Preview: All-Ireland SFC semi-final:
Sunday, July 16
All-Ireland SFC semi-final
Derry v Kerry, Croke Park, 4pm (RTE)
Ref: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
Kerry have named the same team for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Derry that defeated Tyrone in the quarter-final.
Killian Spillane is back in training after an ankle injury but clearly isn’t at full throttle just yet because he hasn’t made the match-day panel.
Derry, arguably the most settled side in the country in terms of team selection, are also unchanged from their quarter-final win over Cork.
The Kingdom looked very sharp in attack in that win over Tyrone, but will likely find the going tougher against a Derry team that defend tenaciously and then counter-attack with great ambition.
Kerry manager, Jack O’Connor, is certainly expecting a tough encounter, and has warned the county’s supporter they’ll have to show some patience on Sunday.
“All I’d say to you is that we’re not expecting a classic or anything like that, the way Derry have set up all year I couldn’t see it being an open end-to-end game,” O’Connor said this week.
“I think we’re going to have to be very patient, the Kerry supporters are going to have to be patient.
“The last thing you do is to be cavalier with the ball and just be giving it back to the opposition because you might not see it again for a few minutes.
“We will have to think our way through the game, we have to be really patient and we have to be efficient.
“They’re a team that pride themselves on their tackling and their counter-attacking and we’re going to have to be good defensively because they’re well capable of working scores.
“They have some really good forwards and some really good individual players. The standard of football in Derry is very high.
“They’re probably on a crest of a wave with the minors winning and the chances are they’ll outnumber us supporter-wise as well on Sunday.”
KERRY: S Ryan; G O’Sullivan, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; P Murphy, T Morley, G White; D O’Connor, J Barry; D Moynihan, S O’Shea, A Spillane; P Clifford, D Clifford, P Geaney. Subs: S Murphy, T Brosnan, M Breen, B O Beaglaoich, BD O’Sullivan, R Murphy, M Burns, S O’Brien, D O’Sullivan, D Casey, S O’Brien.
DERRY: O Lynch; C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McCluskey; C Doherty, G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, B Rogers; N Toner, Paul Cassidy, E Doherty; C McFaul, S McGuigan, N Loughlin. Subs: T Mallon, D Cassidy, B Heron, S Downey, L Murray, B McCarron, P McNeill. Padraig Cassidy, C McGuckian, M Doherty, D Baker.