THERE IS a real sense of anticipation in the air, not just because Cork and Kerry are the combatants in the National Football League final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh tomorrow. Rather, far too often, this particular title has been somewhat unjustly relegated in the footballing priorities of managers and players - but, with the two Munster giants apparently reawakening from their slumbers, the craving for a national title is particularly strong.
I remember back to my own playing days when Kerry won four National League titles in successive years, from 1971 to 1974. But, in snatching up league wins as if they were going out of fashion, we never won the Sam Maguire in that time and, consequently, nobody really wanted to know.
Tomorrow's match is different, however; especially in Kerry where we have been starved of any tangible success since 1984. At this stage, "even" a League crown would be cause for considerable rejoicing. I can't ever recall there being so much interest in a NFL final in Kerry, so much empathy by the supporters with the players.
Of course, Cork have endured a pretty lean spell too. So, the hunger to win is likely to be particularly strong from both teams in this showdown, while the traditional "derby" element is another ingredient which will add to the whole occasion. One extra factor which should ensure Cork and Kerry really go at it tomorrow - and produce a match of genuine championship proportions - is that the teams have such a long wait before playing in the championship. It means nobody will be worried about possible injuries or, have upcoming games on their minds, so there will be a welcome cooling down period afterwards.
This game is important to the development of both teams. Kerry will be able to judge just how well its young side can cope with the pressures of actually getting into the position to win something. Cork also have a lot of players involved who were only spectators when they last won a national title, the All Ireland in 1990, and who need to take that extra step.
There'll be no holding either team back, I suspect. It should be a close game, though, as they are equally matched and the winning of the game depends on a number of intriguing factors.
For starters, there is little point accepting the Cork team at face value because you can be sure they are not all going to line up in their selected positions.
The Cork strategy in the semifinal win over Kildare and, previously against Louth, was to have two men in the full forward line, invariably Stephen O'Brien and Aidan Dorgan. I don't think Colin Corkery's move out to the half forwards worked too well against Kildare, so I wouldn't be surprised to see O'Brien move further outfield, perhaps to the `40', and leave Dorgan and Corkery as the two inside men.
This strategy has worked well for them. O'Brien - or Corkery - takes on the role of strong targetman, but Dorgan complements superbly, making 20 or 30 yard runs to gain possession. The Kerry full back line will need to play really well to combat this particular ploy.
One thing about this Cork team is the manner in which its half forwards work so hard. Ciaran O'Sullivan and Brian Corcoran, of course, are converted defenders and think defensively. But it will be fascinating to see what way they'll be used to assist their defence in coping with a particularly slick Kerry attacking unit.
Indeed, I don't think I can pick too many flaws in the Kerry attack. Maurice Fitzgerald, apart from his free taking, will have a huge influence on the game. But each of the other forwards, in his own way, can make a strong contribution and is capable of doing something special. There is no weak link, as far as I can see, and Kerry's main attribute in attack is their sheer quickness.
I thought a couple of Cork players were "dragging a leg" in the semifinal, most notably Niall Cahalane and Mark O'Connor - and this is not the type of match where you can't be 100 per cent tit. The Kerry forwards are so fast and quick, both in movement and the manner in which they release the bail. All of which means the strong work ethic imposed on the Cork forwards by manager Larry Tompkins will be badly needed if they are to thwart Kerry's attack.
One area where Cork are superior, in my mind, is at midfield. I'm quite surprised that they have (apparently!) split up the partnership of Damien O'Neill and Ciaran O'Sullivan - O'Neill's work rate against Kildare was outstanding and O'Sullivan's forward runs combined with his defensive abilities made them into a formidable partnership. And I thought Martin Cronin, who is "named" as O'Neill's midfield partner tomorrow, was their best forward that day. We'll just have to wait and see when Cork line out tomorrow if they actually stick to the selected lineup. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they don't.
No matter which partnership fines out at midfield for Cork, it will be very, very strong - and a lot of questions will be asked of their Kerry counterparts William Kirby and Dara O Se. The Kerry lads have been quite impressive right through the campaign and shown a lot of promise about, to be honest, the jury is still out on their capacity to outfield and outplay a really top pairing.
Kerry's ability to win tomorrow will depend to a large extent on Kirby and O Se. I feel if they can get parity, or somewhere near parity, around the middle of the field, then Kerry's forwards, who are a slick more attack minded unit than the Cork forwards, can sway the balance in the Kingdom's favour.
It should be a really good final to the National League, a match to whet the appetite for the championship which is very nearly upon us. Personally, I believe that the football administrators should adapt the league campaign to a similar format now being used in the hurling league matches. But, I suppose, that's an issue for another day. However, Cork and Kerry have certainly benefited from the good weather of recent months and should be approaching this game in the sort of shape more normally associated with championship games. Anticipate a good encounter with, perhaps, a Kerry win by a narrow margin.
