McDonald victim of own success, says Fitzmaurice

KERRY’S Eamon Fitzmaurice, who had the unenviable task of marking Kieran McDonald in Sunday’s Bank of Ireland football final, believes the Mayo star was a victim of his own success.

So much was expected of him, while Fitzmaurice was well aware that the public didn’t rate his chances of limiting him very highly.

But a combination of factors resulted in the Finuge man having the more fulfilling game, a fact all the more pleasing after he had suffered a minor injury in training last week.

“I knew I was going to be marking him and, if it didn’t go well, they could always move one of the other lads on to him.

“In fairness, the difference between the Kieran McDonald on Sunday in the All-Ireland final and earlier in the summer was that our half-forwards put a lot of pressure on their boys giving him the ball.

“He wasn’t getting as much into his hands as he was used to.

“In the Fermanagh game especially, the Mayo backs were coming out easily enough and basically handing it to him.

“It’s very hard to defend against that. But our half-forwards and midfielders really turned up the heat and made my job a whole lot easier,” he said. “It was always going to be very tough on him. I was in a great position. Everyone in the country had written me off, whereas he was coming in after a ferocious summer.

“Huge things were expected of him. All I had to do was be negative and tight and harass him, tear into him as best I could. Luckily enough it worked out for me. I was pleased overall.”

From a team perspective, Fitzmaurice admitted that going in at half-time with an eight-point lead was a new experience for them, being more accustomed to either being close to the opposition, or on level terms. But it merely served to strengthen their resolve to maintain control.

“We got a good start again and it gave us a good gee-up. And it made it more difficult for Mayo.

“Near the end, when you would have been thinking that the game had been won, you were very conscious of the importance of staying focused right up to the end.

“That was something Jack had spoken to us about.

“We had been hurt too many times in the past. We just weren’t going to let it slip.”

Meanwhile, Colm Cooper was one of seven players yesterday celebrating the winning of their first medal, his outstanding performance highlighted by a marvellous goal which came from a clearance from Fitzmaurice.

Apart from having also celebrated his 21st birthday in June, Cooper was relieved to have made such a rapid recovery from an operation on a troublesome groin problem which cost him almost five months training.

“I did weights to strengthen myself and it worked a treat. I felt a bit stronger this year,” he said.

“It was gut-wrenching to lose to Armagh and Tyrone over the last two years. But whatever was put up to us this year, we were determined to stick at it. It came out in the Limerick games. We weren’t going to lose.” True to form, Gooch wasn’t forgetting about the Crokes and the part his club played in his development. “I can’t forget them, they’re the guys who made me,” he added. “They are a huge part of my life. I have great respect for everyone in the club, from the Tatler and Pat O’Shea, to my own family. I play with my four brothers.

“You don’t get a better sense of winning than coming off the field with those guys.”