'Express yourself': Quillinan keen for Kerry starlets play game the right way

Irish Examiner

17-06-2025

Kerry manager Wayne Quillinan will be hoping to make up for last year's one-point loss to the eventual champions Derry when his charges face Mayo in the All-Ireland MFC semi-final in Ennis on Sunday next.
Mayo also reached the semi-finals last term but lost to Armagh by seven points. Given the age grade dropped down a year, there are only a couple of survivors on each squad for the 2025 version.
Quillinan reports that the Kingdom has no serious injury worries.
'We haven't named the 24, but we had a few knocks and niggles after the Cavan game. But we're hoping, we're training tomorrow night, and we're hoping we'll have a full bill of health to train tomorrow night.'
Kerry were forced to hang on in the final 10 minutes of their one point quarter-final win over a gutsy Cavan side. Quillinan was unhappy with their poor first half performance but saw lots of positives when they weathered the storm late on.
'Now with the power of hindsight and seeing the game four or five times again, we actually played particularly well in the first half, but our shot selection was very poor we had 11 wides. So we weren't executing well. They scored one point from play in the first half. Everything else was frees, silly frees that we shouldn't have given away, and they got a two pointer towards the end,' he said.
'And in the second half, up to the 22nd minute of the second half, they had only one goal scored and I thought we were controlled. I thought we were composed with it.
'And then where the learning comes in is the final 10 minutes where, particularly on breaking ball, we just couldn't get our hands on breaking ball. It wasn't even down to us coughing up easy possession. We just couldn't get our hands on the ball. And that's credit to Cavan.
"Their lives were at stake. They went for it. But I did feel and you know me, I'm a positive person. I did feel that our defense stood up really well. There was a storm. This is the way I've addressed it with the lads is there was a storm there. We were prepared for it, and we rode it.'
The interesting thing about Mayo is they've had seven games: They have lost three times already so far this year, twice to Roscommon and once to Galway; They've conceded 14 goals in those seven games.
'I just like at minor level where a team goes out and expresses themselves and try to play the game in the right way, and that's what Mayo do. And that's what we're doing with our minors; trying to get out, don't restrict yourself. Get out, just express yourself, they're young fellas. Go out and express yourself. Play the game the way the game is supposed to be played.'
Quillinan continued: 'But your main message to your players, and I think Mayo are the same, is going out and just express yourself. And just leave it all on the field. Make sure you have the right energy. Make sure you have the right intensity. Make sure you have the right intent.
"And if you have that, I just feel you'll be there and thereabouts at the end of the game. And if you don't get over the line, at least you can say to yourself, you know what, I went out and I expressed myself. I worked as hard as I could in that Kerry jersey.
"I gave it everything I have, and I can look myself in the mirror and say, you know what, I gave it everything. And some days you're just beaten by a better team.'
Has Qullinan got a plan to deal with the threat posed by Mayo?
'We have. That's the entire concept. Obviously you have your overall plan, and then you have to have your matchups with that. You mentioned Adam Kelly there in midfield; I think he's the best fielder that I've seen at minor level this year. He's got a superb pair of hands. And in fairness to Mayo, and this isn't discrediting Roscommon, but they lost in the Connacht final.
"They lost two of their midfielders during the game, but he's been excellent. And I just think you have Conor Jordan on one side, you've Patrick Garvey on the other, and then you have four scoring forwards. You have two working forwards and four really good scoring forwards that we'll have to pay a lot of attention to.
"We've done our homework. No more so than they've done their homework on us, and I'm really expecting a real good battle because it's going to be a fifty fifty and I think the tiniest of margins will dictate the game. And that's why I'm smiling. You can't help but get excited for games like that.'