O'Connor: Kerry forwards "know they can play better than that"

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor said his team were "lucky" to escape with a draw in their Allianz League opener against Kildare, acknowledging that his forwards underperformed in testing conditions.

Returning to Newbridge in his first competitive game as Kerry manager since quitting Kildare for his native county last August, O'Connor received a tasty reception from the bumper home crowd, the match delayed by 15 minutes to allow St Conleth's Park cater for the sizable crowd.

Adopting a relatively pragmatic and defensive approach, Kerry established a four-point lead at half-time, Killian Spillane helping them to a 1-07 to 0-06 advantage at the break.

However, they mustered just three points thereafter, Kildare grabbing the final four points of the game, with Jimmy Hyland landing the final two scores to ensure a draw game.

Asked afterwards whether he considered the result a point lost for Kerry, O'Connor demurred.

"I'm not too sure about that. Kildare played very well in the second half and we didn't play well - didn't play well at all really from 15 minutes into the second half," the Kerry manager told RTÉ's Sunday Sport.

"We were too lateral, we weren't penetrating in the middle third of the pitch. Any ball that went inside didn't seem to stick.

"We'd have to consider ourselves very lucky to get out with a point."

As for why the Kerry forwards mis-fired, O'Connor acknowledged the conditions suited defenders on either side but still insisted that his attackers had to cope better than they managed in Newbridge.

"I suppose it was a defenders' day. Because of the tightness of the pitch, Kildare were well up for the game and the fact that it rained beforehand so the ball was a bit slippy.

"But look, we know ourselves and the forwards inside