'Great way to finish' - Cliffords lead Fossa to Munster glory
AIB GAA Munster Junior Football Championship Final, Mallow, Cork 11/12/2022
The king continues to rise. In sunshine or in sleet, on a summer’s day big stage or a Baltic field in the depths of winter, David Clifford reigns supreme. Fossa are Munster club junior champions. Their prized son adds another jewel to an already glittering crown.
He finishes 2022 with a winner’s medal from the McGrath Cup, National League, Munster championship, All-Ireland championship, Kerry county championship, Kerry junior championship and this provincial final. His calendar year scoring tally is a frightening 20-169 after ten points today.
“It is a great way to finish it. After winning the junior championship in Kerry it would have been disappointing to come up short in Munster. We’ll be looking forward to the All-Ireland semi-final now,” said captain Paudie Clifford post-match.
“We were nervous before the game. We would have given anything at the start of the year to be in this position, a Munster final in Mallow. We said to ourselves we have to take it by the scruff of the neck now.”
It started with a roar. Kilmurry won the throw-in and took off. When David McCarthy received possession at the edge of the square, the goal was on, but his fisted effort crept over. The cheer from the stand was thunderous. It would be 15 minutes before they would score again and once more it was a goal chance. Daniel Cahalane handpassed over an oncoming defender and regathered before riffling over a right-footed effort.
Meanwhile, Clifford started putting the finishing touches on his 2022 masterpiece. It was a diverse tapestry of scores; starting with a free from the 45. He came on the loop and slotted over for his first from play, by now a trademark turn. By half-time his total was six.
“At half-time we said Kilmurry were working like dogs. Down on top of us and they were forcing errors. We gave away handpasses and silly things but that was all the pressure Kilmurry were putting on us,” said victorious manager Adrian Sheehan, while paying particular praise to the impact of substitutes and former Kerry minors Ruairi Doyle and Rian Colleran.
To their credit, Kilmurry came to terms with the tie and centre-forward Liam Well can claim the honour of score of the game with a monster from range. After a slow start, Paudie Clifford came to the fore working a one-two from a long-distance free and scoring before adding another just after. At the turnaround, the gap was five.
It was telling and a tribute to coach Éamonn Fitzmaurice that Fossa deployed a full 12-man press after frees. Trickle down tactics in action, a move Kerry successfully used to crack Stephen Cluxton now the method of choice in a junior fixture.
While this junior decider was always likely to be defined by the grandeur of already one of the greatest players in Gaelic football’s storied history, Kilmurry’s spirited challenge deserves praise. At the start of the second half a long kick towards McCarthy saw him win possession out in front and square to Wall who finally raised a deserved green flag. They went after the kick-out and Padraic Berhanu followed it up with a point.
A second yellow for Eoin Talbot saw Fossa reduced to 14 and they needed a response. They got it from their other pair of brothers. First, Tadhg fed Emmett O’Shea for his second of the day. Then Paudie Clifford kicked his third and David added three more frees.
The clock ticked down and the announcer repeatedly pleaded with supporters to not enter the field. An effort to keep the pitch clear for the following game and inadvertently avoid the now routine Clifford invasion.
Heavy lies the head? Not a chance.
As the fog rolled in, the captain tapped in an open goal for the final act. Off the ball, Fionn Warren swung at David Clifford and was sent off.
“Coming into the game we spoke about not wanting complacency,” explained Sheehan.
“When we are talking on Tuesday night or Friday, we always say to Paudie and David, ye are the guys that can fire this. When they start talking everyone else is attentive. Complacency goes out the window then. Huge respect within the group.
"They had huge sacrifices. They couldn’t celebrate the All-Ireland medal celebration like the rest of the lads. They missed a once in a lifetime holiday to Dubai. Great clubmen.”
When the final whistle sounded, a scattering of shrewd children made their move onto the pitch from the side opposite of the stand and stewards.
They found their hero dancing in clouds.
David Clifford 0-10 (7 frees), Paudie Clifford 1-4, Emmett O’Shea 0-2 (1 free), Matt Rennie 0-1.
Liam Wall 1-2, David McCarthy 0-1, Daniel Cahalane 0-1, Padraic Berhanua 0-1, Tomas Collins 0-1.
S O’Sullivan; B Myers, F Coffey, K McCarthy; D O’Keeffe, Paudie Clifford (c), D O’Connell; E Talbot, P Sheehan; H Buckley, M Rennie, C O’Shea; T O’Shea, D Clifford, E O’Shea.
R Doyle for McCarthy (37), R Colleran for T O’Shea (45), Anthony Wharton for O’Keeffe (53), H Kelly for O’Shea (57).
J McDonald; F Warren (j-c), K Barrett, G O’Mahony; T Collins, W Ronan (j-c), B Hinchion; K Kelleher, J O’Mullane; R Duggan, L Wall, L Ashling; P Berhanu, D McCarthy, D Cahalane.
J O’Mullane for Cahalane (30), R Leahy for Berhanu (45), G Barrett for R Duggan (56).
Niall Quinn (Clare).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
