Two great rivals, how do Dublin and Kerry compare?

They are the two most successful counties in Gaelic football history

Sat, 29 Jul, 2023 - 13:10

Staff

Legend Stephen Cluxton v All-Star Shane Ryan: How do they compare?

The Kerry kick out is a considerably bigger platform for their scores. In terms of their own restarts. the only time either keeper on Sunday came under pressure this season was Cluxton against Kildare in the second half and Ryan in Cork who set up really well when they had a scoreable free and pressed Kerry.

The respective in-play involvements of the No 1s differ massively, Shane Ryan has considerable involvements outside his own 45 as a pivot for attacks, while this just isn't a part of Cluxton's game now. The Dublin veteran's in-play involvements are typically limited to dealing with balls dropping short and moving them onto defender in front of him.

• Shane Ryan is ahead in all metrics across the five games except goal conceded - Cluxton has kept five clean sheets.

• Kerry sourced 4-37 from kick outs won which is 42% of their total scores (9-90). While Dublin only scored 1-24 which is 27% of their 7-90 scored. So Kerry’s kickout is a way bigger attacking platform than Dublin’s.

• Neither have conceded much of their kick out, Dublin only 0-3 and Kerry 0-6.

• Of the 0-6 conceded by Kerry on their own kick outs, 0-3 of this came from kick outs following scoreable frees for Cork, allowing them to set up. Cork showed a template of how to disrupt Kerry kick out on these dead balls.

• In the group game against Kildare in Nowlan Park, the Lilywhites showed how to derail Cluxton’s restarts. Kildare managed to win four in a row during the second half but failed to convert adequately.

• Cluxton does not mirror other goalkeepers and did not have a single involvement outside his 45m line, compared to Ryan who has ventured beyond that to good effect, with 12 possession outside his own 45. This became more prominent against Derry and Tyrone as he mirrored the styles of Niall Morgan and Odhran Lynch - and even managed a point himself in the semi-final.

Kerry's 39th or No 31 for the Dubs?

After 62 games it’s down to the final. Throw-in at Croke Park on Sunday is at 3.30pm.

PATHS TO THE FINAL

DUBLIN

Leinster SFC quarter-final: Dublin 4-30 Laois 2-9

Leinster SFC semi-final: Dublin 0-14 Kildare 0-12

Leinster SFC final: Dublin 5-21 Louth 0-15

All-Ireland SFC Group 3: Dublin 1-11 Roscommon 0-14

All-Ireland SFC Group 3: Dublin 0-22 Kildare 0-13

All-Ireland SFC Group 3: Dublin 3-23 Sligo 0-8

All-Ireland SFC quarter-final: Dublin 2-17 Mayo 0-11

All-Ireland SFC semi-final: Dublin 1-17 Monaghan 0-13

Played 8, Won 7, Drew 1

Top Scorers: Con O’Callaghan 2-28 (0-4 frees, 3 marks); Colm Basquel 5-16 (0-1 free); Cormac Costello 0-25 (0-12 frees, 2 ‘45s’, 1 mark), 4. Paul Mannion. 1-16 (0-3 frees, 1 mark), Sean Bugler. 1-12, Ciaran Kilkenny 1-11, Dean Rock 1-10 (0-4 frees).

KERRY

Munster SFC semi-final: Kerry 0-25 Tipperary 0-5

Munster SFC final: Kerry 5-14 Clare 0-15

All-Ireland SFC Group 1: Mayo 1-19 Kerry 0-17

All-Ireland SFC Group 1: Kerry 1-14 Cork 0-15

All-Ireland SFC Group 1: Kerry 5-24 Louth 0-11

All-Ireland SFC quarter-final: Kerry 2-18 Tyrone 0-12

All-Ireland SFC semi-final: Kerry 1-17 Derry 1-15

Played 7, Won 6, Lost 1

Top Scorers: David Clifford 5-39 (0-17 frees, 2-0 pen, 3 marks), Sean O’Shea 2-34 (0-14, frees, 0-4 ‘45s’, 1 mark), Paudie Clifford 2-7, Tony Brosnan 1-9 (1 mark), Tom O’Sullivan 0-9, Dara Moynihan 1-5, Paul Geaney 0-7 (2 mark).

