Fitzmaurice urges Kingdom faithful to back youngsters
Kerry manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice called on the Kingdom faithful to justify their billing as football-mad people in next Saturday’s make-or-break clash with Kildare in Killarney.
Outside of Munster finals, there aren’t too many big games in Fitzgerald Stadium at this stage of the season and Fitzmaurice is hoping for an atmosphere akin to the big qualifier win over Tyrone six years ago.
“The Tyrone game in 2012, there was a huge Kerry crowd there that night and it helped the team, it drove on the team I’d be expecting something similar,” he said, recalling the 1-16 to 1-6 win.
“The fact that there is so much at stake and it’s a new young Kerry team coming to the fore, you would expect a big support there.
“We are always claiming we are a football-mad county — you would like to see everyone come and show that.”
His call came in the wake of some fierce criticism from the supporters towards the management following the Galway defeat and Monaghan draw, but Fitzmaurice insists his only focus is what is happening on the field.
“I’m sure there’s plenty going on but for us, we’re just keeping the head down, especially the week after the Galway game we had a good bit of regrouping to do to get ourselves organised for a tough away game the following weekend that our season was riding on, so no, not really,” he said when asked if he felt pressure to perform.
“I’m sure there’s plenty there but a couple of wins always sorts that out.”
Fitzmaurice says he will have a full squad to pick from against the Lilywhites.
There was a defensive shake-up in recent weeks due to an injury to James Foley and Killian Young’s red card against Galway, while Tadhg Morley was a late withdrawal in the days before the defeat against the Tribesmen.
Needing a win and a helping hand from Kevin Walsh’s side against the Farney to secure a place in the All-Ireland semi-final, Fitzmaurice revealed he will be playing with a full deck next week.
“We’re hoping everyone will be (available),” he said.
“Jason (Foley) and Tadhg (Morley) are making strides. We won’t know until the middle of next week really whether they are good to go.
“We have a couple of sessions left to go but at the moment we are in a good place injury-wise, once Jason and Tadhg make the final few steps that they need to make.
“Killian (Young) will obviously be back from suspension, Shane Enright is back, Daithi (Casey) is back,” he confirmed.
“The others who have had knocks — they have played club games in the meantime so they are all back.”
Fitzmaurice also explained his decision to reintroduce Paul Geaney in the closing stages in the draw against Monaghan.
The Dingle man was taken off eight minutes into the second half in Clones, only to be called upon in the closing stages.
“It was to get a goal, we needed a goal and he is one of our best goalscorers.
“We ended up with Paul, James (O’Donoghue), David Clifford, Kieran (Donaghy) — all fellas who are capable of getting goals.
“That’s all it was.”
Meanwhile, the minor footballers from the Kingdom are in action today looking to make an All-Ireland semi-final of their own when they face Roscommon in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.
Kerry have won the last four titles at this level but manager Peter Keane says there is no talk of creating history in the camp.
“Minor football is like being in sixth class in primary school as you prepare for secondary school and mingle with the big boys,” said Keane.
“It’s all innocent and positive and U17s just want to play ball. There is no talk of a five in a row or anything like that, it’s just getting past Roscommon on Saturday — nothing else.”
The Connacht side come into Saturday’s clash in Limerick more battle-hardened as they have played six times to date compared to Kerry’s three.
“Roscommon will have played three games in the five-week period since we last lined out and there would be somewhat of a concern that we are coming in cold to this,” opined Keane.
“We’ve only had the players for a 10- or 12-day period in the build-up to the game because of the county minor championship so challenge matches are hard to come by, especially with the other provinces in the thick of things, and other counties knocked out for the year.”
Speaking on their quarter-final opponents, Keane added: “They are a very honest team and even though they were seven points down at one stage against Galway in the Connacht final, they kept battling until the end to make it a competitive encounter right until the final whistle.”
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