Kingdom come: David Clifford and Kerry dig in to realise potential  

RELEASE: Kerry's Tadhg Morley celebrates with the Sam Maguire and Jason Foley. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

KERRY 0-20 GALWAY 0-16 

Before James O’Donoghue claimed his All-Ireland medal eight years ago, he had been the butt of a quiz question, one of only two Kerry All-Star recipients not to win a Celtic Cross.

While he removed himself from that unenviable list, four more had added their names in the intervening years – the Clifford brothers David and Paudie, Seán O’Shea and Tom O’Sullivan. That was until yesterday when once more 1989 winner Connie Murphy was left on his lonesome.

From the reserves of their character, this glittering group had to draw deep for the second Sunday this month to claim an All-Ireland that will feel like a liberation for so many of them. For David Moran and other stalwarts like Paul Geaney, as much as they didn’t see the second half, it could be even sweeter having been bruised so much these past seven seasons.

Prior to throw-in, the 1997 jubilee team had been lauded and paraded in front of their crowd. Captain on that day, Liam Hassett did his level best to cajole the Kerry crowd as he did when he later presented the Sam Maguire Cup with his brother and skipper that season, Mike.

Ending that 11-year gorta beag had been special but such was the expectation heaped on this group of highly talented but not yet accomplished footballers felt that bit greater. For five years David Clifford and O’Shea had been waiting for this and that it came with a struggle was hardly surprising.

Soft All-Ireland, this was not. Level with Dublin before Seán O’Shea’s worldy winning free, two points up going into additional time here and only going ahead for the first time seven minutes into the second half, Kerry needed spade and shovel to dig out this All-Ireland.

There were hairy moments but most of them were reserved to the first half when they were so poor in converting chances yet were deriving plenty of dispossessions. When Galway levelled the game for a sixth time in the 65th minute with a second point in succession, Kerry's mettle was questioned as it was 14 days previous, but their answer was affirming.

It began in fortunate circumstances, a free called against John Daly as he tried to fend off Killian Spillane. Although, Galway had benefitted from a similarly handy one minutes earlier when Gavin White met Cillian McDaid’s shoulder and the collision of McDaid into Jack Barry beside him made the challenge look unfair when it wasn’t.

In the 67th minute, David Clifford sent over the free from an acute angle. McDaid, who copperfastened his All-Star with a four-point display, kicked his second wide of the half. Killian Spillane doubled Kerry’s lead seconds later with a fisted point taking a Micheál Burns pass. They again made hay down their left wing in the third minute of additional time when White sent over another fisted effort. The victory was then well and truly secured as Galway goalkeeper Connor Gleeson fouled Joe O’Connor and Seán O’Shea pointed the free.

After Galway had opened up a two-point lead in the 47th minute, Gleeson fouled another Kerry substitute Killian Spillane for an O’Shea free two minutes later. It was the first of four points in a row for the Munster champions, the best spell either of the teams had.

Going 17 minutes without a score between the second and third quarters had sucked a lot of the good out of Galway’s football. Ultimately though, failing to trouble the scoreboard in the final 10 minutes of action and just one forward registering a point from play in the second half proved their doom.

That and bringing on substitutes off the bench who had seen little or no time from the Connacht final onwards. Two players were introduced well before the hour mark, which was when Pádraic Joyce was usually calling for replacements.

It was a major credit to Galway that Kerry only went ahead for the first time in the 42nd minute through David Clifford and even at that it only lasted a minute as McDaid cut a swathe through the Kerry middle to slot over a score. However, Kerry produced the next three points, Graham O’Sullivan’s point from play sandwiched between Seán O’Shea and David Clifford frees.

O’Sullivan laid on five scores in this game, two early in the second half and three in the first, all of them advanced marks converted by David Clifford (twice) and Geaney. From the very first minute, Kerry had looked to test the Galway full-back line aerially and while it didn’t produce a goal, those marks were vital in that iffy period for them.

Galway had pulled a small rabbit from the hat in pushing Liam Silke out to centre-back on O’Shea when it was anticipated the Corofin man would stay inside. Instead, Silke’s club-mate Kieran Molloy switched back to the inside line to take on Geaney, while Kerry’s match-ups were more conventional as O’Sullivan tracked Shane Walsh.

Galway captain Walsh had an impressive opening half, kicking five points and two of them from play including a gem in the 17th minute coming off the wing. He opened up the scoring with a 45 in the fifth minute and had three points to his name by the 13th minute. His 17th-minute score was exquisite and the two he provided in the third quarter were further examples of a man who couldn’t be marked.

If Kerry were sloppy in their shooting in the opening half, Galway were in possession at times and Geaney, Jack Barry and Stephen O’Brien pulled off great turnovers in the middle third. However, Kerry rued a couple of spoiled possessions themselves, David Moran and Brian Ó Beaglaoich the culprits.

The teams were level at 0-5 apiece in the 20th minute when O’Brien kicked over only one of two Kerry points from play in the first half but they never went ahead before the break. Walsh (free), Jack Glynn and Cillian McDaid all responded to Kerry scores to go into the interval, 0-8 to 0-7 ahead.

Up to the 52nd minute, they knew what it was to lead an All-Ireland. But losing the last quarter by six points, their inexperience told as Kerry’s boys turned men and realised themselves.

Scorers for Kerry: D. Clifford (0-8, 3 frees, 2 marks); S. O’Shea (0-3, frees); P. Clifford, K. Spillane (0-2 each); P. Geaney (mark), S. O’Brien, D. O’Connor, G. O’Sullivan, , G. White (0-1 each).

Scorers for Galway: S. Walsh (0-9, 4 frees, 1 45); C. McDaid (0-4); J. Heaney, J. Glynn, K. Molloy (0-1 each).

KERRY: 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.

Subs for Kerry: A. Spillane for D. Moran, K. Spillane for P. Geaney (both h-t); J. Savage for P. Clifford (temp 43-47); M. Burns for S. O’Brien (57); P. Murphy for B. Ó Beaglaoich (63); J. O’Connor for P. Clifford (70+3).

GALWAY: C. Gleeson; K. Molloy, S. Kelly, D. Walsh; D. McHugh, L. Silke, S. Kelly; P. Conroy, C. McDaid; P. Kelly, M. Tierney, J. Heaney; S. Walsh, D. Comer, R. Finnerty.

Subs for Galway: F. Ó Laoi for R. Finnerty (47); C. Sweeney for P. Conroy (58); E. Finnerty for J. Heaney (63); N. Daly for M. Tierney (70+5).

Referee: S. Hurson (Tyrone).