As it happened: Kerry v Clare in the Munster SFC final
David Clifford scored 2-5 for Kerry in the Munster SFC final against Clare. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Post-match: David Clifford is named RTÉ's man of the match. "We feel that Cork game (in the Munster semi-final) is going to stand to us massively," Clifford says. "Clare were playing in Division 3, so we wanted to play with pace. We felt maybe that they wouldn't have experienced that pace."
70 mins: The hooter goes. Kerry have a goal chance through Tadhg Morley but it's blocked on the line. They play on. Clare then have a goal chance but Iken Ugwueru blasts it wide. Noel Mooney was playing an advantage however. Emmet McMahon kicks over the free to end the game. Clare have managed to win the second half. That may be of some consolation to Peter Keane. That's a fifth consecutive Munster title for Kerry.
69 mins: Emmet McMahon kicks a point from outside the arc. Éamonn Fitzmaurice says on commentary that as a Kerry player touched the ball in flight, it only counts as one point.
68 mins: Wide there from Keith Evans for Kerry after he did so well to work the space to get a shot off.
64 mins: Evan Looney comes on for Kerry in place of Brian Ó Beaglaoich. Mark McInerney taps over a free for Clare. He then adds a lovely score from just inside the arc.
63 mins: A change for Clare with Cillian Rouine going off and Rory McMahon coming on.
62 mins: Brian Ó Beaglaoich bursts forward for Kerry. The ball falls for David Clifford who takes his tally to 2-5 for the game. Kerry lead by 14. Paul Geaney then adds another from play for Kerry after another surge forward for Ó Beaglaoich.
60 mins: Killian Spillane is fouled and Paul Geaney knocks over the free. That three points for the Dingle man today.
59 mins: Free for Clare is converted by Mark McInerney. Another for Kerry. Keith Evans from Keel is on for Micheál Burns. The Dr Crokes man has had an excellent game. Evan Cahill is on for Clare in place on Keelan Sexton. Connor Meaney and Shane Griffin came on for Alan Sweeney and Daniel Walsh earlier.
58 mins: Goal chance for Clare. Manus Doherty ventures forward from corner-back but he blazes a shot over the bar. Mark McInerney quickly adds another point.
57 mins: A change for Kerry. Dr Crokes' Mark O'Shea is on for Barry Dan O'Sullivan.
56 mins: Burns finds Dylan Geaney with a lovely incisive pass. Dylan Geaney kicks the score, his second point of the game.
Just 👑 David Clifford, doing what he does, his first 2⃣ Pointer to increase the lead of @Kerry_Official over @GaaClare in the @MunsterGAA Football Final 🏆 #KERvCLA pic.twitter.com/06ipYj7JAn
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 4, 2025
54 mins: Super two-pointer from David Clifford. Concerns about Kerry's ability to kick scores from outside the arc will have been allayed today.
53 mins: Emmet McMahon takes his tally to 0-6 from a free. Clare trail by 12.
52 mins: That's 2-2 now for David Clifford. Micheál Burns created that latest score. Seanie O'Shea and Tony Brosnan go off for Kerry. Ruairí Murphy and Killian Spillane are on.
49 mins: Emmet McMahon kicks another super score, this time a one-pointer from play. He has 0-5 in all, including two two-pointers.
46 mins: David Clifford kicks a free taking his tally for the game to 2-1. Sean O'Shea adds another a minute later.
43 mins: Kerry in breach of another new rule for not handing the ball back to an opposition player. Emmet McMahon brings it out for two-pointer and he converts it again. Clare trail by 11.
2⃣ x 2⃣ Pointers in a row for Emmet McMahon reduces the defecit for @GaaClare against @Kerry_Official in the @MunsterGAA Football Final 🏆 #KERvCLA pic.twitter.com/pvuGR7aBQr
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 4, 2025
41 mins: Kerry were in breach of the 4v3 rule. Emmet McMahon kicks a two-pointer from the free. That reduces the gap to 13 points.
38 mins: Clare work a 45 short. Brian McNamara gets a shot away for his second point of the game.
36 mins: The second half gets underway. Kerry's Dylan Geaney swiftly gets his first score of the game.
35 mins: Clare end the half on the attack but can't get a score. That's half-time.
34 mins: Nice pass from Seanie O'Shea to David Clifford. He's fouled and O'Shea converts the free. Jason Foley came back on for Kerry a few moments ago.
Kerry’s two-pointers in previous four games: 1.
— John Fogarty (@JohnFogartyIrl) May 4, 2025
Kerry’s two-pointers in Seán O’Shea’s first half starting a game since February: 2. #GAA
34 mins: Lovely catch from Emmet McMahon and Mark McInerney gets a score for Clare.
32 mins: Tom O'Sullivan sprays a lovely ball into Seanie O'Shea in the full-forward line. O'Shea wins the mark and kicks the point.
30 mins: Paul Geaney gets his second point of the game.
Barry Dan scores Kerry's fouth goal of the day and we haven't even reached half-time
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 4, 2025
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📱 Updates https://t.co/ApD8XaM0f4 pic.twitter.com/f3AXOm7gkX
27 mins: Penalty for Clare. Keelan Sexton to take it. He blasts it over the bar. Change for Kerry with Tadhg Morley coming on for Jason Foley. Emmet McMahon is back on for Clare after his 10 minutes in the sin bin.
