Ref's howler swings Munster title away from Cork

Kevin McStay got it spot on a few weeks back when discussing refereeing standards in his Mayo News column. What he said you needed to watch for were the big decisions because the better refs tended to get those big calls right. On that basis, Mr M Duffy from Sligo is not one of the game's better refs as he got a big decision late on in yesterday's Munster football final horribly wrong.

An enthralling battle between Kerry and Cork at Fitzgerald stadium was all-square with just a couple of minutes left when a slick Cork move resulted in midfielder Derek Kavanagh being put through clear on goal. As he shaped to bury the ball in the net, Tomas O Se yanked his jersey from behind, unbalancing the Corkman who blasted his shot wide. It was as clear a penalty as you could ever hope to see but Mr Duffy (who had earlier on overruled his umpires and disallowed a Cork point, simply because Kerry goalie Diarmuid Murphy had a blue hissy fit when the white flag went up) saw nothing wrong. Kerry promptly went up the other end and scored two stonking long-range points - the first from Kieran Donaghy, the second from sub Sean O'Sullivan - to seal their first Munster title at this famous old ground since 1986. While the ref didn't win it for Kerry - they did that themselves with those two superbly-taken points - had he got that crucial decision at the other end just beforehand right, Cork would almost certainly have been a goal up with seconds to go. They wouldn't have lost it from there.

Still, Billy Morgan won't be too unhappy as his side matched the All-Ireland champions pretty well throughout the field and showed that they're likely to be a force to be reckoned with in the All-Ireland series. Fifteen minutes into the second half, when they trailed by six points, it looked as if Cork were going to take a beating but the inspired Donncha O'Connor scored a superb goal to haul them back into contention and with time running out it looked more likely that the visitors would prevail. They would have too, had our Sligo friend been up with the action a bit better.

Kerry looked solid enough yesterday, given that it's only the start of July. They've often looked in wretched form at this time of year (two examples - 2004 and 2006 - will suffice to prove this point) whereas yesterday they looked well up to speed and as hungry for success as ever. It's in the forwards that they look most impressive - Donaghy is obviously back in form, Declan O' Sullivan was everywhere, Mike Frank did bugger all from play but kicked some superb dead balls and the Gooch sonambulated through the first half before opening up to devastating effect in the second. His goal demonstrated pure economy of movement as he fielded the ball, swivelled and buried it. The Carrot-Headed Assassin clearly hasn't gone away, you know.

Who else was there? Oh yes, that gimp Galvin, who - true to form - was involved in a right old belting match with Cork's Noel O'Leary (who, in fariness, should have been red-carded for kicking Galvin in the first half but then maybe there's a secret dispensation within the rules for kicking Galvin, seeing as everyone outside Kerry would happily spend a few hours every day at such a pursuit) and whom Pat O'Shea wisely called ashore in the second half when it was becoming clear that he was unlikely to stay on the field much longer.

While Kerry look good in the forwards, midfield wasn't hectic - that lumbering hulk Quirke didn't do a whole deal and Darragh O Se was under severe pressure to cope with the excellent Derek Kavanagh and Nicholas Murphy. When Michael Cussen switched out there in the second half, he ensured that Cork continued to win more than their fair share of ball round the middle. Kerry also look weakish at centre-back and full-back, with Aidan O'Mahony and Tom O'Sullivan struggling somewhat to fill the illustrious shoes of Seamus Moynihan and Mike McCarthy. I think if Tyrone rip into those Kerry backs the way you'd expect them to, the 2003 and 2005 champions could well be celebrating the continuation of this geometric series in 2007.

The other problem for Kerry is the one relating to Winner's Curse, which sees them now kicking their heels for six whole weeks before the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Cork, in contrast, are back in action in three weeks time and the narrow defeat they suffered yesterday shouldn't cause too much psychological damage to them. We haven't seen the last of the Leesiders this year, I reckon.

Elsewhere yesterday, Laois came from four points down at half-time to see off Wexford in the Leinster football semi-final at Croker. Here too, a hotly-disputed refereeing decision turned the tide. Once Wexford's centre-back David Murphy went on a second yellow with twenty minutes to go, Laois began to take command but they made hard work of it, shooting 18 wides in total (and they say Mayo can't shoot straight!) in a match they eventually won by a goal. Laois got murdered by the Dubs in the Leinster semi-final last year and, on yesterday's performance, they'll do well to avoid a similar fate this year.

