KERRY'S PROSPECTS of breaking what is, for them, a humiliating sequence by winning their first senior football title in 11 seasons were given a boost yesterday with the news that Dara O Cinneide and Eamonn Breen will be fit to line out against Cork in the National Football League final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday.
The return of both players will lend greater balance to the side. Breen, who has been out for weeks with a knee injury, returns to his favourite left half back position while O Cinneide, now fully recovered from an ankle injury, returns to right corner forward. Kerry's inside line of forwards is now arguably the most potent in the game, with Maurice Fitzgerald in the left corner and Brian Clarke at number 14.
The injuries of wing back Seamus Moynihan (back) and midfielder William Kirby (ankle) have cleared and the two players are fit to play on Sunday.
Gene Farrell, however, has not made it back into the side, apparently because of a knee injury, but his presence on the bench suggests that the selectors feel confident of his ability to perform should he be called on during what is expected to be a very close encounter.
The two players dropped from the Laois match are attacker Ruairi O'Rahilly and defender Morgan O'Shea.
Breen's return shores up Kerry's defensive strengths. Killian Burns switches back to left corner back to accommodate the Finuge man.
Cork's Liam Honohan has returned to full fitness, but there is no place for him in the first 15 for Sunday. Larry Tompkins and his coselectors have again experimented in the positioning of the players in their team. While the same players that beat Kildare will again be on duty, Ciaran O'Sullivan moves from wing back to lead the attack.
The move may be calculated to undermine Kerry's central defence and, specifically, Liam Flaherty.
O'Sullivan's attempts to outfox the wily Flaherty could prove one of the key factors in the game. The corresponding duel on the other 40 should be no less intriguing when Liam Hassett tries to out smart Niall Cahalane.
It's anybody's guess, however, as to how the Cork attack will line out. None of them started in their allotted positions against Kildare.
The defence would appear the more settled unit, with Michael O'Donovan remaining in the sector, this lime to take over at left half back to allow Martin Cronin move to midfield as Damien O'Neill's partner.
Rathmore brothers Declan and Kenneth O'Keeffe will be in big time action for Kerry again on Sunday at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Kenneth will be in goal for the county's Vocational Schools team against Tyrone in the curtain raiser, the final of the All Ireland Vocational Schools competition, while Declan lines out for the senior team.
Thoughts of the championship and a possible Munster final are, we are told, very much on the back burner in both the Kerry and Cork senior camps.
The same could not be said of Tyrone or Down, last year's Ulster finalists, who meet in a preliminary opening round tie in Clones on May 18th.
Down are quite devastated by injuries and opt outs. Team boss Pete McGrath said yesterday that he is 95 per cent certain that James McCartan will not be fit for the game. The flying forward injured a shoulder a fortnight ago.
Apart from McCartan, at least five other players from last year's final will be missing. Paul Higgins has emigrated and D J Kane, the winning All Ireland captain against Dublin in 1994, has retired. Gregory McCartan, Finbarr Caulfield and Michael Magill are injured, while Brian Burns has opted out because of work commitments.
Tyrone manager Danny Ball has similar cause for concern. Under 21 star Brian McGuckin and Fergal Coyle have been called into the panel in an attempt to ease a glut of injury problems. Gerard Cavlan, Adrian Cush and Brian Dooher are all affected and Seamus McCallan is also on the injured list.
Adding to Ball's anxiety is the likely duration of suspension for Pascal Canavan, sent to the line in the Division One relegation play off against Cavan.
Defender Sean McLaughlin is also awaiting a decision following his dismissal in a club match.
