Kerry 1-17
Derry 1-15
KERRY WOBBLED AND wavered in a Croke Park semi-final that crackled with intensity and energy, but when the demands were greatest their nerve and accuracy shone through to propel them to victory.
They remain on course for a successful defence of their All-Ireland title, but only after a fierce examination by Derry this afternoon. If the last day out against Tyrone transpired to be a second-half stroll for Jack O’Connor’s charges, this was a heart-stopping finale as they pegged back the Ulster champions with a telling scoring burst of late points.
The champions trailed by three, 1-11 to 1-8, at the interval and by two, 1-14 to 1-12, with five minutes of normal time left on the clock. But Derry’s challenge ran out of gas as Kerry hit five points in a row to ensure they would set up a final date with Dublin.
The source of the scores was both predictable and informative in that spell between the 66th and 71st minutes. David Clifford notched two to bump his tally up to nine after another stunning display that garnered him the man-of-the-match award. Seán O’Shea bagged a brace, indicative of his growing influence in the second half. While it was Stephen O’Brien’s shot in the middle of that spell in the 69th minute that ensured Kerry crept into the lead for the first time in the second half.
Derry tried in vain to salvage something. Ethan Doherty punted in one ball that the Kerry defence scrambled clear. The game wore on with Derry winning a free, that the taking of was delayed due to an injury sustained by Gareth McKinless. When Shane McGuigan eventually sized up the kick in the 80th minute with his team three points down, his attempted lob into a packed goalmouth was overcooked and the ball dropped over the bar. It cut the margin to two but was immaterial in affecting the end result. Kerry were safe.
The game began in a frantic manner, both sides swapping goals in the early stages. Gareth McKinless pounced first in the 5th minute scrambling home after Brendan Rogers had been denied, Kerry countered in the next passage of play as Gavin White palmed home after a well-constructed team move.
That set the tone. Kerry got plenty joy from their talisman Clifford in registering scores, a sign of the discomfort he was causing came with the yellow card shown to Chrissy McKaigue in the 26th minute. It was 1-6 apiece at that point but Diarmuid O’Connor’s black card shortly after created an opportunity that Derry impressively seized. They outscored Kerry 0-5 to 0-2 for the remainder of the half – Rogers, Ciaran McFaul and McGuigan all bagging quality points.
1-11 to 1-8 in Derry’s favour at the interval, but Kerry steadied themselves in the third quarter. Clifford and O’Shea brought them within one, before Conor Doherty slotted a fine point for Derry. Then that Clifford-O’Shea double act made their mark again, the teams tied at 1-12 apiece in the 48th minute.
If the match was set to head towards a comfortable Kerry success from there, Derry shredded such thoughts. They held Kerry scoreless tor the next 18 minutes, splitting the posts themselves courtesy of McFaul and McGuigan. Another goal almost arrived as well after an incisive break by McKinless but Shane Ryan’s reaction was terrific to protect his goal.
Gradually Kerry’s bench started to impress, they cut the space available to Odhran Lynch from kickouts and that sequence of late points won the day.
The champions are still standing.
Scorers for Kerry: David Clifford 0-9 (0-4f, 0-1 mark), Seán O’Shea 0-4 (0-1f), Gavin White 1-0, Shane Ryan 0-1, Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1, Paudie Clifford 0-1, Stephen O’Brien 0-1.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-6 (0-3f), Gareth McKinless 1-0, Ciarán McFaul 0-2, Paul Cassidy 0-2, Odhran Lynch 0-1, Conor Doherty 0-1, Pádraig McGrogan 0-1, Brendan Rogers 0-1.
Kerry
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
5. Paul Murphy (Rathmore), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
2. Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), 6. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe), 7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
8. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil), 9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
10. Dara Moynihan (Spa), 13. Paudie Clifford (Fossa), 12. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe)
11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks), 14. David Clifford (Fossa), 15. Paul Geaney (Dingle)
Subs
- 23. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare) for Spillane (half-time)
- 19. Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht) for Murphy (55)
- 17. Tony Brosnan (Dr Crokes) for Geaney (55)
- 22. Micheál Burns (Dr Crokes) for Moynihan (59)
- 21. Ruairí Murphy (Listry) for Paudie Clifford (73)
Derry
1. Odhran Lynch (Magharefelt)
3. Eoin McEvoy (Magherafelt), 2. Christopher McKaigue (Slaughtneil), 7. Padraig McGrogan (Newbridge)
5. Conor Doherty (Newbridge), 4. Conor McCluskey (Magherafelt), 6. Gareth McKinless (Ballinderry),
8. Conor Glass (Glen), 9. Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil)
18. Niall Toner (Lavey), 11. Paul Cassidy (Bellaghy), 12. Ethan Doherty (Glen)
13. Ciarán McFaul (Glen), 14. Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil), 15. Niall Loughlin (Greenlough)
Subs
- 23. Pádraig Cassidy (Slaughtneil) for McGrogan (inj) (9)
- 18. Benny Heron (Ballinascreen) for Pádraig Cassidy (51)
- 20. Lachlan Murray (Desertmartin) for Toner (60)
- 19. Shea Downey (St Brigid’s) for McEvoy (72)
- 21. Ben McCarron (Steelstown) for McKinless (inj) (78)
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
Great game. David clifford the star but his brother paudie does an absolute amount of work.
