1. The early goal-fest: So much for predictions of dour football. After early goal chances at both ends, Derry made the first breakthrough on five minutes, goalkeeper Odhran Lynch roaming forward into the Kerry half and setting up Brendan Rogers. His shot was cleared off the line by Tadgh Morley before Gareth McKinless helped himself to the rebound.
Just 35 seconds later, Gavin White made a searing run and passed off to Paul Geaney, who found Seanie O’Shea. The latter’s deft flick into the path of White was sweetly directed into the Derry net. Game on.
2. Clifford v McKaigue: Approaching the half hour, there was little doubt David Clifford was winning his battle with Chrissy McKaigue. Having already run a few rings around him, he won a free in the 27th minute, which he converted himself while McKaigue was booked. That brought Kerry back to within one point.
But that momentum was short lived, midfielder Diarmuid O’Connor black-carded moments later for a trip on Rogers. Derry scored four points to Kerry’s two (one from goalkeeper Shane Ryan) while O’Connor was in the bin. It might have been more.
3. Another let-off for Kerry: Still struggling with Derry’s close attention, Kerry needed to find some scores. Paul Geaney lost the ball in an attack before it fell back into his path and he won a free, duly converted by David Clifford. Back to a one-point game.
Moments later there was another let-off for Kerry down at the Hill 16 end. There was a goalmouth scramble, Niall Toner tried to get his shot away, Paul Murphy making a critical block before Ryan cleared the ball away. A Derry goal there and Kerry would have been limping badly.
4. Derry’s winning position: After 10 minutes with no score, and two goal chances passed up against intense Kerry resistance, Ciaran McFaul broke through and Derry were back in front by one, 1-13 to 1-12, on 52 minutes.
Just before the hour mark they went two up, 1-14 to 1-12, putting them into a winning position as the game headed down the stretch. Eoin McEvoy started the run before McGuigan was fouled. He converted the free, and Derry had Kerry on the chase again, David Clifford shooting his first wide in between.
5. Kerry’s ultimate class: With three minutes of normal time remaining, and after David Clifford led again from the front to level the game, winning and converting another free off McKaigue, Stephen O’Brien showed his value off the bench by going on a scorching run and claiming a point to put Kerry back in front.
A minute later David Clifford won another ball and then briefly lost it to Rogers, who in turn lost it back to Clifford. Pressure, what pressure? Clifford headed straight for goal and split the posts, a fourth point in a row for Kerry, another act of class to decide the game.
