O'Mahony pinpoints breaking ball contest

IN AIDAN O'Mahony's first year as a Kerry starter he won an All-Ireland medal. In the 2006 final, two seasons on, he edged Séamus Moynihan and Kieran Donaghy for the man-of-the-match accolade after neatly placing Mayo's Ciarán McDonald in his back pocket and picking off two points.

Twelve months later O'Mahony was shifted into Moynihan's number-six jersey and basically told to lead. The heir apparent didn't disappoint, adding his second successive All Star to an ever-growing list of honours.

To slip so comfortably into Moynihan's shoes requires some added ingredients in a footballer's make-up. Being a hugely capable player does not suffice. He needs verve. He needs an inner calm under the most intense scrutiny.

So far, O'Mahony has held up his end.

Cork know he is the dam that if cracked will allow red jerseys go pouring down upon the only area of obvious weakness in the three-in-a-row-chasing Kerry side.

In mitigation, all full-back lines can be exposed these days if the correct ball is funnelled into a big target man at full forward. The ploy has been adopted by every leading team, apart from Dublin, who are now on holidays.

Kerry, memorably, exploited the strategy in the late 1970s when Mick O'Dwyer introduced Eoin "Bomber" Liston to his attack.

Jack O'Connor went back to this option after defeat to Cork in the Munster final of 2006 as Kieran "Star" Donaghy grew into his nickname.

"If you look at most teams, everyone has a big full forward," agrees O'Mahony. "Tyrone had Seán Cavanagh, for example. A lot of it is if you've someone to mark him and break the ball from him then it's up to the rest of the players to sweep it up."

That Pat O'Shea further developed the tactic in 2008 by placing the teenager Tommy Walsh alongside Donaghy doesn't mean their own full-back line has been spared. Galway's Joe Bergin came in and punched a goal the last day before Kerry dug into their reserves to prevail. When Cork produced that dramatic revival in the second half of the Munster final a host of scores came off Michael Cussen's long arms.

"Against Galway and Monaghan, our number-one priority was to defend and that's the same against Cork. They have very good forwards - you have Donncha O'Connor and players like James Masters to bring off the bench - so our priority will be to defend first and if we get a chance to attack, then well and good."

In reality the only way to contain a big man like Cussen or Donaghy is to clog the supply lines.

Moments of genius apart - and Colm Cooper and James Masters are just two capable of such on Sunday - the battle of the middle third usually sorts out the spoils between Cork and Kerry.

"In the Munster final," continued O'Mahony, "lots of people have been going on about the high-ball game but if you look at the middle third of the field as well, we didn't win the breaking ball and it went into Cussen and the breaks came off it. We were second to every ball. The players around have a lot to answer for and hopefully the next day we will be cuter to get to the breaks.

"Cork are very physical around the middle. They have Pearse O'Neill and Nicholas Murphy . . . Graham Canty and Alan O'Connor - all these boys are six-foot plus and if they want they can bring Michael Cussen out there. Seán O'Brien is a very good player too for breaking ball and it's going to be up to the team who wins the most breaks, the hungrier team."

Every time O'Mahony has been tested he has come up with the goods. Against an ultra-aggressive Monaghan he got a fairly heavy belt early on that has forced him to play and train hurt ever since.

"I got a kick across the shin bone and there were a couple of X-rays that went haywire but I rested it well and did a warm-up the night before the Galway game and it didn't go too well but for games like that you forget about the injuries and just get on with it.

"I played through a small bit of pain. It might need surgery later on but I won't be doing anything until after the championship. I sat out a bit of training but it's not too bad. I'll play away."

Meanwhile, the central referees' appointment control committee has selected Westmeaths Barry Kelly to take charge of the All-Ireland hurling final between Kilkenny and Waterford on September 7th. Cathal McAllster of Cork will referee the minor final between Kilkenny and Galway.

Tickets for Sunday's game can be bought from the participating counties, on www.gaa.ie, the GAA ticket office or from Ticketmaster.