Kerry FC need first win sooner rather than later, but Wexford will be a challenge

Without wanting to pile on the pressure, the Kingdom are overdue a win on home soil and, six games into the season, they’re certainly overdue a win full-stop in the league (particularly if the club’s pre-season stated aims are to be met).

The Munster Senior Cup wins – they’re due to play Waterford FC in the final some time during the summer months – as welcome as they were, don’t really compensate for the lack of at least one three-point league haul.

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As we’ve noted on these pages before, Conor McCarthy’s men are playing well enough to warrant it. They’ve been unlucky, they’ve been a bit profligate, they just need to stich everything together.

That is the trick, though, isn’t it? Getting all those ducks in-a-row, learning how to win. A matter of time you would have thought, particularly when you see how this team has developed from last season to this.

There’s a cussedness to the Kingdom that wasn’t always there last year. Indeed, last weekend in Ballybofey they claimed their first clean-sheet of the campaign, showing a level of street-smarts that weren’t always evident last year.

“I think a lot of the players have the experience now of playing in different kind of games, whether you’re winning, losing or drawing and knowing what tempo you put up for the game,” Kerry boss Conor McCarthy explained.

"Every week we go down to Mounthawk and there’s oppositions doing the same thing to us so it’s a bit of the dark-arts, but it’s part of it. I don't think it was anything too crazy. I don’t think it was killing the game too much, we were still trying to win the game. The players managed the game really well.

“It was a really good result. It’s a hard place to go as we know, to go up there, get a clean sheet, it’s a good result. We stayed overnight, it was a long trip up and down.

"It was good to stay overnight and good to be in an environment with the lads where we’re not looking forward to a game, or in training-mode or anything like that. It’s good to get a bit of down-time and talk to them as people as opposed to players.”

Defensively the improvements have been obvious – something to ‘take a bit of pride in’ according to McCarthy – but Kerry probably do need to fit the net with greater regularity if they are to get the first win of the season.

“Yeah, you do [need to score more regularly], as well as keeping them out you need to nick a few at the other end,” McCarthy conceded.

“I think we’re creating chances, I don’t think it’s a case that there’s no chances being created. It’s a matter of time before they go in. We got a bit unlucky with a couple of injuries here and there, but I think we’re getting in good areas and creating chances and they will fall.

"I don’t think it’s a case where we’re going games not getting a sniff of the goal, so they will fall. It’s not an area where we’re too concerned at the moment.”

The bank holiday weekend will be a busy one for the Kingdom with Friday’s game against the Yellow Bellies followed by a game on Monday in Belfield against UCD.

“The turnaround is very, very quick from your Friday to your Monday, but really the Friday is your first game and your normal prep, which is standard,” McCarthy outlined.

"The only thing that changes from our point of view is the training load will change a bit slightly, especially after the weekend with the travel that we’ve done and into a double weekend.

"The sessions, our training load will probably be a bit lighter this week, just to keep the bodies fresh more than anything.”

Wexford have really come on strong since their disappointing opening day defeat to Athlone Town and now look one of the better sides in the division, so if Kerry are to get over the line here they’ll have to be at their very, very best.

“Wexford are very good,” the Killarney man stresses.

"They’d a very good season last year and have kept a lot of their players, I think they’ve only lost one player who played a lot of minutes last year. They retained well and they signed one or two as well.

"They’re going to be very strong. They’ll be eyeing up to push the title this year, they’ll be backing down from on-one. It’ll be a very tough game. The management team there are very, very good.

"They’re well organised and very structured in what they do, so they’re a very hard team to break down. Now saying that they had a bit of goal-fest the other night, but they came out on the right side of it so a really good side and a tough game. We’re really looking forward to it.”

On the injury front it’s pretty much as you were for the Kingdom. Nathan Gleeson remains on the injury list, as does Valerii Dolia. Jack Kavanagh, meanwhile, despite being in the squad last week looks set to be out of action a little longer with a tricky hamstring injury.

Verdict: Kerry FC

SSE AIRTRICITY FIRST DIVISION

Kerry FC v Wexford FC

Friday, March 29

Mounthawk Park, 7.45pm