Tralee CBS are just 60 minutes from immortality
By: Kieran McCarthy
www.the-kingdom.ie/news/story.asp?j=23855Sunday, April 22 Hogan Cup Final
Tralee CBS v Omagh CBS
Venue: Croke Park Throw-in: 1.45pm
TRALEE CBS stands on the brink of immortality. With just 60 minutes between them and a place in Kerry sporting history, the Munster colleges’ kingpins are within one game of being crowned All-Ireland champions.
After a fantastic run to the final that included the Munster final win over Kerry rivals, St Brendan’s College, Killarney, as well as the semi-final triumph over St Pats from Navan, Tralee are in the final on merit.
Standing between John O’Keeffe’s men and All-Ireland glory is Omagh CBS, and the fact that they are a Tyrone side is sure to evoke memories of clashes between the two counties over the years.
Many hundred miles might separate Kerry and Tyrone in a geographical sense but there is nothing between the two on the football field, be it at colleges, minor or senior level, thus the strong rivalry that has sprouted between the two football rivals.
This alone adds a sense of expectation to the final that acts as the curtain raiser to the National Football League decider in Croke Park.
Heading into the game, Tralee will be full of confidence on the back of their superb, and somewhat surprising victory, over Colm O’Rourke’s St Pats of Navan in the semi-final. Calling it as it is, the Kerry school were expected to come up short against their more illustrious opponents but despite being reduced to 14 men, they still managed to stun the Meath side 1-13 to 1-7.
Leading 0-7 to 0-5 at the break, the Green turned in a power-packed second half display, including a Benny Dillon goal, to send the side who have won three Hogan Cups since 2000 tumbling out of the competition. It was magical stuff.
It was a game that saw Tralee come of age with their full back line in imperious form - Danny O’Sullivan, Kerry minor skipper, particularly outstanding as was Joe Scully before he was harshly shown red at the end of the first half.
Indeed, Scully, another Kerry minor, will be a huge player for Tralee on Sunday. He has all the credentials to become a fine player and a display of note this weekend can only add to his blossoming reputation.
Jumping from their full back line to their full forward section, O’Keeffe’s men are also very strong. In Alan O’Donoghue they have a class act, a forward who kicked 0-6 against St Pats and a young star who has the ability to terrorise an Omagh full back line that conceded 2-9 to St Jarlaths’ full forward trio in just the first half of their semi-final.
That said, Omagh’s last line of defence did hold the Galway trio to just one point in the second half but this is still an area where the Green can profit, provided the right ball is sent in.
At full forward, the Kerry side boast Barry John Walsh, yet another of John Kennedy’s Kerry minors, who is a powerful man, just like his brother, Tommy. Walsh’s strength alone will work in his favour and he is hard to stop in full flow.
Paul Culloty is another player worth watching in the forward line, worth at least a score if not more. A tricky customer, he has a fine shot and Omagh’s back line’s will have their work cut out to try and keep tabs on Tralee’s scoring power.
Omagh themselves are capable of posting a big score, as seen in their semi-final win, but they will be coming up against a very disciplined and experienced Tralee defence that possess some fine attacking talent.
In midfield, Tralee have possibly their trump card in the shape of former Kerry minor, Bryan Costello, who also captains his school.
Costello forms a strong middle third partnership with Stephen Browne and this two can be the launch pad for Kerry success. This duo can dominate.
Omagh showed their resilience in both their semi-final victory against St Jarlaths as well as their McRory Cup victory last month. In both games they looked dead and buried but they also won both games. That says it all.
They have huge scoring potential but their concentration lapses might just be the little window of opportunity that Tralee CBS are looking for. Tralee just have to make sure that if and when they build up a lead, they don’t let Omagh back in.
Tralee have all the credentials to go all the way and John O’Keeffe might create a unique bit of history for himself, wining the Hogan Cup as both player and manager.
The Kerry GAA legend captained St Brenda’s College, Killarney to success in 1969. 38 years on he can win it as Tralee CBS manager. What an achievement that would be.