Kerry must be wary of Galway threats in All-Ireland final: Peter Canavan column

Many are predicting that it will be one-way traffic on Sunday. I don't concur with that.

While I fancy Kerry to end their eight-year wait, they are going to have to work for it.

When Galway get to All-Ireland finals, they tend to rise to the occasion.

I was at the 1998 final, when they were going in as underdogs against Kildare. Similarly, they upset Meath in the 2001 decider.

And Kerry got nothing easy in 2000.

The Tribesmen will relish the occasion, and there is nobody better than Pádraic Joyce to know about the build-up to All-Ireland finals.

Whatever they have done in years gone by, it will benefit them on Sunday. And there will be no inferiority complex against the Kingdom. That's a good starting position.

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The Connacht champions will not have to worry about complacency.

All the expectation surrounds Kerry. So it's an ideal scenario for the men in maroon.

Of course, the areas they have to worry about are obvious. It is not about nullifying David Clifford, because they are not going to do that. Instead, they will need to minimise the Fossa forward's impact.

Like Tyrone in last year's All-Ireland semi-final, you expect he is going to kick four or five points. It is about stopping him scoring goals, and preventing quality ball coming into him.

If Clifford gets the right distribution, it doesn't matter who is on him, he will hurt Galway.

The one area Galway have been very good at is being aggressive on the opposition kick-outs. And they'll be coming into this game wanting to pressure Shane Ryan on the restarts.

Joyce and Co will be well aware how Kerry scored their goal against Dublin. If the Munster champions win a long kick-out, the first thing they do is turn and look to get it in early. That's when space is open at the back, and one-on-one situations arise.

If Galway are brave and push up on kick-outs - they have been in every game this year - they do need to be on red alert for the long balls in.

Unlike Derry who had only one target man, Kerry have options. Jack Barry and David Moran will start, while Diarmuid O'Connor will come in from the half-forward line.

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Galway will also look at how Dublin changed their game in the second half of the All-Ireland semi-final. When the Sky Blues let the ball in early following Paddy Small's introduction, that caused Kerry problems.

With Rob Finnerty and Damien Comer inside, there is not reason why Galway will not let the ball in early.

The form Comer is in, they will test the Kerry full-back line.

We saw in last Sunday's hurling final how one player's standout performance can win a game. Gearoid Hegarty led the charge for Limerick. Shane Walsh is capable of doing that. Comer too.

Galway will be needing their marquee men to step up if they are to get their hands on the Sam Maguire Cup.

Kerry have won nothing yet Jack O'Connor will be drilling that message into his team. Only David Moran, Paul Geaney, Stephen O'Brien and Paul Murphy have All-Ireland medals.

Eight years is a long time in Kerry.

O'Connor will need a greater variety of scorers. Only five players scored against the Dubs.

Galway aren't going to change their system of play for the final. They will retain the double sweeper they have employed since the very first game in Castlebar, where Kieran Molloy and Dylan McHugh sit in tight and operate as a double sweeper. And then they like to break fast.

If they do that and are quick to get bodies back, Kerry need to have scorers outside the D. That's where David Moran and Tom O'Sullivan have to come into the game.

Kerry to prevail?

Ultimately, I see it going down to the last 10 minutes.

I think Kerry offer more off the bench. Killian Spillane and Dara Moynihan can make a difference. So too Paul Murphy.

The Kingdom reserves are stronger, and that's what will get them over the line.

Watch Kerry vs Galway in the All-Ireland SFC final live on Sky Sports Arena from 2:30pm Sunday.