Kilmurry Ibrickane must get tactical to out-fox Crokes

SPEAKING to The Clare Champion before the county final two weeks ago, Melbourne-based Kilmurry Ibrickane men Steven Moloney and Michael Hogan had half an eye on the first Sunday in November.

Kilmurry had yet to win their parish’s 13th county title, while Dr Crokes were not yet Kerry three-in-a-row champions. Yet thousands of miles away, Moloney and Hogan, were projecting forward.

 

The prospect of Kilmurry hosting the reigning Munster club champions, who defeated the Clare champions in Killarney last year, had Kilmurry’s championship winning half-forwards salivating. So much so that they said they were half considering flying home if the teams did meet. So if they amble into Pairc Naomh Mhuire in Quilty, a few minutes before Sunday’s 2pm throw-in, Kilmurry supporters shouldn’t be too surprised. That’s the draw of Dr Crokes and the possibility of Kilmurry turning them over at home in Quilty.

So how can Kilmurry make it happen? They must devise a plan to curb Dr Crokes’ forwards, all of whom are exceptionally talented attackers.

Most of the crowd’s focus in Quilty will be on Colm Cooper but Brian Looney, Daithí Casey, Chris Brady, Jamie Doolan and Kieran O’Leary are all classy forwards. Looney scored 1-3 in last Sunday’s 2-13 to 0-8 win over Dingle, while Brady scored Dr Crokes’ goal.

So if Kilmurry simply focus on Cooper, Crokes’ other forwards will take advantage. That said, it will be interesting to see if Shane Hickey again picks up Gooch. He did so last year and held the Kerry All-Ireland winner and All-Star scoreless for 47 minutes, although Cooper notched three points from play in the closing 13 minutes.

Kilmurry will have to decide if playing an extra defender is an option. Conditions will influence that decision but Kilmurry won’t want to draw Dr Crokes on to them either.

If they do employ a seventh defender, they will have to ensure that he or one of his defensive colleagues regularly breaks out of defence in support of the play. The problem Kilmurry might face in terms of playing a seventh defender is that Dr Crokes will probably try to utilise centre-back Eoin Brosnan as their spare defender. The Clare champions definitely won’t want to leave Brosnan loose and cannot afford to do so if they are to harbour hopes of winning.

The ideal scenario from a Kilmurry viewpoint is that they take the game to Dr Crokes all over their own home ground and hound them into turning over possession, kicking or laying ball off hastily and generally finding little room in which to play football.

Although he played at corner-forward in the county final, Kilmurry will surely post Michael O’Dwyer at centre-forward, where he would go head-to-head with Brosnan, leaving Noel Downes and Johnny Daly close to goal. That would leave Evan Talty, Niall Hickey and Ian McInerney to work exceptionally hard in the half-forward division with Enda Coughlan joining Peter O’Dwyer at midfield.

In the past, Coughlan has played that extra defender role expertly and could be asked to do so again, with Ian McInerney reverting to midfield. However, Evan Talty could be shipped from wing-forward back to the defence and played between the half-back and full-back line.

Kilmurry will need Talty, or whoever is placed in that role, to support the play from deep, particularly against the breeze. Even with it, Kilmurry will try to control the play until they get into optimum position to kick.

All of Kilmurry’s defenders are experienced and capable at this level and should up their game for Crokes. Although impressive against Cratloe, who didn’t push them, Kilmurry barely struggled past Kilrush in the replayed county semi-final, while they only scored two points in the second half against Doora-Barefield.

There’s a big game in Kilmurry and that big day is Sunday. Moloney and Hogan’s absence means Kilmurry are not as strong panel wise but, that said, Odran O’Dwyer, Mark McCarthy, Thomas Lernihan or Seamus Murrihy are all capable of making match-winning contributions from the bench.

Playing Dr Crokes at home will surely bring out the best in Kilmurry. Of course Crokes may travel to West Clare with the attitude of showing Kilmurry how to play football. They are Munster champions after all and fear nobody. They will remember that Kilmurry pushed them at home last year and will be well warned. It has the makings of a fascinating game.

Kilmurry will push Dr Crokes hard but will do well to win given the quality of the Kerry champions attack. They are possibly vulnerable defensively but Kilmurry will be put to the pin of their collar to exploit that weakness, while keeping the Dr Crokes forwards under wraps at the far side of what should be a packed ground in Quilty.

Sunday’s game will throw in at 2pm. The refereed will be Conor Lane from Cork.