CAN KINGDOM KEEP UP WITH JONES’ ROAD?

BY JOHN O’DOWD

THERE was a time when Croke Park was often referred to as Kerry football’s second home.

That was certainly the case during the ‘Golden Years’ period from 19751986 when the Kingdom hoovered up eight All-ireland titles, winning 18 of their 22 Championship matches in the capital during that spell of success.

A further six Sam Maguires and a Croke Park Championship win rate of 70% (23 from 33 games) from 1996-2009 was not to be sneezed at.

How things have changed!

Kerry lifted their last All-ireland title in 2014 and since then their record on big days on Jones’ Road leaves plenty to be desired.

Only five victories from their last 14 SFC games there tells its own story. An even bigger cause for concern is their one win from their last eight at HQ.

“It’s something I didn’t even know, to be honest, until you said it to me,” said Shane Enright (below), who retired from the county scene last year.

“We never thought about it. Look, they went up to Croke Park for the National League final, and they blew Mayo away, they played very well up there, and the open spaces of Croke Park should suit our lads with the forwards we have.

“It’s definitely not something you’d think of, that we’ve only won one out of our last eight.

“There were funny years, you didn’t have quarter-finals, you weren’t playing as many games up there and, when you were beaten, it was the latter stages of the Championship, All-ireland finals or semi-finals.

“They will be happy to go back there, and it’s a place where Kerry always usually play well.

“We always say that Kerry footballers play their best football on hard pitches. You get some of our forwards on the ball up there, and if they find space, they will definitely score plenty at Croker.”

However, as Enright remembers particularly well from a personal point of view after his tussles with Andy Moran in 2017, Croke Park can be a very lonely place when the tide is going against you.

And he feels that Kerry must handle the expected sell-out crowd tomorrow.

“It’s so open at Croker, that any day you’re getting beaten, you’ll probably think there’s a

lot of space, especially as a defender,” he said.

“It’s a good test for them.”