Fitzmaurice focused on discipline

Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice believes discipline will be a key factor in Sunday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Galway at Croke Park.

Kerry were shown eight yellow cards in their drawn NHL game with Dublin in Tralee in March, and had Jonathan Lyne and Anthony Maher black carded during the 0-20 to 1-16 league final win over the Dubs three weeks later.

The Kingdom also ended the Munster SFC semi-final against Clare with 14 men after Donnchadh Walsh's two yellow cards, so Fitzmaurice believes keeping men on the field will be key during Sunday's quarter-final.

"We are always trying to work on our discipline," the lixnaw man said. 

"We've had a few black cards, a few yellows and, indeed, double yellows already this season.

"It is something we are always conscious of. There is just an inconsistency with officialdom. 

"Some referees pull some things and other referees don't. That inconsistency is the worrying part. 

"From our point of view, we are trying to be as disciplined as we can be the whole time."

Fitzmaurice believes the Tribesmen, who last beat Kerry in the Championship in the 1965 All-Ireland final, showed their true quality in last weekend's 4-17 to 0-14 qualifier win over Donegal in Sligo.

"It was a huge performance," he continued.

"It wasn’t one they just ground out, you could noticeably see that they worked much harder than the Connacht final [where they were beaten 2-15 to 0-12 by Roscommon at Pearse Stadium].

"They were obviously disappointed with themselves and their own level of work-rate, I would say, in that final. It was something they focused on.

"When they worked hard then, they have the natural forwards to really punish teams - so when you put the two of those elements together, they are a very strong team."

Image: Inpho/Lorcan Docherty

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