The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Unsung heroes deliver for Na Gaeil
John O’Dowd Na Gaeil waged blitzkrieg on their Wexford rivals at the start of the second half to seal the deal
APENNY for the thoughts of James Bolger and the management team of Rathgarogue / Cushinstown as they headed to the dressing-room at half-time buoyed by the tremendous re-energising fillip of seeing goalkeeper Nicky Sinnott find the back of the Na Gaeil net with a penalty kick in the final action of the opening half at Croke Park on Saturday.
The Wexford underdogs were now only four points (1-8 to 1-4) adrift of their more fancied Kerry opponents and they must have been quietly satisfied and, dare I say it, cautiously optimistic of adding another big-name scalp to what had been an incredible odyssey to the All-Ireland Club JFC Final that was surely beyond their wildest dreams.
They had ticked many boxes to what would have been their first half game plan. Stay in the contest. Job done. Take your chances when they come. Five scores and no wides. Job done. Keep the ball away from Jack Barry and stop Diarmuid O’Connor’s marauding runs through the centre of their defence. Job done as well. We won’t mention their kick-out strategy though.
Twelve minutes into the second half, Bolger and his team’s hopes were in complete and utter tatters. An unanswered scoring blitz of 1-8 from ten shots by Na Gaeil had separated the men from the boys.
There was to be no fairytale conclusion for Rathgarogue / Cushinstown. The blinding reality of being catapulted back down to earth by a far superior foe was staring back at them in the mirror. The dream had turned into a nightmare.
That’s what Donal Rooney and his players had done already. To Kilshanning, Michael Cusacks and Mullinahone on their march to Munster Championship glory. It might been a vastly different kettle of fish in the All-Ireland semi-final against Kilmaine, but the Tralee side came through that titanic battle as well. That game in Ennis was a day for different characteristics and qualities.
With the suffocating championship noose removed from around their necks after overcoming the Kilmaine obstacle in a 96-minute epic, and having had any hint of complacency unceremoniously driven out of them that day, and by Rathgarogue / Cushinstown’s spot-kick goal on the half-time whistle on Saturday, we saw what Na Gaeil are truly capable of when they feel the shackles have been released in that spellbinding 12-minute second half period.
For a squad, management and supporters, it was almost perfection. A disappointing scoring chance percentage in the first half was now up to a sensational 90 per cent from ten second half attempts.
It doesn’t get much better than that. The Na Gaeil defence
was as miserly as ever, the midfield confrontation was now under control and the forwards were, finally, and clinically, filling their boots with the quality of ball that they were receiving.
From the outside, much of the focus on Na Gaeil has been centred around that midfield inter-county partnership of Barry and O’Connor. But this team would not be basking in the glory of being All-Ireland champions this morning if they were overly dependent on their two star performers. They have shown that, at this level of football, they are the complete outfit.
Barry was unable to start the semi-final against Kilmaine due to damaged ankle ligaments. Even when introduced, his mobility was seriously affected. Na Gaeil managed to overcome that setback. The Kerry star was back to his influential, dictating best on Saturday.
On the other hand, O’Connor was restricted from producing another of his typically dominant outings, mainly due to the opposition’s tactics. Unable to fully execute his swashbuckling runs through the middle that are becoming his trademark, and appearing to be hampered by injury himself, his was a rare supporting role on this occasion. The 20-year-old had showcased his outstanding potential to wonderful effect in many previous matches. Saturday was the day for some of Na Gaeil’s unsung heroes. Recognised as the dedicated foot soldiers quietly going about their tasks, but essential to the working operation of any successful team, this was their moment to step proudly forward into the spotlight.
Case number one. Ian McCarthy. An impressive playmaking prompter against Kilmaine last time around, McCarthy utilised his inner goal-poaching instincts to sniff out and, ruthlessly, convert the three goal chances that came his way. To finish with a tally of 3-2 from play in an All-Ireland Final was beyond his wildest expectations.
“I would have been delighted with a point this morning if you told me that I was going to score a point and we were going to win the game. To get three goals and a couple of points is simply surreal,” he said.
“I haven’t scored three goals in about ten years combined! It feels absolutely unbelievable. For the third goal, I probably could have passed it, but there wasn’t a hope in hell of that happening. I might never play here again,” added the man-ofthe-match.
Case number two. Eoin Doody. The 29-year-old captain had been an unassuming, efficient presence in a superb Na Gaeil rearguard throughout their march to Croke Park. At a vital period on Saturday, when the Na Gaeil train threatened to derail, the utility defender took centre stage. And how! Three points in-a-row, two from play, and the ship was well and truly steadied.
“It was luck, more than anything! I was up for the free anyway and I kind of stayed up to defend their kick-out. I just found myself in the right place for the next couple of scores,” said Doody.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting to score three points! I’m thrilled, but just thrilled with the performance of the whole team really.”
From Timmy Culloty between the sticks to the excellent Diarmuid Herlihy at corner-forward, to the substitutes that came off the bench to copperfasten the victory, to the 43-year-old Paul Daly kicking Na Gaeil’s final point and, finally, to the wonderful management team led by Donal Rooney, Saturday was the culmination of a whole club working together for the ultimate accolade that they could achieve.
What a time for Rooney to bow out after four years as an All-Ireland-winning manager. It’s the end for him, but certainly not for Na Gaeil. The conveyor belt of this relatively young club is running much too smoothly for that.
Saturday was the day for some of Na Gaeil’s unsung heroes. Recognised as dedicated foot soliders