There was a certain inevitability about the selection of Seamus Moynihan at full back for Kerry's crunch Munster championship semi-final against Cork in Killarney on Sunday.

Ever since Barry O'Shea wrenched his knee in early March and was declared out for the season, there was immediate concern over who might fill the void.

Although still only approaching his peak, O'Shea brought solidity to the full-back line throughout Kerry's All-Ireland run in 1997 and was in excellent form at the time of his injury.

Confirmation of his loss raised anxious questions about his successor and, although Moynihan, an athlete who seems at ease in any position, was instantly voiced as one who would fill the gap, there was a reticence amongst the management to reel him in from the half-back line from which he engineered many Kerry attacking movements.

Tom O'Sullivan from Rathmore came in for the stricken O'Shea for the last 10 minutes of the league game with Roscommon - a dreary affair which Kerry won easily - and was named at number three next time out, away to Donegal.

After 26 minutes, it became obvious that the transition was not going to be smooth. A young player rated very highly on the Kerry scene, O'Sullivan nonetheless found himself swamped by Donegal's attack. He departed for Tomas O Se, Kerry re-adjusted, and cruised to another win in the second half.

"A full back is a prized possession," mused Paidi O Se afterwards, adding that the one fortuitous aspect of O'Shea's misfortune was that its timing afforded the management time enough to examine the options.

Back at home, Michael McCarthy was inserted for what was essentially a relatively meaningless game against Galway.

McCarthy, the young Kilcullen player who debuted last year, was one of the highlights on a largely novel team, holding Galway captain Padraig Joyce to just a single point. But any beliefs that the search was over quickly unravelled over the course of Kerry's roller-coaster league semi-final loss to Meath.

Again, McCarthy displayed his unquestioned defensive attributes - pace, attentiveness, a fine ability to read the game. But at crucial times, he wasn't able to impose his presence on his patch and was turned by Graham Geraghty for a goal.

The Meath forward finished on 1-4 and while McCarthy's attributes weren't questioned - like Tom O'Sullivan, he will start Sunday's match in defence for Kerry - the full-back dilemma was as real as ever.

Widely regarded as one of the most complete footballers in the country, Moynihan is invaluable to a Kerry team which has yet to fully explore its own potential.

He has regularly been dispatched to carry out emergency repairs - last time Kerry played Cork in Killarney, he found himself retreating to corner back to try and neutralise the buzzing Aidan Dorgan. The player himself claims that positions aren't really his concern as long as he performs, but confining Moynihan to full-back sentry duties has obvious drawbacks for the Kerry management.

There may be an element of regret that they didn't bow to the inevitable earlier and season both Moynihan and his back-line colleagues to the new defensive order. Versatile as the Glenfesk man is, he matches up against one of the wiliest score-poachers on the circuit in Steven O'Brien, who has found a new lease of life with Cork.

His presence, along with that of Colin Corkery, who has also struck a rich vein of form, will be crucial to the aspirations of a Cork side which has got into something of a rut since their All-Ireland defeat last September.

Few tasks, however, have proven too much for Moynihan and, for Kerry, his presence alone is generally perceived as a reassuring sight, regardless of the number on his back.

The Munster council has confirmed that next month's Munster football final will be played at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick irrespective of who qualifies.