@Brian Dunne: Sean o Shea absolutely invaluable to Kerry also
@Ron Burgundy: he was anonymous for most of that game. McKinless dominated him.
@Ron Burgundy: invaluable is completely inaccurate , he kicked a clutch point and tipped away with frees. Big final incoming
@Eoin Fitzgerald: dominated him so much that Clifford scored 9 points (4 frees), McKinless also fouled him for one or two of those frees.
@Dave Mack: I was referring to seanie shea
@Eoin Fitzgerald: apologies, yeah Seanie didn’t have the greatest of games.
To be honest very few of the Kerry players could have been said to have played well, mostly due to how Derry played.
Great for the game of gaelic football that we had 2 brilliant semi finals this weekend. But hats off to Kerry, they showed why they are champions in those final few minutes. Clifford showed his class yet again, the greatest player of all time and he’s only in his mid 20s.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: Absolutely 2 brilliant games. Excellent to watch
@Barry Baz: I enjoy all games as I’m a football man through and through.
@Shaun Gallagher: Really ???
There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: the greatest player of all time ha you must’ve had to many beers
Derry kinds three that away when it mattered. In control of the game around the 62nd minute and it all went pear shaped from there. Shot selection was so off in those final moments and Kerry capitalised. A classic of a final then. I still think Kerry sneak it but the one observation today is the Kerry bench probably isn’t as strong as the Dubs. Only Stephen O’Brien made a telling impact while the rest looked average. Sometimes one can make the difference however.
kind of threw*
Ref rode derry
Derry’s lack of killer instinct and work rate was so weak to that of Kerry. Had they pressed further, they’d have won.
Joe McQuillan was just shocking again. Done his best to keep Kerry in it with weak frees and ignoring some seriously dangerous tackles. The first Derry player that was forced off injured was a horrendous tackle and no card or anything
He’s just awful and has been for ages
@Noel Lynn: Aye, Kerry were targeting Shane McGuigan all day.
If an Derry, or any Ulster team for that matter, did that to an opposing player there would be massive outcry
@S.K 123: that’s what Kerry do. They aren’t beyond cynical themselves
@S.K 123: do yee ever stop spouting if an ulster player done that blah blah blah
@Noel Lynn: Derry lost because they could only score 4 points in the second half (1 of which was a mistake) and not because of the ref.
Derry will be kicking themselves. They kicked away the game in the second half.
Rare to see two goalies on the scoresheet. Great match.
Dublin will absolutely hammer them.
@MartyCharles: you wonder why so many people have a dislike to dublin fans. The entitlement mentality is mesmerising.
Great great football team, but their fans are a special bunch.
@Kevin Dillon: entitlement is a word used for kerry fans they only travel for the final
@Patrick Breen: cause we all know there’s no dole or druggies outside Dublin. Good man
@robbie delaney: at least they travel outside their County.
@IrishOwl: I think we both know the dubs love nothing more than to go outside there county. Do your homework before you make a comment
I’m not a football fan, but that was a great game. Well done both sides.
Derry will wonder how they lost that game. Gave Kerry an opening, and they ploughed on to win a great game. To great semi-finals, football is alive and well despite the moaners. It’s hard to call the final. But bring it on.
Great performance from Derry just needed a bit more luck and composure in front of goal today, should make for a good final I hope. For two teams that have been in over a 100 finals between them I don’t think they have played each other much in the final since the mid 70s
Why didn’t he pass it on the last free
@Tess Tickle: he over kicked it
Hon Kerry
Why didn’t he pass it on the last free istg
@Tess Tickle: he might have been told by the ref that it was the last kick of the match. Hence he could only close the gap. Am sure we’ll find out the truth yet.
Derry team could do with hand passing a couple of points, rather than going for goals when they are two points up.