GEANEY: I WAS OFF IT BUT WE WON THE FINAL
KARL O’KANE
PAUL GEANEY was out practising his shooting the Friday before the All-ireland final - but it just didn’t feel right.
The Dingle sharp shooter has been around long enough to know that things can turn very quickly though.
In the final he missed a couple of shots one off either foot - that he’d generally convert, but hit back with a mark for a point.
He also had a big turnover, so it was a bit of a surprise that he wasn’t given five or 10 minutes in the second half. But Jack O’connor acted at the break, with Killian Spillane coming in and kicking two points.
“My performances probably weren’t to the level I would like them to be,” said Geaney.
“But that’s part and parcel of the game. I’ve been around long enough now to know that just happens sometimes and the main thing was we got over the line.
“Dublin [All-ireland semi-final] was a tough day out in that I had very few possessions and the game didn’t really fall my way.
“I wasn’t too upset. I was obviously upset about not having possessions. I was over that and was happy with how my year had gone. I had a good year all in all, really. Early doors in the final I was playing well, getting on a lot of ball.
“The two shots were snap shots and something I’d pride myself on - nailing those most of the time.
“I probably wasn’t too happy with my kicking last week in the run up to the game. I wasn’t striking the ball as nicely as you’d like to in the lead up to an All-ireland.
“I went up to the field on Friday to try and get going with it.
“The one off my right I didn’t catch it at all horrible sound off it.
“Whatever about that, the one off the left was going and whatever way the wind at the Canal (End) was, it pulled it wide. I thought it was going over.”
Geaney resolved to put them out of his mind and drive on.
“Then I got the mark,” he said. “I was saying to myself, there will be plenty more opportunities in this game. We kicked a couple of wides as a team. I was hoping we’d rectify that and push on in the second half and that’s the way it was.
“If you are not getting everything right nearly, there are guys that can come in and get everything right.
“We have all had our moments throughout the year. There were probably guys frustrated, but then everyone got their run.”
I wasn’t at the level I would like to be but it is part & parcel of the game and
it can happen..