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Sean Ó Domhnaill's replay recall

Sean O Domhnaill and Maurice Fitzgerald during the drawn 2000 All Ireland Final.

Sean O Domhnaill and Maurice Fitzgerald during the drawn 2000 All Ireland Final.

By Cian O'Connell


Sixteen years later Sean Ó Domhnaill remembers the end game vividly. Galway, who had trailed by seven, had launched a daring comeback mission against Kerry to restore parity.

Suddenly it was Galway doing the late probing, but the glorious maroon finale didn’t materialise - Kerry clung on for a draw. When the replay rolled around Kerry were primed with Maurice Fitzgerald’s genius applying the brushstrokes to another Green and Gold All Ireland.

Dealing with a draw, though, can be difficult according to the well regarded An Cheathrú Rua stalwart. “For myself looking back we were seven or eight points down, but then we mounted a serious comeback,” Ó Domhnaill reflects.

“In the last five minutes or so with our momentum we had chances to win, but we didn’t get over the line. In the closing minutes I was marking Darragh Ó Sé and you could see in his face that he saw they were dead on their feet.

“When the full-time whistle went it was the biggest anti-climax ever. It was just strange when there was no winner or loser. In the dressing room John O’Mahony was trying to get us to refocus and then going off for the dinner.”

Kerry manager Paidi O Se with selectors John O Keefe and Eamon Walsh.

Kerry manager Paidi O Se with selectors John O Keefe and Eamon Walsh.

Ó Domhnaill recalls Fitzgerald’s ‘class’ in the replay as Kerry adapted to cope with the Galway challenge. “In a way, even though there was going to be a break to the replay, you were nearly deflated because nobody expects a draw and there was no real celebration or anything afterwards it so it was very strange. You expect a winner or a loser so when we came back we knew we had them on the rack.

“Then it just starts again, the clamour for tickets. We didn’t do too much between the drawn game and the replay, essentially it is all about recovery work and that will be the same this time.

“We focused more on ourselves than anything else and I always say that we didn’t change, they changed and tweaked a few things.

“Even though we had won an All Ireland previously they might have had an edge on us experience wise, they were cute the second day. Maurice Fitz was a class act. He is pound for pound one of the best GAA players to ever go on to a field. In the replay Kerry’s big players delivered.

“We didn’t kick on at all, they had switched a few things around and Páidí (Ó Sé) was shrewd and they won it.

“I think this time around both Dublin and Mayo will be happy to get another crack at it. Dublin will know that they were poor.”

Cillian O Connor kicks a late equaliser for Mayo.

Cillian O Connor kicks a late equaliser for Mayo.

How Dublin have approached matches under Jim Gavin has impressed Ó Domhnaill, who feels the champions have significant scope for improvement. “I thought it wasn’t a great game in football terms, the teams cancelled each other out in many ways,” was Ó Domhnaill’s assessment.

“It was clear that they both had their homework done. All the good forwards were cancelled out and they weren’t allowed have a big impact. Dublin didn’t play at all really.

“Mayo did everything possible, but they still didn’t win. That would be my worry about Mayo.

“I’m a huge fan of Jim Gavin, while he has a good defensive set-up I feel that the way they play the game with an all out attack is brilliant.

“It was the first time really under him that they didn’t perform and you could sense that he was disappointed for a few different reasons. The black card for James McCarthy was crucial because he is a very important link man and that was a factor in the match. Personally I can’t see them being as bad again.

“For Mayo the one match they stood out in was the Tyrone game. They were very impressive in that one, but Dublin weren’t allowed to play. I hope the replay is a bit more open.”

Dublin manager Jim Gavin.

Dublin manager Jim Gavin.

Throughout the past decade Ó Domhnaill, who served as a Galway selector in 2010, has been involved with club outfits such as An Cheathrú Rua, Mícheál Breathnach, and Oughterard.

“I loved the tactical side of it,” Ó Domhnaill said about his stint on the sideline. “Even watching a game now I’d have no comfort I’d be watching systems and tactics, seeing what the teams are trying to do.

“I enjoyed the different ways you could lay out a team, I liked the management side of things, but it is such a big commitment even at club level.”

Ó Domhnaill doesn’t envisage too many changes in personnel for the next instalment at Croke Park on October 1. “Even though people are speculating about them making switches for the replay, I don’t think that there will be any major ones. Maybe (Paddy) Andrews will start because he got a few scores when he came in and he did well against Mayo before.

“For Mayo, Alan Dillon might be in the mix, but he got a knock so it is hard to know. Both sets of backs were so successful I can’t see either management team making any changes there. The difference will be which attack clicks.”