You know a player is class…when they don’t even need to hop the ball.
15 years. That’s how long Cian Doe has had to learn, and perfect the skills of Gaelic football but even at such a young age, it’s already just a little bit too easy for the young cub from Firies.
He’s already challenging the generally accepted way of playing this old-as-time game.
Solo then hop. It’s the orthodox way of running by defenders and from the bottom to the very top of the game, it’s how the majority of players travel with ball in hand.
The hop is the easy one. If the ground is in any way firm, you don’t even need to focus on it. So most players avail of it because with the solo, no matter how good you are and no matter how much you’ve refined it, there’s always an element of risk that you could tap it a bit too high to break momentum or miscue to lose speed.
Doe has no such worries.
Proud doesn't even come close in describing how we feel about this group of players today. A superb performance in Fitzgerald Stadium saw Pres Milltown win our first ever Dunloe Cup Final. pic.twitter.com/QNk3wzfR2W
— Presentation Miltown (@Presmilltown) December 4, 2019
He was playing with so much confidence in the Dunloe Cup final, that he just didn’t see the need to bounce the ball when he could have soloed instead.
And so with Pres Miltown giving the pre-match favourites St Brendan’s ‘The Sem’ a bit of a shock, Doe – the lively corner forward who has been on Kerry underage squads – decided to put the game beyond doubt with one of the slickest goals you’ll see.
Like an intercept try but with three to beat, Doe breezed past them only one hop needed – an even that was borne out of a dummy solo. You could tell from the moment he intercepted that ball that there was something on. The crowd knew well too.
You know a player is class…when they don't even need to hop the ball 🔥
Cian Doe of Pres Miltown Kerry with an unbelievable goal in the Dunloe Cup final 👏 pic.twitter.com/cv1lIPbgDZ
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) December 11, 2019
Doe was the hero of the hour for the Miltown school, ending his day with 1-4, 1-2 of the finest from open play.
Down in Farranfore, they’ve been hearing about Doe for a long time and how he’s the type of player who can win a game and will star for Kerry.
On the evidence of this, he has it all ahead of him.
