Fitzmaurice expecting Rebels to bounce back like they did last year

IT’S still noteworthy that despite the lack of success at All-Ireland level, Kerry have never lost a Munster Championship game under Éamonn Fitzmaurice with a 13th successive win in the province achieved in the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh last Saturday.

The weekend in general might ignite a debate about the value of Provincial Championships, but for Fitzmaurice it’s something Kerry still very much want to win.

“It’s who we are and where we are from and it guarantees you the straight route into Croke Park and the Super 8 as well now. We’re not thinking too much about any records associated with the win though, we just want to move on and prepare for the next game,” the Kerry boss said about leading Kerry to a sixth successive title and the second highest win over Cork since 1938.

It looked like being a more uncomfortable evening that expected when Cork stole in for two early goals, but the Kerry boss wasn’t too downbeat about the concession of those goals.

“You can train and prepare for that in advance, but sometimes you come up against players good enough to score them [goals] no matter what you do to try and stop it.

“The lads steadied themselves well though and applied themselves. They had prepared very professionally and wanted to build on the Clare game in Killarney,” Fitzmaurice said.

The Finuge man agreed that Kerry had a plan to push up on Cork’s kick-outs the way they did, but pointed to the danger in applying it as a full on strategy with the memory of the goals conceded to Donegal in the league in mind.

When asked about giving a young player such as a Jason Foley a big role in putting him on Cork’s main danger man, Fitzmaurice said that there is an element of trust in the group to give the younger players big roles on the field.

“We would not give them those jobs if we felt that they weren’t good enough to do it. Jason had a great game today and Brian [Ó Beaglaoich] had his best game in a Kerry jersey for me. I’m particularly happy for him when you consider the struggle he has had with injuries.

“Gavin White was outstanding also I agree and the one thing we always do is trying and reward training form which generally carries into a game,” he said about team selection.

The Kerry boss had no major qualms with the black cards issued even if believing the first Cork one for Sam Ryan was slightly harsh and didn’t think Ciaran Branagan gave himself a stick to be beaten with in terms of his decisions.

“A referee will always call it as he sees it and once a decision is made it is something you have to move on quickly from,” Fitzmaurice believes.

Now as the Super 8 beckons, Fitzmaurice agrees its introduction is something that will be of great benefit to filling a difficult gap for the county between provincial and All-Ireland level.

“One hundred per cent we want to be playing more games. I would say this period has always been the hardest I have found in my time as manager.

“We can manage the break between League and Championship fine with all the club football that is played, but July has always been a difficult month for us no matter what we tried to do and prepare for an All-Ireland quarter-final,” he said of a new dawn for All-Ireland Championship level.

In being sure tougher tests will come, Fitzmaurice is looking forward to facing Galway with the memory of what happened in the League game in Tralee last February in mind.

“They dominated that game so we are looking forward to having another chance to take them on,” he said about the Tribesmen.

When asked about Cork, the Kerry boss didn’t feel the result was as cataclysmic as some might view it.

“The way you have to view it I feel is that we got a lot right today. Cork will gather themselves and I don’t think it will be any different to the Mayo game last year in Limerick in the qualifiers which they should have won. I would expect a similar response from them again this

time.”