Kerry manager Jack O'Connor lamented some poor Kerry finishing in front of goal in their narrow defeat to Derry, but was buoyed by the Kingdom’s second-half display in their league opener.
The 2023 All-Ireland finalists welcomed Mickey Harte to Tralee on the opening weekend of the Allianz Football League, but it was the Oak Leaf County that claimed the final score of the game with the clock in the red to edge out a 0-15 to 2-08 victory.
Derry raised a few eyebrows with a team selection that included Conor Glass, Ciarán McFaul and Ethan Doherty six days on from Glen's All-Ireland club glory.
Harte's side dominated the first half and the early stages of the second, but were forced to withstand Kerry’s second-half rally, with Shane McGuigan landing a late free to seal the two points.
With Derry's defence creaking as the game progressed, Conor Geaney and Dylan Casey breathed life into the Kerry performance by raising green flags, while full-back Jason Foley was denied by a point-blank Odhran Lynch save.
Throw in two Derry goalmouth clearances that only required a Kerry touch, and it is understandable why the home supporters could lament the narrow loss. It was a sentiment shared by the team manager.
"It seemed like we butchered two or three goal chances that we created in the second half," O’Connor told RTÉ Sport afterwards. "I felt if one more of those went in, we’d have got a result.
"We butchered two or three goal chances."
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) January 27, 2024
Kerry manager Jack O'Connor rues missed opportunities in the Kingdom's opening league defeat to Derry this evening.
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"It wasn’t to be. I was very happy with the second half performance, I thought we really went after the game, we pressed hard on the kick-out and high up the pitch.
"We played a lot of the game in their half, but at the end of the day, we butchered at least two, if not three, goal chances, and that’s the game right there.
"Very happy with the display, not happy with the result."
While Derry had the Glen players back in the fold, Kerry will be without the Clifford brothers - David and Paudie - for the opening two rounds of the league.
Their eventual return will significantly bolster their attacking threat, which was led by marauding Kingdom defenders for the main part aside from Sean O’Shea.
O’Connor said he was pleased with how some of the more inexperienced players, such as Geaney and Cillian Burke, acquitted themselves, but said the challenge of taking on a "fully loaded" Derry side harbouring Sam Maguire ambitions was always going to be a stern test.
"They have new impetus with new management and that’s shown by the fact the Glen lads came down and played a week after winning the All-Ireland," he said.
"They mean business, but we do as well and we go up to Monaghan next week in good spirits because we have a lot to play for.
"We have a few things to work on after that, but a lot to be proud of as well."
