‘Special talent’ David Clifford shines as Kerry steamroll Kildare

Kerry 2-26 Kildare 0-10: With Kerry players kicking scores for fun throughout the second quarter at Croke Park and the game long since decided, the mind wandered to bigger issues.

Like exactly how good is this Kerry minor team who are on the cusp of a remarkable three-in-a-row of All-Ireland minor titles?

Better than the two teams that preceded them?

Those who’ve followed them closely this year reckon they are and having cruised through the Munster championship with 35 points to spare and having since racked up 11 and now 22-point victories, it’s hard to disagree.

This is a powerful and entertaining team that Peter Keane has assembled and they will be firm favourites to overcome Galway in the September 18 final and collect that first three-in-a-row in modern times.

Keane did his best to play down their achievements after watching his team steamroll the Leinster champions, insisting they have won nothing yet.

But a repeat of this display, described by Kildare manager Brendan Hackett as one of the greatest he has seen from a minor team, will surely deliver silverware.

David Clifford gave another reminder of his outstanding talent with eight points for Kerry and, just like the Munster final against Cork, scooped the man-of-the-match award.

Aside from his own points, he set up David Shaw’s opening score and fed his full-forward again after a superb catch for Kerry’s first goal in the 40th minute.

That score put the Kingdom 13 points clear and there was little doubt about the result from there on.

Kildare are an excellent team themselves and as a county they have dominated the Leinster championship in recent seasons but they were cut asunder throughout the second-half.

Kerry outscored them in that half hour 2-15 to 0-3 and with the white sea parted the scores flowed for 10 different players, 12 over the course of the full game.

The big problem now, of course, is reining in expectations and making sure young minds don’t wander and think that the three-in-a-row is already achieved.

“It won’t be in their heads because these fellas aren’t looking for three-in-a-row, they’re looking to win one All-Ireland, that’s the nature of minor football,” insisted Keane.

“This team is looking to make its own history and hopefully that will happen here in Croke Park in three weeks’ time. What went on two years ago or last year is irrelevant to those fellas. They’re good players and they brought their A game today but you’ve got to be conscious at the end of the day that we’ve nothing won. It’s a semi-final and these are only to get you into the final so we’ve got to focus hard from here on in now.”

Kildare were in the game until early in the second-half. They trailed by just 0-11 to 0-7 at half-time though were fortunate that Kerry wasted a hat full of chances.

Keane lamented his team’s ‘shot selection’ in that period but it improved immeasurably after the break with that 2-15 tally and just two wides.

Dara Moynihan hit back to back points after the restart and another from Michael Potts opened up a double scores advantage, 0-14 to 0-7.

It was ominous from Kildare’s perspective and it continued in that vein as Kerry swarmed forward, ensuring that four different defenders hit points before the game was over.

In the 10 minutes after the restart, Kerry hit 1-7 to Kildare’s solitary point and their 40th minute goal all but wrapped it up.

Corner-forward Clifford fielded above his man and fed the excellent Shaw who showed real composure to race clear and apply a deft finish to bottom left corner.

Keane took advantage of the situation to run in his full allocation of substitutes and there were points from Cormac Linnane and Ferdia O’Brien, making their case for inclusion in the final lineup. The punishment of Kildare went on deep into injury-time and Kerry’s second goal arrived deep into that period. Diarmuid O’Connor, having earlier failed to get his fingertips to a ball across the goals, marched down the left channel with ball in hand and blasted a shot beyond the Kildare ‘keeper at his near post.

Scorers for Kerry:

D. Clifford (0-8, 2 frees), D. Shaw (1-3), S. O’Shea (0-5, 2 frees), D. O’Connor (1-1), D. Moynihan (0-2), M. Foley, N. Collins, M. Potts, M. Breen, F. O’Brien, C. Linnane, G. O’Sullivan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kildare:

C. Kelly (0-3, 2 frees), J. Hyland (0-2, 1 free), P. Woodgate, C. Costigan, J. Robinson, D. O’Sullivan, K. Foley (0-1 each).

KERRY:

B. Courtney; D. Naughton, M. Potts, G. O’Sullivan; N. Collins, D. O’Brien, M. Foley; M. Breen, M. Ryan; D. O’Connor, S. O’Shea (c), D. Moynihan; B. Sweeney, D. Shaw, D. Clifford.

Subs:

C. Linnane for Moynihan (44); C. Teahan for Sweeney (50); F. O’Brien for Shaw (55); S. Okunbar for Ryan (58); K. Dwyer for Collins (59); S O Luing for Courtney (59).

KILDARE:

L. Mullins; J. O’Toole, M. Dempsey, D. O’Sullivan; T. Archbold, J. Gibbons, S. Doran; D. Marnell, A. Masterson; P. Woodgate, B. McLoughlin (c), C. Costigan; C. Kelly, J. Robinson, J. Hyland.

Subs:

K. Foley for Woodgate (36); M. Barrett for Archbold (36); S. Kavanagh for McLoughlin (41); D. Kelly for Costigan (41); J. Burke for Marnell (46); N. Murphy for Robinson (52).

Referee:

M. McNally (Monaghan).