And so to the mighty Mayo ladies, who continue to upstage their male counterparts. Yesterday at Salthill, we had no election-distracted manager, no early defensive collapse and no headless-chicken approach in attack. Instead, another gutsy performance for the Green and Red as the girls pulled off a one-point win after extra time over defending champions Galway in the Connacht decider. They now go forward to the new mini-league All-Ireland series, where, once again, they'll be serious contenders for outright victory.

There's no word as yet on the chaps but with only six days to go now till we face the Cavan Bucks, we should be getting some news within the next few days on the team that'll line out at McHale Park on Saturday evening.

What's the likelihood that Kerry will lose tomorrow?

9/4, according to Paddy Power who quote Kerry at 1/2 to prevail over 70 minutes in tomorrow's Munster football final at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney. Those are mad odds, IMHO, but another way of looking at it, of course, is that it represents a superb opportunity to fill one's boots with betting slips backing the Leesiders.

I dunno about you (or youse as they are wont to say in these parts, on Dublin's Northside) but I think Cork have, at the very least, a good 50:50 chance of winning tomorrow. They've had two outings so far compared to Kerry's sole appearance and, while they weren't put to the pin of their collar in either, their matches with Limerick and Tipp constituted tougher tests compared to Kerry's stroll in the park against a lamentably poor Waterford side. (By the way, folks, that was the Munster Football Championship - what an annual farce it is. The sooner they put some half-decent hurdles between Cork and Kerry and the All-Ireland series, the better but don't bet on that one happening anytime soon).

I think there are a few reasons why Cork could win tomorrow. First, they have Graham Canty back in the side at full-back and, if there's anyone (apart from David Brady, that is) who can put manners on Donaghy, then it's Graham Canty. His absence through injury in last year's All-Ireland semi-final was the main reason that Cork didn't win - it forced Derek Kavanagh back to deal with Donaghy, fatally weakening the Cork midfield. With Canty back, Donaghy - himself just back from injury and looking out of sorts - should be well shackled, while Kavanagh should, alongside Nicholas Murphy, do well in midfield.

Indeed, the whole spine of the Cork side looks strong and Cork's own Donaghy clone - the monstrous Michael Cussen - could give Kerry's new no.3, Tom O'Sullivan, a tough time. What Cussen does with the ball he gets will be crucial and the likes of U21 star Fintan Goold will have to see to it that all the responsibility for getting scores doesn't rest with James Masters.

This is the first real test for new Kerry manager Pat O'Shea, who has the tough job of trying to steer Kerry to become the first county to win back-to-back All-Irelands since Cork did so back in 1990. Defeat tomorrow wouldn't be a complete disaster for Kerry but it would, in O'Shea's home town, still be a big blow to the new man at the helm in the Kingdom.

Kerry haven't won a Munster final in Killarney since 1986 and if Cork produce the kind of performance I think they're capable of, they could well ensure that this record is extended for another year at least. Cork by two or three, methinks.

Elsewhere, an injury-plagued Laois take on Wexford in the Leinster football semi-final at Croker. Laois have a veritable slew of injuries and this provides Wexford with a genuine chance of reaching their first provincial football decider in over fifty years. Wexford showed Louth a fairly clean pair of heels in the last round, while Laois stuggled for long periods to overcome a game Longford outfit. If Wexford demonstrate the same level of accuracy in their point-taking tomorrow, a shock win for the Model County could be on the cards. However, the weight of history cannot be ignored and so, injuries or not, I think Laois will sneak through to face the Dubs in the provincial decider.

Finally, the Mayo ladies face Galway in the Connacht final at Pearse Stadium tomorrow. I hope they have better luck than their male counterparts had back in May at the same unlovely venue.

Friday's round-up

Not a lot to report today, so I may as well start with the somewhat less than newsworthy fact that I spent the bulk of the day yesterday behind the wheel, undertaking a Dublin-Limerick-Dublin round trip. Oh, that lovely N7 - someone should write a song about it.

