*Paudie Clifford misses Sunday’s Munster final. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
KERRY will be without Paudie Clifford for Sunday’s Munster final against Clare with manager Jack O’Connor hinting at further changes to their team.
Clifford was unsuccessful in his bid to have his red card received in their semi-final win over Cork overturned at a Central Hearings Committee (CHC) meeting.
Three-time All Star Paudie was sent off for a high tackle on Matty Taylor with ten minutes of normal time remaining in their semi-final clash which was decided following extra time.
Referee Barry Tiernan deemed the challenge from the forward to be a dangerous one. The red card decision upheld by the CHC, with Clifford hit with a one-match ban for “behaving in a dangerous manner to an opponent”.
Two points separated Kerry from Cork in the semi-final, they are attempting to win a fifth Munster title in a row and their twelfth in the last thirteen seasons.
Speaking on Radio Kerry ahead of Sunday’s Munster final, Kerry manager Jack O’Connor said further changes to their team are likely. “We’ve a few fellas with injuries, Shane O’Connor with a substantial gash on his knee after a clash with Brian Hurley, Paul Murphy went off with a calf strain and Graham O’Sullivan has been nursing a groin problem for a couple of weeks, he may miss the game too. We’re down a few bodies and Paudie is suspended, we could have anything from four to five changes to the team from the Cork game”.
