Joe McDonagh Cup Final: Antrim v Kerry
(Croke Park, Saturday, 4.30pm, live on RTE2)
 
HAVING lost the previous two Joe McDonagh Cup deciders including the 2020 final to Sunday’s opponents, Antrim, hurling folk in Kerry will be well and truly pumped up to make it a case of third time lucky.

The loss in the mouth of Christmas in 2020, played out in an empty stadium before the All-Ireland final, was a tough one to take for Kerry as it was their fourth defeat in as many games against the Saffrons that year.

Yet they entered 2021 knowing they were not far away from a victory that would help the hurling fraternity in a football-dominated county break new ground.

Again, they reached the final, but again it was disappointment as Westmeath marched off with the silverware and something of a rebuild needed in Kerry with Former manager Fintan O’Connor and 18 of the panel moving on.

Former Waterford star Stephen Molomphy assumed the reins and with a host of new faces, set about a return to Croke Park.

It wasn’t a smooth ride, losing the opener to Down in Tralee and after victories over Carlow and Meath, falling to a one-point loss to Offaly in a thriller that left the Faithful County in pool position to join Antrim in the final.

Kerry needed a win over the Saffrons and hope for a Carlow victory in Tullamore and they got the win they needed against Antrim while news filtered through that Carlow had indeed got the measure of Offaly to put the Kingdom through on scoring difference.
So here they are, back in the final, but with a much-changed side.

Indeed, of the team that started against Antrim a fortnight ago, just seven started the 2020 final with Podge Boyle - top-scorer at Corrigan Park - a sub in that final.

Those new faces will travel to Croke Park with no baggage and while that is balanced by less experience, Molomphy is more than happy with where his team is.

“Out of the panel we have, sixty per cent of them are new this year,” he stressed.

“Out of a panel of 32, 18 guys have gone so we have 18 new fellas.

“We had a few team camps away. One of the lads mentioned we had lost a team from last year, but one of the lads said ‘hang on - the majority weren’t there last year’ so the majority haven’t played in a McDonagh final.

“I suppose it will be a new experience for them but we will build on that experience. You only get one chance in a McDonagh final to advance for next year, so you’ve got to take it.”

Kerry are faced with a rather unfair obstacle in comparison to Antrim in that should they prevail on Saturday, they face a playoff against Tipperary to take part in next year’s Munster Championship whereas Antrim go straight into Leinster.

But they will get a shot at the All-Ireland Qualifiers next week with a home game against either Cork (should they win) or Wexford (should they lose) to give their team a taste of the Liam MacCarthy Cup that will be well earned.

However, that couldn’t be further from their minds with Molomphy and his players - led superbly by Paudie O’Connor, Mikey Boyle and Shane Conway - only concerned by the silverware on offer.

“We are so focussed on the McDonagh and that’s for now,” he stressed.

Kerry will enter the game as underdogs, but very live ones and although the game at Corrigan Park meant a lot more to them in terms of the bigger qualification picture than Antrim who were already on their way to Croke Park, breaking that recent losing streak against the Saffrons will have done no harm at all.

They have proven ability to post big scoring tallies and that will always keep them in the game. They will be quietly confident that this time it will be their day, but after that win in Belfast where they immediately parked their emotions as not to give ground to Antrim, Molomphy insisted there will be a big task ahead for his team.

“Antrim have fantastic talent,” he agreed.

“They’re a Liam MacCarthy team through and through, so we will regroup and try get things right against them in the final.”