Hogan Stand is reporting that Ronan McGarritty could get called upon to play against Cavan but the quote from Johnno seems to come from the same interview we spoke about the other day. All Johnno says is that "we'll have to see what role he plays" on Saturday week. Depending on how the match is going, a cameo appearance for the last 15-20 minutes is, I would have thought, the likely option.

There's a more definitive quote from The Deputy in the Western concerning Super Mac's hamstring injury and this doesn't sound good, I'm afraid. The injury occurred last week and Johnno says that "he's gone for a few weeks", which could mean that not only is he likely to miss the Cavan match but, if we win, the second round qualifier tie on the following weekend as well. We could all be gone by then, I suppose, and not just for a few weeks either.

If it's downbeat you want, then this quote from Kevin Beirne (who was a selector with the minor team) should do the trick nicely. Kevin speaks about his concerns for the future arising from our failure to win a provincial minor title for the last number of years and reckons we're entering "a state of emergency". An overstatement, perhaps, given our recent national success at U21 level but it certainly is a concern.

Finally, I notice that Dessie Farrell has provided his tuppence worth on the issue of payments to managers, which Jack O'Connor raised in his kiss and tell book about his time as Kerry supremo. (I was going to buy the book until I discovered that it was ghostwritten by Tom Humphries. That's right. The guy. That likes. To pretend. That he's. The new. Con Houlihan. And has. The really. Fucking annoying. Habit of. Writing two. Word sentences. Yeah. That Tom). As regards payments to managers, the words Elephant and Room seem somehow appropriate - it's like being back in the Eighties where everyone knew tax fiddling was going on all around the place but where it was never mentioned officially. Now that this particular hare is up and running (seeing as it relates to Kerry, a coursing analogy is appropriate, I feel) it's difficult to see where it will lead. Not, sadly, to the Kingdom being disqualified from the 2004 and 2006 All-Irelands, as one bright spark on Mayofans.com suggests. Nice idea, though.

That's it - more tomorrow on the first provincial football final of the year - where Cork defend their Munster title against those Kerry upstarts - and also that interesting Leinster football semi-final clash on at Croker between Laois and Wexford.

Midweek update

I'm up to my mammaries at the minute so this'll have to be a quick one. Nothing much to report, in any event, apart from the usual comprehensive coverage of recent happenings in the Mayo News. In case you haven't yet perused this wonderful weekly, here's what they're saying on football issues esta semana.

First, there's a piece by Mike Finnerty on the team's preparation for the Cavan match, which includes what we already know about Ronan and Super Mac. There's also a few quotes from Johnno, where he says that "it's not an easy draw but it could have been worse." (He's really warming to this bullshit politics-speak, isn't he? Come off it, Johnno, it's as easy a draw as we could have hoped for!) He goes on: "Getting a home draw was vital". Was it? If the aim is to slither unconvincingly into the quarter-finals (in which case, can we please have the winners of the Limerick/Louth match next followed by Sligo after that?), I can see where he's coming from. If, however, we want to find out at the earliest opportunity if we're any bloody good this year, then, in my view, the School of Hard Knocks is where we want to be. As Four Goal McGee said recently on this humble site, Meath in Navan would have been a nice draw to get and, had this happened, we'd certainly have learned a thing or two about ourselves on July 7th. As things stand, I'm not sure we'll be much the wiser after our joust with Cavan Bucks.

In the same article, it's also confirmed that David Kilcullen, Tom Cunniffe and Mark Ronaldson have all played a part in recent challenge matches. It's beginning to look as if Kilcullen might well line out at CHB against Cavan but the other two are more likely to be on the bench. BJ seems to have been reconverted back into a forward and may even play at full-forward against Cavan. That would make a great table quiz question, wouldn't it - which Mayo player lined out at full-back in one championship match and full-forward the next? (Though not, admittedly, as good as this one: "Q. Who played for Kerry and Dublin in the same All-Ireland? A. The Artane Boys Band. Boom! Boom!")

Kevin McStay reckons that the draw against Cavan was as soft as we could have hoped for (see what I mean, Johnno?) and he's still bubbling with enthusiasm about our prospects for the Summer, saying that "recent results and performances and, more importantly, the enthusiasm levels, indicate that O’Mahony is going to try and repeat his 2001 heroics." But then he goes on to spoil it all by bigging the Dubs - again. Just wait till the likes of Tyrone get their hands on those soft-centred metropolitans, Kev, and watch them kicking their over-hyped holes all round Jones Road.

