Joe Brolly: Ireland’s luckiest child

In the All-Ireland final last year, David Clifford only had the ball in his hands for 43 seconds and scored 0-9. In this game, Dublin marked him out of it and he scored 1-5. “He didn’t do anything else,” said St Vincent’s old boy Terry Jennings.

Dublin did what they have always done since Jim Gavin began giving them homework and sending them home with notepads and pens. They studied David and applied the laws of physics. Firstly, they did not let him on to his left foot, constantly stepping to their right with their right hands in the air. Secondly, they double marked him, Niall Scully dropping back in front of him to prevent the early long ball that sends him in on goal.

In the second minute, when the referee gave Kerry a penalty that wasn’t, Evan Comerford immediately jogged in behind the goal line and consulted his notepad, checking his notes on David Clifford’s penalty taking. I laughed out loud, remembering something Michael Darragh MacAulay told me once about how well prepared Jim Gavin was. “We even discussed what would happen if the bus broke down on the way to a game.”

McConville highlights importance of half-time messaging

Evan’s studying served him well, he went the right way and saved the penalty. Unfortunately, David was on the rebound in a flash, jumping high to catch the ballooning rebound and you know the rest. When it comes to David, homework has its limitations.

For the remainder of the half, Dublin played expertly. Their zonal defence inside the 40 metre arc, their quick tucking in when the ball was on the opposite flank, their kick outs, their handling of David were all exemplary, Clifford having to satisfy himself by making his team mates look good, with assists for Sean O’Shea (twice) and decoy runs that diverted two and three Dublin defenders towards him leaving space for the brother and co to shoot points. He reminds me of what the legendary Boston Celtic player Bill Russell once said, “My ego demands for me the success of my team.” Before the half, for a split second, he got free and scored a massive two pointer. What do you do?

By half time it was level and the Dubs were beginning to enjoy themselves. When they gobbled up Kerry’s first three kick outs of the second half and returned them for three excellent points they were three up, Hill 16 was rocking and the Mayo ones were praying. A minute later there was a huge roar when David was blocked down, a sure sign that Kerry were succumbing to frustration.

Umpiring catastrophe

Then, came the second umpiring catastrophe in a fortnight. Dylan Geaney, who was anonymous due to Dublin’s carefully planned marking, took a long pot shot and O’Brien, who had been loitering inside the square as part of a tactic to stretch the Dublin defence, ran from right to left inside the square and punched a goal. Needless to say, the umpires didn’t notice that he was in the square for thirty seconds and the goal stood. It’s only a matter of time before a referee brings his grannies as umpires. Or his five year old twin boys.

This goal gave Kerry the lift they needed.

A minute later, David kicked another two pointer with three defenders all over him, something no other human being could have done, and by the 58th minute, Kerry were five up.

Dublin were now hunting for goals. Like the great champions they are, there would be no petty settling for consolation points.

They besieged the Kerry goal, Niall Scully’s shot was blocked, then Ross McGarry palmed the ball over the line. When the umpires said “No, maybe, not sure”, that was the end of that. Last night on the way into the Mayo game, the person in the turnstile stopped a Mayo woman who was going through with her seven-week old child in a papoose and asked for the baby’s ticket. And we can’t afford to put a buzzer in a ball?

For the last 20 minutes, Dublin continued to press for goals, Kerry defended expertly and hit them on the break. It was extremely high level football from our two foremost football universities. Dublin were unlucky, Cormac Costello was electrifying, destroying Paul Murphy and scoring 0-7, but their superstar Con was poor.

Kerry’s superstar meanwhile did nothing and scored 1-5.

With 15 seconds to go, David (having just kicked the insurance point), took possession and held it until the clock ran down to the hooter. Then, he turned and kicked the size five into the Hogan Stand to Ireland’s luckiest child.