan mentioned the corresponding championship first rounder a year ago – a home loss to Mayo and a 28-year championship record in Killarney snapped. It was an unsaid motivation for this one.
“That was a motivation,” O’Connor agreed, “we lost our first game to Mayo and when you lose a record that goes back 28 years, it stings. We were adamant that wasn’t going to happen this time. We were a good bit off it at that time last year so players were that extra bit determined,” said the Kerry manager.
In nominating the first period as their best of 2024, O’Connor assessed the form graph and concluded that Kerry’s trajectory is gradually building northwards.
“We were better today than against Cork or Clare, and I’d hope there’s another bit of a level if it was put up to us. That was the best half of football we played but we need to keep building on that. Look at the stuff that worked for us in the first half – a lot of those turnovers and fast breaks came down to graft, the lads worked like dogs. It’s not a complicated formula even if it is hard to keep going for seventy minutes.”
For Corey, it was a chastening afternoon. “We had plenty of ball, but gave it all away, and Kerry punished us. They went very defensive out of possession, which you don’t often see. They got every man back behind midfield line, and that also contributed to our turnovers. You don’t often see Kerry like that, they had obviously worked on keeping and tight and hitting us on the break.”
: P Geaney (0-5), D Clifford (0-5, 3 frees), S O’Shea (0-4, 3 frees), T O’Sullivan (0-3), P Murphy (0-2), T Brosnan (0-2), P Clifford (0-2), D Moynihan (0-1).
G Mohan (1-1, one mark), M Bannigan (0-2), R Beggan (free), R O’Toole, C McCarthy, C McManus (free), A Woods (mark), D Ward, S O’Hanlon, J Wilson (mark) (all 0-1 each).
: S Ryan; P Murphy, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; B O Beaglaoich, T Morley, G White; D O’Connor, J O’Connor; T Brosnan, P Clifford, D Moynihan; D Clifford, S O’Shea, P Geaney.
: B O’Sullivan for J O’Connor, C Burke for Moynihan (50), A Heinrich for O’Beaglaoich, S O’Brien for Brosnan (55), D Roche for Geaney (65).
: R Beggan; R Wylie, B McDermott, R O’Toole; K O’Connell, K Lavelle, C McCarthy; G Mohan, M McCarville; S O’Hanlon, M Brannigan, M Hamill; J Irwin, S Jones, C McManus.
: D Ward for McCarville, A Woods (0-1) for Jones (both half-time); C McNulty for McBennett (45), J Wilson for O’Connell (50, inj), T McPhillips for Ward (52).
S Hurson (Tyrone)