Kev also talks about the disappointing demise of the minors, where he chillingly (pardon the pun - you'll see why in a minute) notes that, while all is going well for us at U16 and U21 level, at minor we "have hit a long and dangerous patch of ice". Brrr! If you want to read more on the minors, here's Edwin McGreal's match report and here's Ray Dempsey's take on the defeat.

Bugger! I didn't mean to take so long with this one. Now I'm rightly in it . . .

Ronan's return confirmed

Both this morning's Indo and Hogan Stand have now confirmed yesterday's reports that Ronan McGarritty has, indeed, returned to the fray. He played for about twenty minutes in the challenge match against Cork at the weekend and will be back in the panel for the qualifier tie against Cavan on July 7th. While it's got to be doubtful that he'll start the next day, it would be great to see him back in action at some stage over the seventy minutes.

We've missed Ronan's presence hugely in midfield over the past few months, most notably in Salthill where Joe Bergin was afforded complete freedom in the air around the middle. This was exactly where Ronan dominated the exchanges so comprehensively in last year's Connacht final and his absence on May 20th was one of the reasons (though, admittedly, only one of many) why we failed to compete with Galway that day. Assuming we get past the Cavan Bucks on July 7th, Ronan might welll be ready to start in the next round, which, in turn, would free up the likes of David Brady and David Heaney for duties further back.

It's not all good news, however. The same story in the Indo also carries confirmation that Ciaran McDonald has been sidelined with what they describe as a "muscle injury". No more than Keith Higgins, Super Mac would be a big loss if he's not fit to play against Cavan. However, there's still ten days or so to go (so soon! so soon! Where's my bloody replica shirt?) and so it's possible he might yet be okay for our Saturday night joust with the Cavan Bucks.

Well, at least Mac is still breathing, unlike poor old mob boss, John Abruzzi, who bit the dust at the hands of the Feds last night in Prison Break. And then there were seven . . .

Evening throw-in against Cavan

The venues and times for the first round of the qualifiers on the weekend of July 7th/8th were announced today, full details here. We're scheduled to start laying into the Cavan Bucks at McHale Park at seven in the evening on July 7th. I don't get it with these evening throw-ins, I must admit, and it's going to be a bit of a pain in the arse for me to get to this one but such is life.

I don't normally peddle in second-hand news but . . . I was informed earlier on by a reliable source that Mid-West Radio were reporting today that Ronan McGarritty played a part in the challenge match with Cork at the weekend (this has, I notice, also now been mentioned on the Hogan Stand message board) and that Super Mac is nursing a hamstring injury, which could make him a doubt for July 7th. Make of this what you will.

The weekend’s action and the qualifier draw

There was championship action in three provinces again yesterday, with Munster once more the odd one out, although yesterday’s hurling exploits from that quarter more than made up for the absence of any big ball activity. And then, at last, there was the draw for the first round of the qualifiers which means that we finally know who we’ll be up against on July 7th.

Before talking about yesterday’s action, it’s worth having a quick word first about the minors, who went under to All-Ireland champions Roscommon by 1-11 to 1-5 on Saturday evening in the Connacht semi-final. This was a highly-rated Mayo minor team but they were well beaten, for the second year in a row, by the Rossies.

Saturday’s loss means that it’s now six years (and counting) since we last won a provincial title at minor level, which is more than a little bit worrying in terms of future development. I know, we’re doing much better at U21 level but you’d still want to see regular success at minor to be confident that sufficient talent is coming through for future years. This doesn’t seem to be the case.

Onto yesterday’s matches and the clash between Galway and Leitrim at Carrick, where Nickey Brennan was in attendance to open the impressive new stand at Pairc Sean MacDiarmada. (Incidentally, it’s only a year since we played Leitrim up there and they hadn’t even started on that stand back then. Now, just twelve months on, the whole job is done. These Leitrim GAA guys are seriously impressive. Maybe they could be given a meatier project to work on, like the Dublin Metro or something. I bet they wouldn’t do as much fannying around as the RPA).