26 mins: Kerry now have their fourth goal of the game. Kerry turnover Clare coming out of defence. A diving Barry Dan O'Sullivan palms the ball to the net.
24 mins: David Clifford rattles the crossbar. That should have been Kerry's fourth goal.
23 mins: Goal for Kerry! Micheál Burns finds the net for Kerry's third goal of the game. Dylan Geaney nicely set it up for the Dr Crokes man.
22 mins: Brian McNamara gets his first championship point, and Clare's fifth of the day.
20 mins: Aaron Griffin kicks Clare's fourth wide.
17 mins: Black card for Clare. Emmet McMahon punished for what appears to have been a trip. That's one of Clare's key forwards gone for 10 minutes. Seanie O'Shea kicks a two-pointer from the free. Kerry, who have not kicked many two-pointers to far this year, already have two in this game, both through O'Shea.
16 mins: Another score for Clare. Keelan Sexton manoeuvres into space and kicks over a right-footed shot.
14 mins: Better play from Clare and Cillian Rouine gets forward from half-back. He gets a shot away and it ends in a 45. Mark McInerney converts the placed ball for his first score of the game.
12 mins: Clare have their second score of the game through Aaron Griffin. Kerry midfielder Barry Dan O'Sullivan quickly responds.
11 mins: Eoin Cleary gets a shot on goal away but Kerry keeper Shane Murphy gets down to stop it.
9 mins: Tony Brosnan finds Paul Geaney in loads of space and he knocks over his first score of the game.
7 mins: Goal for Kerry! David Clifford again. Eamonn Tubridy did well to save Micheál Burns's shot but Clifford was there to turn in the rebound. Seanie O'Shea quickly adds a point. The Kenmare man did very well to dispossess the Clare keeper for that score.
5 mins: Daniel Walsh finds space inside the Kerry defence and fists the ball over the bar.
4 mins: Goal for Kerry! David Clifford hits the net. The Fossa man caught a superb long ball in, took on his man and found the bottom corner.
1⃣5⃣ Championship goals now for David Clifford as he nets early for @Kerry_Official against @GaaClare in the @MunsterGAA Football Final 🏆 #KERvCLA pic.twitter.com/glFSZzaxKS
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 4, 2025
3 mins: Aaron Griffin bursts through the Kerry defence but his shot also goes wide.
2 mins: Mark McInerney doesn't catch a free off the ground quite right and it goes wide.
1 mins: Seanie O'Shea opens the scoring for Kerry with a two-pointer.
Seanie O'Shea opens the scoring in style in Killarney
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 4, 2025
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0 mins: Cavan referee Noel Mooney throws in the ball and they are underway at Fitzgerald Stadium.
1:37pm: 108 years ago, having lost the two previous finals, Clare beat Cork to win the Munster decider. Having lost the last two finals, Clare will be hoping history repeats itself today. Christy O'Connor gave us a history lesson this week.
1:33pm: Joe O'Connor was superb for Kerry in their semi-final victory over Cork. Eoghan Cormican profiled the midfielder ahead of the Munster final.
1:30pm: One of the most intriguing storylines about this game is former Kerry manager Peter Keane now being in charge of Clare.
"Obviously he knows most of the Kerry players intimately having worked with them for three years and also having had plenty of them previously under his tutelage at minor level," Éamonn Fitzmaurice, another former Kerry manager, wrotetarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> in his target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> column this week. "He knows well what makes them tick, but more importantly he understands their weaknesses and what annoys them. I am sure he will be trying to exploit that knowledge." John Fogarty explained earlier this week why Keane may be out for revenge against Kerry.
1:25pm: The Kerry team for today's game was named on Thursday evening. It features six changes from the side which defeated Corktarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> after extra-time in the semi-final. The suspended Paudie Clifford and injured Shane Ryan (knee), Paul Murphy (calf) and Graham O’Sullivan (groin) as well as Tadhg Morley and Ruairí Murphy are replaced by Seán O’Shea, Tony Brosnan, Micheál Burns, Shane Murphy, Tom O’Sullivan and Mike Breen. Clare have made two changes for the game from the side which beat Tipperary in their semi-finals. Ikem Ugwueru comes in at centre-back and Daniel Walsh in midfield in place of Fionn Kelleher and Ciarán Downes.
S. Murphy; D. Casey, J. Foley, T. O’Sullivan; B. Ó Beaglaoich, M. Breen, G. White (c); J. O’Connor, B.D. O’Sullivan; T. Brosnan, S. O’Shea, M. Burns, D. Clifford, P. Geaney. D. Geaney.
S. Coffey, T. Morley, D. Bourke, K. Spillane, R. Murphy, M. O’Shea, A. Heinrich, S. O’Brien, C. Geaney, E. Looney, K. Evans, C. Ó Beaglaoich, T.L. O’Sullivan, C. Trant.
E Tubridy; R Lanigan, C Brennan, M Doherty; C Rouine, I Ugwueru, A Sweeney; B McNamara, D Walsh; A Griffin, E McMahon, D Coughlan, K Sexton; E Cleary, M McInerney
T O'Callaghan, F Kelleher, C Meaney, S Griffin, G Murray, D Burns, R McMahon, E Vahill, D O'Donnell, C Murray, D Nagle
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