Captain helps steady the ship at vital moment for Na Gaeil’s title challenge

WHEN Na Gaeil found themselves trailing by a point (0-4 to 0-3) after about twenty minutes of Saturday’s final, they were in danger of being sucked into a contest that was proving to be quite frustrating in the extreme.

They needed a moment of inspiration, where somebody took the game by the scruff of the neck and steadied the ship from crashing into any perilous rocks that were in their path. Who would provide it? Diarmuid O’Connor? Jack Barry? Dara Devine? Diarmuid Herlihy? Dan Goggin?

Not many would have been predicting captain Eoin Doody to ride to the rescue. The ultimate team player, always more concerned with Na Gaeil’s overall performance than any personal praise, took the biggest match of his life and made it his own, with three points in a row, including two from play, to turn the screw and provide the launchpad for the Tralee men’s All-Ireland title.

The 29-yearold was as surprised as anyone with his point-scoring extravaganza at Croke Park.

“It was just a case that I was up for the free anyway and I kind of stayed up to defend their kickout. I just found myself in the right place for the next couple of scores. It was luck, more than anything,” he modestly said.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting to score three points! I’m thrilled, but more thrilled with the performance of the whole team. The first 20 minutes were shaky, we did pull away in the second half, but you could tell they were a really good side at the start.

“They had a lot of quality around the pitch. Daire Bolger there, I was marking him, a real class act, a handful, and your man Eoin Porter there at centre-back. We’re absolutely extremely proud. The last couple of years have been the making of the squad. There were really tough battles that we were on the wrong side of, but the belief never wavered.

“We always knew we had the quality to push on and, thankfully, we have reached the pinnacle of our grade at the moment.”

The Na Gaeil skipper paid tribute to inter-county midfield stars, Jack Barry and Diarmuid O’Connor, for setting the standards that their club teammates have sought to emulate, while he also praised yet another magnificent outing from a defence that only conceded six scores in over an hour of an All-Ireland decider.

“Jack and Diarmuid are really driving the standards for this team. They show us that we all have to take the responsibility of the game on our shoulders. There’s loads of quality around our team, players that aren’t kind of known in Kerry circles.

“Look at Dara Devine, Mike Griffin, who had brilliant games there as well. Dan Goggin, known from more of a hurling background, but he’s an absolutely fabulous player. Our bench, some really, really strong players to come onto the pitch, defenders and attackers. We’re blessed at the moment.

“We’re unbelievably proud of our defence, but there’s massive pedigree in our back line. Damien Bourke, Ryan O’Neill, they won’t give you a sniff. They can be very, very happy with their day’s work.

“Andrew Barry, marshalling, he doesn’t probably get enough credit, but he’s always an extra defender there for us. And then you have Eoin O’Neill who had a massive game today. We’re just delighted.”

Doody now wants Na Gaeil to kick on as a club and try to make their mark at intermediate level in 2020.

“I won’t beat around the bush. We’re going to use this bounce now, that’s the plan, and the goalposts must shift for this club. We’re looking to push on.”