Smith's goal is to face up to challenge of playing champions
Saturday August 01 2009
Kildare'S leading goalpoacher Alan Smith has put his stunning knack for finding the net down to being "in the right place at the right time."
Last year's U-21 star has bagged four of Kildare's six goals this season and his lethal accuracy represents a very substantial threat to Tyrone's aim of defending their All-Ireland championship.
The Sarsfields attacker knows that he faces a stern examination from the likes of classy defender Ryan McMenamin. But, remember the manner in which he tormented Cork's Anthony Lynch in last year's quarter-final? He is not afraid of the challenge, indeed he is determined to meet it.
"In the quarter-final you were always going to get a tough team," he reasons. "It was the same last year. So it was always going to be hard. This is how we learn by taking on the best and it will show us where we stand and what more we need to do to get to the top.
"There's a lot of progress made, but we're only back to where we were last year, so we'll have to progress again. Our goal at the start of the year was to reach the All-Ireland final, so we're still not there yet.
"You wouldn't be playing if you didn't think you were going to win."
So, what about that happy penchant of making the net bulge?
"I like to think I've the handy job. The guys are doing all the work out the field. It's often a simple tap-in for me, it's just to be in the right place at the right time.
"We're more focussed this year, focussing on our tackling and our shooting. We're sticking by our goals and working hard for each other," Smith adds.
Unfortunately for him, the one game Smith failed to raise a green flag in was the Leinster final against Dublin. As usual, he was a real threat in the opening half with his style of sliding on one knee when collecting a low ball employed time after time to great success.
However, the supply dried up in the second half as his team-mates further afield began to return to old bad habits and he became a peripheral figure as the game slipped away.
The hangover didn't last too long though, as the next target was established and the defeat of Wicklow has put them back on a winning run.
"After training (on the) Tuesday night we were over it. We were back training and looking forward to the next game. So, we're moving on now," Smith says.
"You look at Wicklow, they built up a bit of momentum over three weeks. We had two weeks off from the Leinster final and hopefully a bit of momentum will go our way after winning again and that will do us the world of good."
- Daragh Conchir
