1. The ferocious start by Kerry
Donegal appeared to be obsessed about their warm-up, twice ignoring calls to join the prematch parade, then breaking off early before the teams turned back in front of the Hogan Stand. Despite all this, it was Kerry who hit the ground sprinting, up 0-12 to 0-4 after 15 minutes.
During that period, David Clifford scored a two-pointer with his first shot on goal, after nine minutes. Two minutes later, with his second kick on goal, Clifford scored another two-pointer. All this despite the close attention of Brendan McCole, who like many before him would find Clifford virtually unmarkable. The heat was already firmly on Donegal.
2. A mild reply by Donegal
When Michael Murphy hit the post in the 21st minute, slightly misjudging a free that came back off the post, Donegal hearts sank just a little deeper. Chasing Kerry’s 0-13 to 0-4 advantage, they needed something to turn, and to turn fast.
Donegal quickly conjured a counterattack, and Oisín Gallen finished that off with a point. Conor O’Donnell added another point moments later, and that momentum was carried through when Donegal hit two more without replay – Murphy scoring two in succession from play, bringing the score back to 0-13 to 0-8. It just wasn’t enough to test Kerry hearts, who responded with two of their own.
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3. The last first-half word by Kerry
Most teams would be delighted to head into the half-time break in an All-Ireland final leading by five points. Especially against opposition such as this Donegal team. Kerry however instinctively felt something more was needed, playing down the last 60 seconds of the hooter as if they knew exactly what they were doing.
Maybe they did and maybe they didn’t, but along came David Clifford, having somehow ghosted off McCole once again. He was ideally positioned just outside the arc to kick another two-pointer, which is exactly what he did. Another lovely fillip for Kerry, another gentle blow for Donegal.
4. The final hope of a Donegal comeback
Kerry started the second half the way they finished off the first – Seán O’Shea scoring his first point from play, before David Clifford promptly added another, set up by his brother Paudie. That pushed Kerry’s lead back out to nine, 0-19 to 0-10, and suddenly it was now or never for Donegal.
Michael Murphy did get things moving again, scoring a tricky free from the corner of the Cusack and Davin Stands, and then added another from close-range. This inspired the first notable momentum shift, and after Murphy converted two more frees, that helped reduce the gap to four, 0-22 to 0-18, after 54 minutes.
5. Kerry’s endgame masterclass
With their lead whittled back down to four points, the nerves of the Kerry supporters were further tested when goalkeeper Shane Ryan slipped before attempting a long-range free, his shot falling well short on 57 minutes.
The next score would likely prove critical, and it felt that way after Seán O’Shea stepped up with a two-point free attempt, calmly taking his time before slotting it over. Kerry were in the ascendancy again, and there was no let-up this time, as Paudie Clifford added another point from play, followed by his brother David. Then Joe O’Connor had the last word with his thundering goal in the 69th minute. Game truly over.
