Peter Canavan: Cork should have punished lacklustre Kerry

Cork deserved to win Sunday's Munster final, says Peter Canavan, who was surprised by Kerry's poor work rate in defence...

The summer is progressing nicely in terms of the football championship. We’ve had some great games, excitement, shocks and no shortage of talking points, and were treated to another enthralling contest in Killarney last Sunday.

The Munster final lived up to my expectations and all of those who flippantly dismissed Cork were given an emphatic response. The Rebels deserved to win the game but a few tough decisions went against them.

The bedrock of Kerry’s All-Ireland title success was work rate and high intensity. Whether it’s a case of post-All-Ireland blues or not giving Cork their due respect, these traits were clearly missing in Fitzgerald Stadium.

Last year, any forward line that Kerry came up against were not afforded space and time on the ball. There was a willingness of their midfield and half-forward to track back and make life difficult for the opposition. On too many occasions last Sunday, Cork were able to expose gaping holes in the Kerry rearguard.

Last week I identified three areas where Cork needed to improve and they clearly had their homework done.

Cork were cleaned out on their own kickouts by Kerry last year. On Sunday, Cork won 17 out of 22 of their own kickouts, utilising a variety of options including the impressive Alan O’Connor. Credit must go to Brian Cuthbert and his management team for convincing the midfielder to return.

Not only were they able to secure primary possession, but of those 17 kickouts, 12 resulted in Cork getting shots on goal.

It was an engrossing game with a magnificent conclusion, but I’m still waiting on Fionn Fitzgerald to put his hands up and admit he was trying to pass the ball inside!

The second area was defence. This time, there weren’t acres of space in front of the Kerry full-forward line. Paul Kerrigan in particular was very effective in the sweeper role before his dismissal.

The final aspect was fitness. With 10 minutes to go, trailing by two points and playing against a strong breeze, Cork proved that only had they the heart to fight back, but they also had the legs to take them there.

It was an engrossing game with a magnificent conclusion, but I’m still waiting on Fionn Fitzgerald to put his hands up and admit he was trying to pass the ball inside!

Home comforts for Ulster sides

Most of the big games in this weekend’s Qualifiers all include Ulster sides. While it is certainly the most competitive province, we should know by Sunday evening how strong it actually is.

Armagh, Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone all have home advantage and I wouldn’t be surprised to see all four emerging victorious.

Tyrone’s clash with Meath brings back inevitable memories of our clash in the 1996 All-Ireland semi-final. Both teams are similar in that they yearn to be back at the top table, but they lack the physical attributes of successful teams from previous eras.

Opposing teams now seem to enjoy playing against Tyrone and Meath, and that’s not something that could not have been said a few years ago.

I expect Tyrone to employ an attacking outlook and have a real go at the Meath defence. The Red Hands have more options up front with the introduction of three quality under-21 stars in Lee Brennan, Conor Meyler and Mark Bradley

However, they will be wary of a Meath backlash. The Royals’ defeat to Westmeath has not gone down well among the Meath Gaels. They will be expecting a big response.

Since Mick O’Dowd took over, Meath have been playing a very orthodox game. They prefer to go man-to-man and it’s going to be very hard for them to change this style of play in the space of two weeks.

Armagh’s meeting with Galway is another exciting clash to look forward to. These are two teams who are certainly on an upward curve, and had ambitions of making inroads on a provincial title this year.

Galway are laced with quality footballers but their Achilles heel has been their deficiencies at the back. I believe Armagh will adopt a more physical approach because if they stand off and allow Galway to run at them, they will have problems dealing with the Tribesmen.

Finding an effective target man up front beside Jamie Clarke could prove to be the making of Armagh’s summer. I don’t think Galway have anyone capable of stopping Clarke if he receives quality ball.

With a big target man alongside him acting as a perfect foil, Armagh would be a much more potent threat.

Derry will hope that the more intimate surroundings of Owenbeg will provide extra motivation for their players against Wexford.

Last year, club fixtures and injuries resulted in Derry crumbling in the first round of the qualifiers. This time around they can have no excuses. If they play with the same appetite and aggression as they did against Donegal, then there can only be one winner.

The last game in Round 2B sees Tipperary faces Louth. Tipp are a county that is climbing up the football ladder, with a number of talented underage players coming through. They want to become serious contenders in Munster and if they are to achieve that, this is a must-win game for them so they can continue to train together and progress as a side.

Likewise, Louth manager Colin Kelly is working with a very young panel after a number of retirements and departures. They will be up against it, but they go into the game with nothing to lose.

Ernesiders to cause an upset

For many observers, Sunday’s trip to Brewster Park presents a great opportunity for Roscommon to progress to the next round. They could be in for a shock.

The Fermanagh lads are an honest bunch and work very hard for one another. They’ve played Roscommon on a number of occasions over the last few years and the games have always been close.

The Ernesiders will have noted how successful Sligo were using long diagonal balls into the full-forward line. In Sean Quigley and Tomas Corrigan, Fermanagh possess two players who are capable of wreaking havoc.

Fermanagh have won seven successive games at Brewster Park and I expect them to extend that to eight.

Kildare showed great resolve in overcoming Offaly in Tullamore last weekend and it will take another spirited performance against a Longford side who defeated Clare in Ennis.

Not being able to play the game in Pearse Park could well prove costly for Longford. I can only see one winner, and that’s the Lilywhites.

Westmeath won't trouble Dublin

It’s very difficult to see Westmeath troubling Dublin on Sunday. I do believe they will have a go, but in doing so they will leave themselves vulnerable at the back. Meath exploited this and took Westmeath apart, and Dublin’s forwards are even more clinical.

The spirit in the Westmeath camp will be fantastic and they’ve done incredibly well to reach the Leinster final, but their fairytale is coming to an end.

Dublin had a physical challenge game with Armagh last week and that will have done them no harm. They will not have to be firing on all cylinders to claim their 10th provincial title in 11 years.