Kerry crowned All-Ireland champions after dominant victory over Donegal
Kerry captain Gavin White lifts the Sam Maguire cup after his side's victory. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
A 39th All-Ireland title for Kerry and this one will feel as glorious and emphatic as their triumphs of the mid-2000s under Jack O’Connor.
It marked a fifth league, All-Ireland double for the Dromid Pearses man and a stirring endorsement of his relevancy and longevity. Under new rules, under old rules, O’Connor has won it.
In performance and tactics, Kerry outclassed Donegal here. Gavin White was a supreme leader, Paudie Clifford may as well have held a baton in his hand such was his influence and with yet another handsome haul David Clifford is line for a third footballer of the year award.
Down seven points at half-time (0-10 to 0-17) as they were in their quarter-final win over Cavan, the gauntlet was greater for Donegal. Hugh McFadden’s introduction along with Jason McGee’s earlier made a contest of Kerry’s kick-out and was key to Donegal getting back within four points midway through the second half. That and Michael Murphy’s boot, four converted frees in the third quarter.
White’s third point made it a four-point game in the 54th minute although he appeared to overcarry. McGee was infringed upon for Murphy’s fifth free of the half and Murphy slotted it over.
A couple of two-point free opportunities came Kerry’s way within three minutes. Shane Ryan slipped for the first won by Paudie Clifford but when Paudie drew another one Seán O’Shea drew it over and Kerry were six to the good.
That became seven when a Donegal kick-out was pounced on and Paudie Clifford applied the finishing touch with his fist. David Clifford brought his total to nine and it was appropriate that another star of the season, Joe O’Connor, applied the coup de grace with a final minute goal.
McFadden had been withdrawn from the Donegal starting team in the hour before the game. Caolan McGonagle was expected to start but probably not at the expense of the Killybegs man.
McGonagle was his team’s second scorer but he had a slack enough first half and he wasn’t alone in this Donegal team who seemed shellshocked by the intensity of Kerry’s beginning.
White won the toss and chose to enjoy the breeze into the Davin Stand in the first half and he led by example when he blitzed onto the ball from the throw-in and fed Dylan Geaney for the first score after just 11 seconds.
Oisín Gallen responded in the second minute but Kerry picked off the next couple of points. Seán O’Brien punched a ball to the edge of the square over the bar then Kerry won the resultant kick-out and White cut in from the wing to fist over another point.
After McGonagle’s point, White repeated the trick only this time with his foot and soon enough Donegal were shifting Ciarán Moore from Joe O’Connor’s side to pick up White when he came forward.
Donegal’s problems extended beyond White, though. Paudie Clifford was orchestrating so much and while Finbarr Roarty was pushed out onto him his marking was surprisingly loose.
The elder Clifford opened his account in the eighth minute, one of four Kerry scores without response. David Clifford thumped over his first of three opening-half two-pointers in the ninth minute after a McColgan error. He raised another orange flag three minutes later and then O’Brien doubled his contribution.
Donegal were reeling but Gallen offered some respite with a point but Clifford was fouled outside the arc by Brendan McCole and Seán O’Shea applied the punishment to stretch Kerry’s lead to eight in the 15th minute.
O’Brien was everywhere and made a big block on a Roarty point attempt before Clifford’s tally grew to five following a McGonagle error.
When Michael Murphy kicked a free against the post and a goal move involving him and Ryan McHugh was overcooked, it seemed too much was going awry for the Ulster champions.
However, Gallen was on hand to make sure that attack counted for something in the form of a 22nd minute point and the following three scores were Donegal ones, two from Murphy, as the gap collapsed to four.
Ending eight minutes without a score, a O’Shea free for a dubious Roarty foul on Paudie Clifford followed by Geaney’s second steadied Kerry only for those scores to be cancelled out by Conor and Shane O’Donnell.
However, Kerry killed the clock sufficiently enough at the end of the half to tee up David Clifford for a crowd-rousing third two-pointer. He clenched his fist to the Kerry following as he wheeled away. The mission wasn’t complete.
D. Clifford (0-9, 3 tps); S. O’Shea (0-6, 2 tp frees, 1 free); D. Geaney, G. White, P. Clifford (0-3 each); J. O’Connor (1-0); S. O’Brien (0-2).
M. Murphy (0-8, 6 frees); C. O’Donnell (0-4); O. Gallen (0-3); S. O’Donnell (0-2); C. McConagle, D. Ó Baoill (0-1 each).
: S. Ryan; P. Murphy, J. Foley, D. Casey; B. Ó Beaglaoich, G. White (c), M. Breen; S. O’Brien, M. O’Shea; J. O’Connor, S. O’Shea, G. O’Sullivan; D. Clifford, P. Clifford, D. Geaney.
Subs for Kerry: D. O’Connor for S. O’Brien (50); K. Spillane for D. Geaney (54); E. Looney for B. Ó Beaglaoich (63); T. Morley for M. Breen (65); M. Burns for G. O’Sullivan (69).
: S. Patton; C. McColgan, F. Roarty, B. McCole; E. Gallagher, P. Mogan, C. Moore; C. McGonagle, M. Langan; R. McHugh, C. Thompson, S. O’Donnell; C. O’Donnell, M. Murphy, O. Gallen.
Subs for Donegal: D. Ó Baoill for C. Thompson (inj 23); H. McFadden for C. McColgan (h-t); J. McGee for R. McHugh (inj 40); P. McBrearty for O. Gallen (50); J. Brennan for E. Gallagher (58).
: B. Cawley (Kildare).
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