Laide leads Kerry past the danger

The air of inevitability which once surrounded Kerry has gone. Yesterday, as referee Niall Barrett, a Corkman, sucked in his breath for one final blast on the whistle, a testimony to the changing times was being exhibited by the Kingdom's fans who were already encroaching on the end-line at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick to celebrate a Munster Senior Football Championship Final win over Clare.

Such actions from Kerry's followers smacked of a sense of relief as much as an eagerness to mob all-conquering heroes. Indeed, if the truth be told, Clare almost managed to recreate their provincial win of five years ago. But not quite.

The difference, this time, was that Kerry were the stronger team in the vital closing minutes and, as pertinently, had, in Pa Laide, an individual who exerted considerable influence on the outcome, certainly more than anybody else.

Granted, Kerry never actually trailed in the entire match. In fact, at times, they looked as if they would run away from their opponents; but, at other times, Kerry displayed all the potential brittleness of a crystal chandelier in an earthquake.

So, it is to Kerry's credit that, despite two barren spells (one of which, after Laide's goal, lasted for 14 minutes), they still managed to eke out a five-point win, which, perhaps, was more comfortable than they deserved and certainly didn't reflect how close they came to perishing.

Some of Kerry's play was wondrously exhilarating, particularly in attack. Yet, other facets, especially around the middle of the field, left considerable question marks ahead of next month's All Ireland semi-final with Cavan.

Dara O Se and William Kirby endured a tough time at the hands of Donal O'Sullivan and Michael Hynes. But for the contributions and helping hands extended by Seamus Moynihan and Liam Flaherty in that sector, Kerry could well have left their dreams behind them yesterday.

As expected, Kerry's real danger man emerged in attack, but not from the anticipated source. Before the throw-in, Clare attempted to curb Maurice Fitzgerald by moving over Padraig Gallagher to police him. It was neither a success nor a failure, although Fitzgerald's high tally of seven wides (from the team's total of 11), blackened somewhat his total of five points, and suggests he is unlikely to put the game down as one of his more memorable.

Indeed, if Clare had earmarked Fitzgerald for special attention in the build-up, it was soon apparent that Laide was the man most in need of stifling. Barry Keating's attacking instincts were sacrificed and he was switched over to mark Laide, a former schools sprint champion who spent over 18 months sidelined by serious injury.

His return, though, has given Kerry an added injection of speed, skill and guile in attack and, on days like yesterday, no one would have stuck to the Austin Stacks man. Laide's crucial second-half goal was, surely, the stuff of magic, befitting any game.

Laide's influence on matters was blatantly apparent from the opening exchanges. In the 24th minute, for example, he went on a mazy, 50-yard run which concluded with a magnificently executed point, a score that put Kerry 0-6 to 0-3 ahead and, indicative of their early dominance, apparently coasting.

Clare, already fighting a rearguard action at this stage of the game, responded to Laide's solo effort with points from Martin Daly, who turned in another fine performance, and Frank Lohan, who'd been introduced as a substitute, to reduce the deficit to a solitary point.

But Fitzgerald and O Cinneide grabbed points in the dying seconds to secure a three-point cushion at the break for Kerry, 0-8 to 0-5. Clare should have wiped out such arrears within three minutes of the restart. A reshuffle in attack saw Frank McInerney move into full-forward, Cathal Shannon assume the centre-half forward berth and Odran O'Dwyer switch to the wing to seemingly good effect. However, McInerney, with his first touch in his new position, kicked wide, and this was swiftly followed by two wides from frees by Ger Keane.

Then, in the 39th minute, Laide struck. Flaherty's high ball into the heart of the Clare defence seemed destined to be gathered by Keating. But Laide, with a trick that would have done David Copperfield proud, deprived the Clare man and, then, conjured up a goal to grace any occasion, rifling his left-footed shot to the top corner. James Hanrahan was left clutching at fresh air.

But now Clare turned on the style and showed considerable character. One point followed another. Daly started the sequence with a point from a 45, and John Enright, Keane and Daly again notched up four successive points.

Clare, seemingly on a mission impossible after Laide's goal, had reduced the gap to a mere two points, and, after the sides swopped a further two points apiece, a mere two points separated them as the game entered the final five minutes.

It was then, and only then, that Kerry finally put their stamp on the game and booked a ticket to the All-Ireland stages.

Two substitutes had telling parts to play. Mike Francis Russell collected a ball from Liam Hassett and, from an acute angle, glided the ball over the bar. Less than 30 seconds later, from a piece of turf five yards away, John Crowley posted a replica score to put Kerry four points clear. And, fittingly, the final word was left to Laide, revelling in his return to championship football, with the last score of the game.