Galway were relieved to emerge from Carrick yesterday with a four-point win after what was a hard-fought and reasonably close game. However, much of Leitrim’s good work in defence and around the middle was undone by an inability to take the many chances they created – Donal Brennan’s goal miss in the second half was the worst example of this profligacy – while Galway were more economical in front of the posts. Nicky Joyce scored five points from play and the kind of clinical finishing that he showed was the main difference between the sides.

From a Mayo perspective, it was interesting – nay, heartening – to see a team tear into Galway and to give them a fair few hits, as well as being able to take whatever belts were coming their way. It was notable that, once Leitrim had signalled their intent in this department, Galway were less keen to dish it out, knowing full well that the compliment would be returned with interest. Mayo players and management would do well to take note.

The other interesting thing from this match was the refereeing. This is not a Mayo whinge but it’s clear that had the Salthill match been refereed like yesterday’s was, Galway would have ended up that game with only three or four players on the pitch. Ja Fallon, for example, was allowed to belt all around him in Salthill with total impunity – committing at least four yellow card offences in the first half alone – but he was booked yesterday for pulling the Leitrim goalie around by the arm. There were plenty of other similar examples where Galway weren’t given any latitude for misbehaviour yesterday, whereas in Salthill they were allowed to do what they liked. I know, the ref we had on May 20th was a complete clown but it was as if the rule book had been completely rewritten between the two games.

Anyway, in the end Galway survived the scare that Leitrim gave them and will now be red-hot favourites to beat Sligo in the Connacht final. Leitrim, like ourselves, meanwhile head for the qualifiers and they pulled a tough one – Donegal - in yesterday’s draw although they do get to play them in Carrick.

Up in Ulster, Monaghan pulled off a minor shock by beating Derry to qualify for their first provincial final in almost twenty years. They should have won far easier than they did – a jammy second half Derry goal kept them in far longer than they deserved. A Northern acquaintance of mine was insisting to me last week that Derry were dark horses for Sam, given the number of naturally talented players they had, as well as the emotional uplift he expected them to get from Eamonn Coleman’s untimely death. However, they looked far from All-Ireland material yesterday and drawing Armagh in the qualifiers more than likely means that their championship season this year will end on July 7th. No wonder Joe Brolly looked crabbier than usual this evening.

Meanwhile, another capacity crowd at Croker saw the Dubs beat Offaly in a dreadful contest to book their place in the Leinster final. Maybe it was because there was no wall of media hoopla surrounding this match – the fans with typewriters were all probably too knackered after their exertions last weekend to bother about this one – that the Dubs’ supporters reverted to type and only began to stream into the ground a few minutes before the scheduled throw-in time of 4pm, which resulted in a 15 minute delay in getting the action going.

Whatever about when it started, this was a contest that couldn’t end soon enough. After Dublin’s predictable whirlwind opening, they faded fast and had they been playing a side with more about them than a woefully inept Offaly, they could well have been beaten. The after-effects of the two-match tussle with Meath were clearly visible but the Dubs will need to shape up and fast if they’re going to be able to live with any half-decent opposition from here on. Assuming they make it to the Leinster final, Laois could well ask Pillock’s men some searching questions.

Eventually, after 6pm for gawdsakes, we had the qualifier draw yesterday evening. We pulled Cavan from the hat, at home too, and you’d have to feel that this was a soft enough draw for us. Cavan made their exit from Ulster at the hands of Down the same day as we were beaten in Salthill, although they have played one more match than us in this year’s championship, having initially drawn with the Mournemen the previous Sunday. We’ve since played each other in a challenge, which Cavan won by a goal, so the two sides will know a thing or two about each other. In addition, it’s not the first time we’ll have met in the qualifiers – we beat them in 2005 on our way to an All-Ireland quarter final defeat to Kerry that year. And we still owe the hoors for that galling single-point defeat in the Big Wind All-Ireland final of 1948, when the ref blew up with a few minutes still on the clock as we were, with the gale at our backs, pressing for the equaliser. See why I mean? Refs were shite back then too.

Just one final thing: Mayofans.com are reporting that we beat Cork (minus Nicholas Murphy and James Masters) by three points in a challenge match at the weekend in Ennis. Liam O’Malley reportedly lined out at full-back with David Kilcullen at no.6. Hmmm . . .