JUST LIKE LAST year’s All-Ireland quarter-final win over Cavan, Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice was left with some puzzling questions after their latest last eight success.
The Kingdom saw an eight-point lead reduced to just two at one stage against Galway, similar to how Cavan fought back valiantly from nine down last year.
Ultimately, Kerry won both games with some to spare so they will march confidently on to an All-Ireland semi-final clash with Mayo though Fitzmaurice understandably wants an improvement.
“It was far from the perfect performance,” said Fitzmaurice. “We have a good bit to work on for the next three weeks. Overall, you’d have to be happy that we won the game and we’re moving forward again.
“But we mixed the good with the bad. There was some good attacking football. Other times, we weren’t quite as accurate as we would have liked. But 1-20 overall, it’s good shooting and we know there are other aspects of our performance that we have to work on for three weeks’ time.”
Fitzmaurice was disappointed in particular with Kerry’s defending for Galway’s first goal. Tom Flynn soloed through the centre of the Kingdom rear guard from a long way out before planting the ball in the net.
“It was disappointing,” admitted Fitzmaurice, a former centre-back himself. “We know what Galway are capable of doing. Tom Flynn is athletic and he has good pace. But for him to get the ball on the half-way line and get through without a hand being put on him is certainly something we have to work on.”
Fitzmaurice had good news for supporters regarding midfielder Bryan Sheehan who was forced off after just five minutes. Sheehan crumped to the turf after an awkward slip.
“It’s his hip flexor, he just jolted it,” said Fitzmaurice. “Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
Asked how he would compare Kerry now to the side that reached last year’s semi-final, Fitzmaurice suggested they are marginally better though Colm Cooper remains an obvious loss through injury.
“We probably are a bit further on than last year,” he said. “I suppose at the end of the day, we’re in the same position Championship wise, heading into a semi-final. We probably didn’t hit the heights today but I was delighted with the lads’ attitude and the way they dug in when there were certain parts of the game where we were under pressure.”
