Kerry won their 39th All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title by beating Donegal 1-26 to 0-19 at Croke Park on Sunday.
Kerry dominates at Croke Park.
Kerry beat Ulster champions Donegal by a big 10-point margin to win the Sam Maguire Cup for the third time in four years. Jack O’Connor’s side controlled the match from start to finish, with David Clifford top scoring with nine points and Joe O’Connor scoring at the end to seal the win.
Kerry dominated early on, scoring five points in the first five minutes. Gavin White won the toss and decided to play with the wind in the first half; he helped Dylan Geaney score the first with a pass just 11 seconds later.
A halftime lead lays a solid foundation.
Munster champions Kerry led by seven points at halftime, the score reading 0-17 to 0-10. Their brilliant first half included four two-digit scores, showing their attacking prowess.
David Clifford scored three two-digit scores in the first half, while Paudie Clifford led most of Kerry’s attacks. Donegal failed to halt Kerry’s early momentum, with a number of handling mistakes seeing them fall behind.
Donegal’s comeback effort comes up short.
The Ulster team showed fighting spirit in the second half and reduced the margin to four points. Michael Murphy’s accurate free kicks kept Donegal afloat, converting six free kicks throughout the match.
Donegal got the better of Kerry’s kick-outs, with the entries of Hugh McFadden and Jason McGee helping their comeback effort. But when the pressure mounted, Kerry responded strongly.
Kerry’s brilliant finish
White’s third point in the 54th minute made it a four-point game, but Kerry went ahead again. Sean O’Shea’s two-point conversion extended their lead to six points before Paudie Clifford added another score.
Joe O’Connor scored in the last minute to cap off a superb individual performance. A Croke Park crowd of 82,300 witnessed Kerry’s stunning victory.
Match officials and atmosphere
Kildare’s Brendan Cawley refereed his first All-Ireland final, with Martin McNally and David Coldrick officiating as linesmen. Both teams wore their alternate jerseys, Donegal in white and Kerry in dark blue.
The win is Kerry manager Jack O’Connor’s fifth All-Ireland title, reflecting his tactical acumen and ability to adapt to modern football. For Donegal manager Jim McGuinness, it is another final defeat against the same team that also defeated them in 2014.
Kerry’s win cements their status as the most successful team in All-Ireland history and adds another title to their illustrious championship legacy.