Last minute Seán O'Shea free sees Kerry past Dublin and into All-Ireland final
CLUTCH: Seán O'Shea of Kerry celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Kerry turned over Dublin just as they were in the 2011 All-Ireland final to gain a first championship win over their arch-rivals in 13 years with a last gasp free into Hill 16.
For Stephen Cluxton 11 years ago, read Seán O’Shea 2022 as the Kerry captain converted a kick of 60 metres into a win to claim this nail-biting encounter in which Dublin had clawed back a six-point deficit early in the second half.
The 73,602 Croke Park crowd seemed to be settling in for extra-time when O’Shea stepped up to punish Dublin for the foul on David Clifford and exact sweet revenge for that loss when Jack O’Connor was also Kerry manager.
Cormac Costello had become the first player since Darren McCurry in March and only the second in the season to find the Kerry net when he arrowed a shot to the corner of the net in the 45th minute. The attack originated from David Moran being turned over and brought Dublin to within two points.
As Paudie Clifford pulled the strings, Kerry remained in front and were three to the good up to the 62nd minute when James McCarthy scored the first of a hat-trick of Dublin scores. Ciarán Kilkenny added the next and the third in the 69th minute to square the game before O’Shea and Rock exchanged additional time frees and the former the winner.
O’Shea found the net in the fourth minute, Moran’s pumped diagonal ball being touched on by Paul Geaney into the path of the Kerry captain. As Dublin’s cover expected him to pass out to Geaney, he slipped inside from the end-line and finished clinically.
Dublin warmed into the game with the next couple of points and McCarthy had a low shot blocked by Shane Ryan. However, Kerry sent over the following three scores, David Clifford supplying a free and one from play.
Again, Dublin struck back but their build-up play was laborious, and Kilkenny was continuously having to navigate the ball across the field for openings. The long ball worked again for Kerry when David Clifford pointed a 21st minute mark to put Kerry four up.
John Small was then black carded for pulling back Geaney off the ball but Kerry did little with the advantage and finished all square for the 10 minutes plus that he was off the field. That had a lot to do with Evan Comerford going to ground for a lengthy period after Gavin White earned a 28th minute penalty after being fouled by Lorcan O’Dell having caught a rebound from a David Clifford effort that hit the post.
Almost five minutes later, O’Shea’s shot was saved and he couldn’t do anything with the follow-up which was half smothered by Comerford. David Clifford added his fifth point to see out the half but Kerry would have felt they should have been much further ahead.
C. Costello (1-0); C. Kilkenny, D. Rock (all frees) (0-3 each); L. Gannon, B. Howard, S. Bugler, J. Small, B. Fenton, P. Small, J. McCarthy (0-1 each).
S. O’Shea (1-4, 0-2 frees); D. Clifford (0-6, 1 free, 1 mark); P. Clifford (0-2); T. O’Sullivan, D. Moynihan (0-1 each).
E. Comerford; E. Murchan, M. Fitzsimons, L. Gannon; J. McCarthy (c), J. Small, J. Cooper; B. Fenton, S. Bugler; T. Lahiff, L O’Dell, B. Howard; C. Costello, D. Rock, C. Kilkenny.
P. Small for L. O’Dell (40); D. Byrne for J. Cooper (42); S. McMahon for E. Murchan (inj 57); N. Scully for B. Howard (61); C. Murphy for M. Fitzsimons (70+2);
S. Ryan; G. O’Sullivan, J. Foley, T. O’Sullivan; B. Ó Beaglaoich, T. Morley, G. White; D. Moran, J. Barry; D. O’Connor, S. O’Shea (c), S. O’Brien; P. Clifford, D. Clifford, P. Geaney.
D. Moynihan for S. O’Brien, K. Spillane for P. Geaney (both 42); A. Spillane for D. Moran (51); P. Murphy for G. O’Sullivan (62); J. O’Connor for G. White (inj 66).
P. Neilan (Roscommon)
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