Kerry football legends Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper and James O’Donoghue joined Thursday’s OTB:AM to give a masterclass on forward play as the pair discussed on pitch chemistry, their favourite goals and how they think Kerry will fare in this season’s Championship.
Here, Off The Ball picks out three things we learned during their appearance on the show.
Favourite goals
Colm Cooper –2004 All-Ireland final vs Mayo
“We were on top and that was a knockout blow for Mayo – they knew there was no way back – and we knew we could kick on from there,” Cooper said.
“Eamonn Fitzmaurice was playing centre back that day and he hoofed the ball in high. I wouldn’t say it was the most cultured pass he ever made in his life.
“I caught it and just took off as it opened up. I was able to visualise something before it happened. I knew if caught it and got down quickly enough – I was gone.
“I knew exactly where I wanted to place it mayb e two or three seconds before I took the shot. But knowing what you want to do and doing it is another thing.”
James O’Donoghue – 2014 All-Ireland quarter-final vs Galway
“I got a nice easy hand pass off close to goal and I just turned and the defender had just taken a step back,” O’Donoghue said.
“And I knew I could go around him because he had got his position wrong. I’d say he thought I was going to hook it over the bar.
“I blasted it and it was on my right leg so I put my head down and aimed for the near post. If I placed it he would have saved it, so I rattled it as hard as I could.”
Winning the 2014 Player of the Year Award did not affect James O’Donoghue
“I don’t think so,” O’Donughue said.
“We were reigning champions so we had the cockiness of trying to be something and to retain it – we had this aura.
“Personally, I went for surgery in December that year so I missed the whole national league. I was fighting for fitness anyway so I didn’t really have the pressure of it.
“I was trying to get back into the team so I didn’t think of it too much. But I do remember being sheltered because we had this feeling amongst the team that we were going somewhere.”
O’Donoghue will play as an inside forward in the upcoming Championship
“Sean O’Shea is coming through and he’s a natural 11,” Cooper said.
“Based on what we’ve seen in the league, Kerry seem to be going down the route that he’s our 11 for the year.
“It would appear that Paul Geaney and James future is going to be inside. And generally, if we have scorers like that – they’re the players who are going to make the difference.”
James Hopper