DUBLIN v KERRY: CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

This will be the 33rd championship meeting between the counties since they first met in 1892. Kerry have won 18 times to Dublin’s 11 while there were three draws from the previous 32 clashes. Kerry’s win in last year’s semi-final was their first since 2009. Dublin beat them five times and one game was drawn between 2011 and 2019.

DUBLIN-KERRY ALL-IRELAND FINALS

They have met in 16 All-Ireland finals with wins 8-7 in Kerry’s favour and one draw.

• 2019: Dublin 1-18 Kerry 0-15 (Replay)

• 2019: Dublin 1-16 Kerry 1-16 (Draw)

• 2015: Dublin 0-12 Kerry 0-9

• 2011: Dublin 1-12 Kerry 1-11

• 1985: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 2-8

• 1984: Kerry 0-14 Dublin 1-6

• 1979: Kerry 3-13 Dublin 1-8

• 1978: Kerry 5-11 Dublin 0-9

• 1976: Dublin 3-8 Kerry 0-10

• 1975: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 0-11

• 1955: Kerry 0-12 Dublin 1-6

• 1924: Kerry 0-4 Dublin 0-3

• 1923: Dublin 1-5 Kerry 1-3

• 1908: Dublin 0-10 Kerry 0-3

• 1904: Kerry 0-5 Dublin 0-2

• 1892 Dublin 1-4 Kerry 0-3

DID YOU KNOW

*Jack O’Connor leads Kerry into the All-Ireland final for the seventh time in what is his third term, having presided over wins in 2004 (Mayo), 2006 (Mayo), 2009 (Cork), 2022 (Galway) and defeats in 2005 (Tyrone) and 2011 (Dublin).

*Kerry have conceded no goals in five of their seven championship games this year. The only goals they conceded (on each) were against Mayo and Derry. They kept clean sheets against Tipperary, Clare, Cork, Louth and Tyrone. Dublin have conceded only two goals in their eight championship games this year. Both came in the Leinster quarter-final against Laois. They have since kept clean sheets against Kildare (twice), Louth, Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo and Monaghan.

ROLL OF HONOUR

38 – Kerry (1903-04-09-13-14-24-26-29-30-31-32-37-39-40-41-46-53-55-59-62- 69-70-75-78-79-80-81-84-85-86-97-2000-2004-2006-2007-2009-2014-2022).

30 – Dublin (1891-92-94-97-98-99-1901-02-06-07-08-21-22-23-42-58-63-74-76- 77-83-95-2011-2013- 2015-2016-2017-2018-2019-2020)

After that it's Galway 9, Meath 7, Cork 7. Down 5, Cavan 5, Wexford 5, Kildare 4, Tipperary 4, Tyrone 4, Louth 3, Mayo 3, Offaly 2, Donegal 2, Limerick 2, Roscommon 2, Armagh 1, Derry 1.

Kerry’s Top Scorer in All-Ireland finals v Dublin 1955-2019

1955: Tadghie Lyne 0-6 {0-3f }

1975: Mikey Sheehy 0-4 {0-3f}

1976: Mikey Sheehy 0-3 {0-2f}

1978: Eoin Liston 3-2

1979: Mikey Sheehy 2-6 {1-0 pen, 0-3f}

1984: John Kennedy 0-5 {0-3f, 0-1 ’45’}

1985: Jack O’Shea 1-3 {1-0 pen}

2011: Colm Cooper 1-3 {0-2f}

2015: James O’Donoghue 0-3 2019: Sean O’Shea 0-10 {0-4f, 0-3 ’45’}

2019 Replay: Sean O’Shea {0-3f} David Clifford {0-1f} 0-5 each

Dublin’s Top Scorer in All-Ireland finals v Kerry 1955-2019