Rising Star makes his mark
Kerry notched four goals that day in Fitzgerald Stadium, having failed to raise a green flag in four championship matches prior to that, four games that included big wins over Waterford and Tipperary.
The goalfest against Luke Dempsey’s side wasn’t a one off, with three goals next time out, against no less a defence than Armagh before Kerry and Donaghy were held goalless against Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final revenge win.
Yesterday, however, it was back to form with Kerry hitting four goals in as lop-sided an All-Ireland final as we’ve seen for many a long day, but — most striking — when the game was still a game, Donaghy was doing the damage inside. In the seventh minute, a quick-fire Kerry move, team captain Declan O’Sullivan comes storming through, lays off to the big man. He could have taken a chance on goaling himself, but no; using his basketball instincts, he gave an instant return to O’Sullivan for a slam dunk. Two minutes later, an even more emphatic finish. The high ball grabbed, full back David Heaney shrugged off and WHAM!, the net almost torn from the rigging. Nine minutes old, the game already over and Donaghy’s mark all over this final. 26th minute, the Gooch put the icing on it with Kerry’s third major.
Oh-so-predictable alright, the Kerry game plan telegraphed now for several weeks, yet still Mayo couldn’t do anything about it. “There’s a way to stop it alright,” said Donaghy. “But today we had the luck, the ball fell our way. I definitely didn’t think the goals would come that early, but I’m delighted for Declan O’Sullivan. People were criticising his recall to the team, but he was awesome today, close to man of the match. It’s a credit to him, and to Jack O’Connor for making the decision, and Eoin Brosnan coming in at half time did a fantastic job also (Eoin got the fourth Kerry goal).
“My own goal was fortunate enough — the way I landed, I was facing away from goal and he (David Heaney) landed behind me. Then Gooch took his goal really well and stuck with it after a great save.
“It was great to get all the goals early on — goals win games, we hadn’t been getting them early on in the year but thankfully in the latter part of the year, they came.”
One of the many things from Mayo’s perspective yesterday, however, was that — as Donaghy himself admitted — he can be stopped, and after the introduction at full back of veteran David Brady, Donaghy’s influence was curbed.
“He’s a right tough operator, a credit to Mayo,” said the Tralee man, “He’s an inspiration really, a great bit of stuff. Fair dues to him for hanging in there. I know he didn’t win an All-Ireland medal with his county, but he can walk away with his head held high. He’s a terrific player, hopefully he’ll win that All-Ireland medal. Mayo are a fantastic bunch of players who showed great sportsmanship at the end of the game. It’s a credit to Mickey Moran, he got them here this year, but it wasn’t their day. I hope they have their day in the sunshine sometime.”
There are those cruel commentators who will say that Mayo’s day in the sunshine will come only in the Canaries, or some such hotspot.
Yesterday, however, they did at least threaten, scored three goals in as topsy-turvy a first-half as Croke Park has ever witnessed at this level.
“It was probably a blessing in disguise really,” reckoned Donaghy. “Those goals really kept us on our feet. There were only six points in it at the break, and they had showed against the Dubs with 15 minutes to go they could back from seven down. We knew we had to do it again in the second half.”
If Donaghy was the hero early on however, the new hero of the Kingdom, of Gaelic football, it was an old warrior who caught the eye for the full 70 minutes. Seamus Moynihan has had his big days for Kerry; yesterday, at age 32, he was a wonder.
Said the full forward: “He was awesome. I told him after the Longford game that I wanted to play four games with him — then he could leave, head into the sunset and I wouldn’t mind. I’m only happy we got to play those four games, and thankfully we got the result we wanted today.”
There was a moment, in fact, when the bold Seamus threatened to upstage even Donaghy himself on the scoring front. In the 31st minute the Glenflesk powerhouse came storming forward and was bearing down on goal.
“I was slagging him a few weeks ago, I said ‘Did you ever get a goal in the championship?’. He said no, not in the championship. I said ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if you did?’, then I just turned when I saw him storming through and I said ‘Feck it Seamus, have a go!’ Being the player he is though, he’s not about glory, did what was best for the team at that stage and took the point.
“It capped off a great performance for him.”
! Of the new young giant of football however, can it now be said — the new Bomber? It’s true he didn’t match the great Eoin Liston’s feat of scoring a hat trick in his All-Ireland final debut, but 1-2 from play, a hand in several other scores, a good pointer, surely?
He laughs at the thought. “No, I’m still not in The Bomber’s league, it will be a long, long time before I am.”
I beg to differ, Kieran, beg to differ.
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