Gavin Cummiskeyfinds Kerry manager Pat O'Shea in philosophical mood despite his team's amazing late collapse at Croke Park
IT SEEMS strange managers continue to take up a position on the sideline to watch matches. Sure, they always seem to be missing the important happenings in a game. It's a wonder they can still do their job.
Adopting a stance made universally famous by Arsène Wenger, Kerry manager Pat O'Shea was not much help at the inquisition that followed yesterday's late collapse.
Leading by a comfortable eight points with four minutes of normal-time remaining, the now usual inability of Cork to make even a decent fist of it against their neighbours when it comes to late summer occasions in Croke Park was again revealing itself.
Then the world turned on its head. Actually, for those following the football championship in 2008, unexplainable events are nothing new. This will forever be remembered as the championship that made no sense.
Everything the experts think they know has been regularly discarded, shredded to pieces in some instances, and the last few minutes of madness here maintained that theme.
On 66 minutes John Miskella clipped over a point. John Hayes added a free. Six-point game. Two minutes of injury-time are announced. James Masters pops up on the end of a Michael Cussen cross to punch the ball embarrassingly under the legs of Diarmuid Murphy. Three-point game. Then, in the 72nd and final minute, Graham Canty thunders into the red zone only to collide with Aidan O'Mahony. Penalty. John Hayes forces a replay with a tidy low finish to the corner.
Some people thought it should have been a free out, but O'Mahony's karma was hardly in decent shape after his blatant dive ensured Donncha O'Connor was sent off. His actions were widely criticised afterwards and looked more suited to an over-zealous Italian striker. He cheated.
What prompts referees to take on such a thankless task remains a mystery. This was not an easy game to patrol and Cavan native Joe McQuillan was forced into some big calls. He got some of them right, but hindsight is not yet available in real time.
O'Shea didn't see the O'Mahony incident, nor, unsurprisingly, did Darragh Ó Sé's dismissal hit his radar.
It didn't stop him defending his veteran midfielder who, it turns out, should be back from an expected four-week and one-match suspension ahead of the All-Ireland final, should Kerry make it. Ironically, the draw throws Ó Sé a lifeline.
"It is very disappointing for Darragh," said O'Shea. "Darragh is a very passionate player. He always was. He has played and given fantastic service as an amateur player to this game. Unfortunately, he gets targeted and blamed and painted with different brushes throughout his career. I didn't see the incident
so I can't comment on what provoked it or what happened."
Was Darragh targeted again by Pearse O'Neill (a man who can clearly rub him up the wrong way as he already proved in the Munster final)?
"I'm not really sure. Players in all games are going to be targeted. For certain reasons some players will be pencilled out because of their character or because of their inspiration."
Does it feel like a loss, Pat?
"Not really, no because we are still in the championship. Nothing has changed. It would have been nice to finish the job today but it wasn't to be. That's sport. We felt in control but Cork were always likely to create some chances and obviously they did that. But it doesn't. Genuinely it doesn't.
"I mean we've got to come back. You know, sport is about playing for 70 minutes."
