Galvin just can't help himself

Scores are what some players are all about. For others, tight marking is their bread and butter. High fielding is the speciality of a select few. Then there's Paul Galvin. Lamentably, the Kerry forward is becoming a one-trick pony. That trick is being sent-off.

There was plenty of hype surrounding the Munster SFC semi-final replay at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening. Cork looked the part in the Fitzgerald Stadium sunshine for most of the opening game. However, in the end they were hanging on despite the fact Bryan Sheehan levelled the game with seconds to go.

A late start to the replay ensured the tension was increased a notch or two. When the perennial Munster rivals did adorn the sod by the Lee it was Cork who upped the ante, and how. Bar a lull at the beginning of the second-half of what was a high intensity game, Conor Counihan's side showed all the necessary qualities to be considered genuine All-Ireland contenders.

For their part, Kerry, who fell at the final hurdle last year, looked flat and lacking any real imagination or focus. One could suggest they are a team that have gone to the well one too many times. However, it would be foolish to write them off at this early stage. After all they took the qualifier route last year before finding Tyrone too good.

Both teams were reduced to 14 men after 25 minutes when an elbow from Paul Galvin, YES, Paul Galvin, brought a retaliatory punch from Noel O'Leary, YES, Noel O'Leary. Pat McEnaney, probably the best referee in the country, wasted no time in flashing two red cards.

Never far apart, like friends (if they weren't enemies!)

Galvin and O'Leary are no stangers to early showers. Cold ones hopefully. They have marked each other on many occasions and if bets were available on which two players might not make it through the 70 minutes then these two would have been well supported.

O'Leary's loss to Cork was minimal given the splendid form of his team-mates but Kerry could have really done with Galvin in the second-half, in particular, when the Kingdom half-forward line just couldn't deal with the energy of the Cork half-backs.

Galvin was needed by his county. But, not for the first time, the Kerry forward was mulling over his actions in what former Tyrone legend, Peter Canavan, referred to as dressing rooms akin to the Aillwee Caves. Maybe the next time Kerry are playing, the Finuge clubman should take himself, and his attitude, off to the aforementioned caves and consider what an honour it is to wear the Kingdom colours.

In Kerry, Galvin, currently a schoolteacher in St Brendan's College in Killarney, developed quite a reputation for picking up red cards during his rise up the ranks from an underage career that mixed hurling and football.

Three years ago he was charged with bringing the GAA into disrepute and verbally abusing a referee during a north Kerry championship quarter-final while playing for Finuge against Ballylongford in Ballybunion.

Galvin picked up six and three-month suspensions to run concurrently, but had the six-month ban reduced on appeal and was able to return. You would have thought he would learn from that. Not a chance. Not Paul Galvin.

In his first match captaining his county in the Munster SFC last year, he was, possibly unfairly, dismissed by Paddy Russell. The fall-out from that incident ran and ran and ran. Eventually, the GAA public got sick of Galvin, sick of his antics. For sure his reputation preceded him that day against Clare but his dismissal against Cork is inexcusable.

Galvin is a fine footballer. He is refreshingly physical, incredibly fit and deceptively skillful. He offers plenty to the Kingdom set when he tunes in and ignores everything outside of the game he is playing. But it seems he just can't help himself. Whether or not Kerry would be better off without Galvin is a question that has troubled many Kingdom folk.

One thing is for sure. If Galvin is given another chance by Jack O'Connor he will need to cop himself on and realise the repercussions of his actions. But he has been given chances before. And this is how he repays those who have stuck by him. What do they say about leopards and spots?