1. On the expectations of kicking frees from fans
There is pressure in general of playing for the county. I am coming up to hit them because nobody else feels confident enough to do it. The pressure is there, yes, but at the same time it’s not, if that makes any sense [laughs].
The first time I ever tried to hit free-kicks with the county was the under-21s and I missed the first two and wasn’t allowed back up for the rest of the year. I thought that was going to be the end of the rest of the year from a kicking perspective. But I missed my first one this year, missed one after that, but lucky enough Mickey showed the confidence in me that if I missed a few he still was going to send me up for the one after that.
2. On gamesmanship when in comes to free kicks
The only team to really do it against me was DIT in the Ryan Cup. It was the first time anyone ran alongside me from corner-forward, right to wherever the free-kick was.
He talked very little, just ran alongside me to try and take my eye off the ball I suppose. But everybody has their wee mouthful when you are setting the ball up, that happens in club football too so I expect the same thing come Donegal.
I just concentrate on hitting the free-kick. The best thing to do is hit it and keep my eye on the ball, line up the posts and do my best.
3. On goalkeepers taking their time over free kicks
It was said by Pat McEnaney that they had researched it and looked at it. Outfield players are taking just as much time as the goalkeepers who are coming up to hit it. We are sort of jogging or running to hit the free kick whereas outfield players are walking over. I have no issues over it but I will be taking the same amount of time as I normally do.
I don’t like to stand over the ball for too long anyway.
4. On how psychologically important it is to score the first one
Definitely, that is the one that sets you up for the day. If you miss your first one it sets a tone for what is to come. I would be hoping that the first one is a bit easier than the rest to come after it.
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5. On the satisfaction of coming back from an early miss
I suppose that’s what you set out to do as well. If you miss one you have to make sure you score your second one, pay a bit more attention to the detail that you didn’t pay attention to the one before. I will be focusing on every one as if it’s the winning of the game. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what you score, if you score a point it could be the winning one.
6. On different kick-out strategies employed by goalkeepers
If you look at the whole Donegal team they are big with the exception of maybe Mark McHugh. But he does a separate job. Any team that plays against them, they adopts a different strategy and we will be going out with something in store, but hopefully it’s not too complex or I might get mixed up!
7. On short kick-outs now being abandoned by Tyrone
I think Mickey sort of looked at it as putting ourselves under pressure if the ball was kicked out inside our own ’45′. We were immediately on the back foot and it is hard to work it out. We try to get the ball forward as long as we can to a man if possible and if not, to try and give ourselves a 50-50 chance of winning it.
8. On Donegal goalkeeper Paul Durcan
I think he is probably the best in the game at disguising his kick-out. He will line one up and you think it is going left and he will slice it with the outside of his boot straight to a man’s chest. He probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves because all the focus is on Cluxton and his kickouts. Durcan is right up there with the rest of the goalkeepers with his shot-stopping ability too, for the likes of [what happened with] Penrose last year. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
9. On the media attention he received after the League final
It definitely took me by surprise because I just seen it as doing my job. It went well for me that night but I am not expecting it to ever go as well for me again like that. My first mistake is only around the corner and I am going to have to be on my guard for that.
