IT IS a rule change that has caused a bit of consternation up until now but in Cork’s clash with Kerry, it boiled over.
If a mark is claimed from a kickout, the player not in possession has to retreat or give the ball back. If that protocol is not followed, the attacking team gets a 50-metre advancement of a free and can then bring it outside the 40-metre arc for a two-pointer.
In this All-Ireland SFC Group 2 game, the rule was enforced seven times, with Kerry scoring three two-pointed frees off it early in the second half, as the Kingdom overpowered Cork to turn a three-point half-time deficit into an 11-point winning margin.
Both managers were understandably frustrated afterwards.
‘The initial thing, they are going for the ball and next thing they land down in front of the player. Next thing, it’s 50 metres. What are they supposed to do? Not go for it? It was on both sides. I think we were particularly hit hard after half-time,’ Cork boss John Cleary said.
‘Ball going out the wing. Kerry guy caught it, fella came down and stood there because it’s momentum, maybe took him into the player. Completely unintentional. It’s not an excuse, just a general comment, I think the rule has to be looked at. Surely, it has to be intentional.’
Kerry manager Jack O’Connor agrees.
‘This was never what the rule was brought in for. They are going to have to tidy this up. Half the time, he blows the whistle and neither team knows who the free is for. So how are you supposed to get out of the way if you think the free is your own? This is something that needs to be addressed because it has gone to ridiculous proportions,’ O’Connor argued.
‘At one stage, Brian Ó Beaglaoich was in the process of giving the ball back. I’m not blaming the referees, maybe they’re told to do this but that’s going to have to be tidied up. I felt all along it was going to cause problems and it certainly is,’ the Kerry boss added.
In regards to the result, it was a damaging one for Cork who now face Roscommon in a must-win game on June 14th in Portlaoise.
Cleary pointed out why his team lost to their rivals.
‘There were a couple of things. We had a hard game last week. During the week, it took until Wednesday or Thursday for them to get over last week. Bumps and bruises, tough day up in Meath,’ Cleary said.
‘To realise from Tuesday onwards you were facing the favorites for the All-Ireland, you really needed to be at the peak of physical condition and I think we tired in the second half. Against a team like Kerry, if you tire, they will punish you and that’s what they did when they were able to get a bit of space.’
All roads lead to Portlaoise for the crunch game against Roscommon that Cork must win to stay in the championship.
‘We’ll just have to brush things down and at least we have two weeks now. Travelling up to Meath and coming down with the week’s break was pretty tough. Not an excuse, but I think we tired in the second half and it was maybe a slight result of last week,’ Cleary concluded.
