by Adam Moynihan

"There’s no one harder on Kerry than our own people." As assertions go, it wasn't quite 'Páidí in South Africa', but Jack O’Connor’s post-match comments regarding Kerry fans and their tendency to err on the negative side rang true.

Kerry had just demolished Tyrone in Croke Park. It was a commanding, double-scores win that underlined the reigning champions’ credentials as one of the frontrunners for the 2023 All-Ireland.

What Jack was alluding to was that few had predicted such an outcome, particularly at home in The Kingdom. While most pundits tentatively backed Kerry to get the job done, many of the fans I spoke to last week were worried that this would be their last day out of the summer.

The fact that it was Tyrone in the other corner did little to boost confidence levels. Memories of 2021 and that ambush in the rescheduled semi-final still haunted them.

There seems to be this perception in the rest of the country that Kerry fans always think their team is going to win, even when the odds are against them. I would actually say the converse is often true: a lot of Kerry fans think Kerry are going to lose, even when the odds are in their favour.

In the end, there was nothing to worry about. Kerry were brilliant and they dealt with Tyrone with relative ease. We will get one more day in Dublin out of them; Derry await in the All-Ireland semi-final on Sunday week.

MEANING

Oftentimes a blowout win can be facile and a bit pointless but this one was loaded with meaning.

Firstly, and most obviously, beating Tyrone in Croke Park and settling the score from two years ago is a relief. For many of the players, that extra-time defeat will have been a career low. It can be parked now. They can beat Tyrone. Next question.

Kerry also proved that they have made significant improvements in key areas. In 2021, they turned the ball over 30 times. They lacked composure and patience and they ran straight into Tyrone’s trap time and time again. When they lost the ball, their defence was weak. They lacked intensity and cohesiveness, and the three goals they conceded probably cost them the All-Ireland.

On Saturday, they showed how far they have come. When faced with Tyrone’s packed defence, they were smart about it. They minded the ball, they bided their time, they avoided contact, and they punched holes when the time was right. They gave up 14 turnovers, 16 fewer than they did in 2021. Chalk and cheese.

Defensively, Kerry were a different animal completely compared to the last championship meeting between the two teams. These days Tyrone are arguably more dangerous in attack with the emergence of the excellent Canavan brothers but, as we saw throughout 2022, Jack O’Connor and his coaches seem to have cracked the defensive code.

With everyone buying into the team’s solid defensive structure, with Tadhg Morley providing the cover, and with the exceptional Jason Foley and Tom O’Sullivan nullifying Darren McCurry and Darragh Canavan, Kerry limited Tyrone to just six points in each half. Crucially, they conceded no goals.

They hunted in packs, tracked runners, and generally displayed a level of aggression rarely seen in the years prior to O’Connor’s return. On more than one occasion, lads who are fairly relaxed and unassuming off the pitch – the likes of Gavin White, Diarmuid O’Connor and Tom O’Sullivan – fronted up to an opponent after a turnover or a Kerry score to let them know that this was Kerry’s day.

Everything about the team’s demeanour pointed towards a ferocious collective desire to stand tall and to not be bullied in the manner that Tyrone have sometimes bullied Kerry in the past.

Diarmuid O’Connor’s performance is deserving of special praise. Kerry’s midfield has come in for plenty of criticism this year (I have voiced concerns myself) but he arrived in a major way against Tyrone. The talk beforehand was that Kennedy and Kilpatrick would dominate but they were ones who were dominated. O’Connor, ably assisted by his Na Gaeil clubmate Jack Barry, was immense. It was the type of all-action, 70-minute display we knew he had in him.

It’s not realistic to expect a 10 out of 10 from him in every game but if he can consistently give Kerry an 8 out of 10, it would be transformative for this team.

NOISE

The Tyrone victory should also kill off this spurious notion that Kerry are a one-man team. We have been told that the defending champions would be mediocre without David Clifford – “nothing”, even. Clifford was present the last day, and he thrilled the crowd with a sensational improvised pass that led to Seánie O’Shea’s goal, but by and large he was quiet. And that was okay. His teammates made plenty of noise in his stead.

Seánie O’Shea – another player who faced criticism earlier in the season – looks like a new man. He took his goal really well and he appeared to enjoy his day in Croker more than most.

As I said last week, Tyrone was a tough draw but it was an opportunity to prove a point. O’Shea and his teammates grabbed that opportunity with both hands.

The Ulster champions, Derry, are next up with a place in the All-Ireland final on the line. It won’t come easy - Derry are a really good outfit - but confidence should be high.

Surely even the harshest critics in our ranks are feeling good after beating Tyrone by 12 points in an All-Ireland quarter-final.