Kerry's Fitzmaurice over the February blues

Prior to yesterday Eamonn Fitzmaurice knew what it was like to guide Kerry teams to semi-final victories in the months of July and September, but he had never known the feeling that came with county successes in February.

It was an anomaly the Kingdom manager buried yesterday in Celtic Park with a seven-point win that put to bed a series of past defeats to Dublin (twice), Mayo and Derry and he greeted the fact with a good-natured chuckle.

The consequences are not to be taken lightly though. Kerry lost their first four league games in 2013 and their opening three last year. They now go into a three-week break without the pressure such streaks can generate.