Three key plays: Kerry interruptions, two pointer before the break and Gavin White 

Kerry's two pointer just before half time was key. 

BREAKING BRILLIANCE: Kerry captain Gavin White lifts the Sam Maguire. Pic:  Seb Daly/Sportsfile

1: An almost flawless opening 10 minutes had two blemishes, two pieces of interruption. The first was Joe O’Connor claiming Shaun Patton’s second restart, a kickout spoil that concluded with Gavin White pointing for Kerry’s third white flag of the day and a two-point advantage. The second piece of interruption was the more important. The final’s first turnover took nine minutes to present itself. A Caolan McGonagle pass around his own 45 was telegraphed and intercepted by Paudie Clifford. The punishment was severe. Possession was worked to Paudie’s brother. The game’s first two-pointer. A two-point lead doubled to four. Donegal never got the gap below that difference across the remaining 59 minutes.

2: The last play of the half. Kerry ahead by five. Shane Ryan’s previous restart had been overcooked and flew out over the Cusack Stand sideline. For his latest restart, he switched to the Hogan Stand side. Brian Ó Beaglaoich was found, but the half-back erred in touching possession on the floor. Donegal switched the play to sub Dáire Ó Baoill. The Ulster champions had created a Michael Murphy one-on-one with Jason Foley on the edge of the square. There was potential to threaten for green. Eschewing that option, a white flag was the minimum return expected. Neither materialised. Ó Baoill’s delivery was of the poorest quality. It went nowhere near Murphy. Shane Ryan comfortably gathered. The hooter went. Kerry patiently held onto the ball. Eventually David Clifford was found in the pocket. Orange awesomeness. An interval gap that could have been four finished at seven.

3: Maybe a nondescript choice for our third pick, but we had to work in somewhere Gavin White’s breaking ball brilliance. His Crokes clubmate, Mark O’Shea, broke the throw-in at the beginning of the second half. Who else but the Kerry captain was quickest to gather the loose possession. His reaction times all afternoon were staggering. In charging for that loose ball, he thundered through Ryan McHugh with a challenge that led to the Donegal half-back ultimately having to be substituted five minutes later. The ball went through the hands, including those of the sensational Joe O’Connor. Seán O’Shea with the pointed finish. Kerry eight clear and on their way. Their first-half tone immediately carried through and reasserted.