KERRY BOSS EAMONN Fitzmaurice was a relieved man after his side snatched a late draw in yesterday’s All-Ireland semi-final, and he has one player in particular to thank.
Kieran Donaghy was introduced in the final 10 minutes, with his team trailing Mayo by five points.
The former Footballer of the Year made an instant impact, catching superbly and winning a close-range free with his first involvement.
It got better though, as with his next touch, he brushed Ger Cafferkey aside to field on the edge of the square and assist James O’Donoghue for a crucial goal. He even made a vital interception in the dying moments, allowing O’Donoghue the opportunity to go on and win the game, but his effort brushed the post.
The Kerry manager, also a former team mate of the ‘star’ Donaghy, was full of praise for his impact sub post-match, but he gave no hints as to whether a larger role awaits the Austin Stacks man in next week’s replay.
“He was fantastic when he went in there. He came on at midfield first of all. Then we had it at the back of our heads that we’d be able to use him inside if we needed it particularly late in the game and we did need it.”
Next week's replay is fixed for the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Both teams will now have to make the trip to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick for next weekend’s replay, the first All-Ireland senior semi-final to be staged outside of Croke Park since the 1983 replay between Cork and Dublin in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, as the GAA headquarters hosts an American Football college match.
“It’s an unusual one alright” explained Fitzmaurice. “At this stage of the summer, we love coming to Croke Park, we love playing in Croke Park, the players love coming up here.
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“Even small things like logistical issues now, like we’d be going the night before to Croke Park, but we never go the night before to Limerick — so we probably won’t now.
“A 5pm game is something that is slightly different too so it will probably have a bit of an unusual feel to it. At the end of the day, it is an All-Ireland semi-final so it doesn’t matter where it is on really.”
Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
After Lee Keegan's first-half dismissal yesterday, an incident Fitzmaurice claims he didn't see, Kerry surged into a four-point lead. Yet within 20 minutes of the second half, they trailed by five. What went wrong?
"We were lucky in the end, we know that. It was really a case of snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat.
"We showed great character late in the game to come back into it, but you'd question why we were in that position in the first place. But I'm delighted with the spirit the lads showed late on certainly.
"We sat off them, we sat back, which wasn't something we planned to do. We made it a lot harder for ourselves than we needed to do.
"I think you've to give a lot of credit to Mayo. They showed real character in how they went about the game in the second half.
One major area Kerry struggled in during the second half was in the middle sector where Mayo were dominant under the breaking ball.
"I think they got on top in the middle third. Their runners started to get through us, and Kevin McLoughlin went back to wing-back after the sending off.
"At the start of their purple patch, he was breaking the line. Other Mayo lads were doing the same thing, but he was definitely a big factor in them driving on the game from there.
"If you'd asked me with five minutes to go, would I take a draw, I'd have snatched your hand off."
Bryan Sheehan misses a free in injury time. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Kerry started the game with both Bryan Sheehan and Declan O'Sullivan on the line, both players having suffered with injury of late, but according to Fitzmaurice; "both are fine. They came through grand and both players will be fine."
"With those lads it was that their training that had been disrupted more than anything else in the lead up to the game. We felt that we would need their leadership towards the end of the game.
Another experienced player who has been struggling with an injury is Darran O'Sullivan.
"We'd be hopeful about Darran," he said. "He just gave his hamstring a small bit of a twinge last weekend when we were preparing for the game and he just didn't make it. Hopefully the extra five days will make a big difference to that."
As for young Stephen O'Brien who did make it and had started brightly before limping off during the first half, his manager his hopeful he too can feature next weekend.
"He had a problem with his quad muscle. There were a good few bangs and bruises there because it was a physical game, so we will just have to see how lads are during the week."
Eamonn Fitz on 'fantastic' Donaghy, injury updates and the venue debate
KERRY BOSS EAMONN Fitzmaurice was a relieved man after his side snatched a late draw in yesterday’s All-Ireland semi-final, and he has one player in particular to thank.
Kieran Donaghy was introduced in the final 10 minutes, with his team trailing Mayo by five points.
The former Footballer of the Year made an instant impact, catching superbly and winning a close-range free with his first involvement.
It got better though, as with his next touch, he brushed Ger Cafferkey aside to field on the edge of the square and assist James O’Donoghue for a crucial goal. He even made a vital interception in the dying moments, allowing O’Donoghue the opportunity to go on and win the game, but his effort brushed the post.
The Kerry manager, also a former team mate of the ‘star’ Donaghy, was full of praise for his impact sub post-match, but he gave no hints as to whether a larger role awaits the Austin Stacks man in next week’s replay.
Both teams will now have to make the trip to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick for next weekend’s replay, the first All-Ireland senior semi-final to be staged outside of Croke Park since the 1983 replay between Cork and Dublin in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, as the GAA headquarters hosts an American Football college match.
“Even small things like logistical issues now, like we’d be going the night before to Croke Park, but we never go the night before to Limerick — so we probably won’t now.
“A 5pm game is something that is slightly different too so it will probably have a bit of an unusual feel to it. At the end of the day, it is an All-Ireland semi-final so it doesn’t matter where it is on really.”
After Lee Keegan's first-half dismissal yesterday, an incident Fitzmaurice claims he didn't see, Kerry surged into a four-point lead. Yet within 20 minutes of the second half, they trailed by five. What went wrong?
"We showed great character late in the game to come back into it, but you'd question why we were in that position in the first place. But I'm delighted with the spirit the lads showed late on certainly.
"I think you've to give a lot of credit to Mayo. They showed real character in how they went about the game in the second half.
One major area Kerry struggled in during the second half was in the middle sector where Mayo were dominant under the breaking ball.
"At the start of their purple patch, he was breaking the line. Other Mayo lads were doing the same thing, but he was definitely a big factor in them driving on the game from there.
"If you'd asked me with five minutes to go, would I take a draw, I'd have snatched your hand off."
Kerry started the game with both Bryan Sheehan and Declan O'Sullivan on the line, both players having suffered with injury of late, but according to Fitzmaurice; "both are fine. They came through grand and both players will be fine."
Another experienced player who has been struggling with an injury is Darran O'Sullivan.
"We'd be hopeful about Darran," he said. "He just gave his hamstring a small bit of a twinge last weekend when we were preparing for the game and he just didn't make it. Hopefully the extra five days will make a big difference to that."
As for young Stephen O'Brien who did make it and had started brightly before limping off during the first half, his manager his hopeful he too can feature next weekend.
Mayo and Kerry to do it all over again after epic draw
‘If we’re getting straight red cards for that, the game is going down’ – James Horan
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All-Ireland Senior HC World Cup 2014 Eamonn Fitzmaurice Gaelic Grounds pairc Star Kerry Mayo