THE drive for five took an unexpected twist yesterday as Kerry came within a whisker of derailing Dublin dreams in the classic All-Ireland final all neutrals had hoped for.
A game that refused to stick to its script swung one way and then the other with Kerry dominating the first and last quarters and Dublin – down to 14 men for the second half after Jonny Cooper had been sent off - the other two until, at the death, Dean Rock’s last-kick-of-the-game free drifted wide of the right post meaning these old foes will meet again on September 14.
A draw was a fair result but when an excessive seven minutes of additional period began the Kingdom had their noses in front. Has their chance gone now? They got so many match-ups spot on, marking several of Dublin’s marquee players out of the game and played against 14 men for the entire second half but still couldn’t win.
On the flip side. They missed a penalty – rather it was superbly saved by Stephen Cluxton - in the first half and hit the crossbar in the second and still didn’t lose a nerve-jangling affair.
Meanwhile, Dublin live to fight another day despite losing Cooper and seeing under-par performances from several of their key performers.
They took no time to settle into the game and Jack McCaffrey went charging forward from left half-back as the ball was thrown-in. He didn’t get on it but Dublin’s intentions were clear and Paul Mannion split the Kerry posts to give his side the lead after barely 15 seconds.
David Clifford had shot wide before Sean O’Shea equalised but Rock had Dublin ahead again and the Ballymun scoring machine added another free, after he had been fouled, to leave the reigning champions 0-3 to 0-1 up.
But Kerry quickly showcased the pace and attacking elan of their four-man forward unit and Paul Geaney grabbed a pass from O’Shea and beat Cluxton with a low shot only for James McCarthy to clear off the line.
Gavin Crowley’s poise and skill created another chance for the jittery Clifford and he wasted it too, meaning that Kerry had passed up a possible 1-2 in the opening 10 minutes.
The Fossa forward got his next one though, cutting in from the left wing and splitting the posts after Adrian Spillane had picked David Byrne’s pocket.
Clifford was in the thick of the action again when Cooper manhandled him – everyone in Croke Park saw the foul – as Geaney’s forward punt hung in the air. Referee Gough awarded Kerry a penalty but Geaney was denied by a superb one-handed save by Cluxton, who dived to his right and clawed the ball behind for a 45.
O’Shea sent the dead ball over the bar and Stephen O’Brien added another to send Kerry ahead for the first time (4-3) after 14 minutes.
Jack Barry grabbed the next two Dublin kick-outs in midfield but Geaney and then David Moran both shot wide and, inevitably, Dublin broke and Mannion fisted the ball over the bar to equalise.
Cooper was booked for another foul on Clifford and O’Shea sent over the free but the Dubs hit back in a flash.
It took approximately five seconds from the time the ball left Cluxton’s boot until it was in the Kerry net. Brian Howard took the mark from Cluxton’s kick-out, passed to Niall Scully who dropped the ball into McCaffrey’s path and he smashed a shot past Shane Ryan.
Suddenly Dublin looked a level above the Kingdom.
Rock added a 45 and a free after Ryan’s save denied Con O’Callaghan a goal and although O’Shea managed a free for Kerry, Dublin led by five points (1-8 to 0-6) after Rock and O’Callaghan had scored.
O’Shea and Rock swapped scores and then the game suddenly turned Kerry’s way. Clifford darted out onto Moran’s pass and went down with Cooper pulling his arm. Referee Gough sent the Na Fianna defender off and O’Shea calmly tapped over the free to leave it 1-9 to 0-8 at the break.
A contest was guaranteed in the second half and Kerry were out well before the Dubs who were forced into a defensive reshuffle. Michael Fitzsimons went to pick up Clifford with Byrne switching to Geaney and Kerry played their extra man in defence.
Geaney forced a 45 off Byrne and O’Shea swept it towards the jeering blue horde on the Hill to leave three points in it after the opening second half salvos.
Then Paul Murphy broke through on the right and smashed in a shot but again Cluxton did brilliantly. He only got a fingertip to it but that was enough to send the ball smashing into the bar. Geaney got onto the rebound but Byrne blocked his shot and again O’Shea scored from the 45.
The gap was down to two and the much-vaunted Dublin forwards were having little joy against the much-criticised Kerry defence. McCaffrey, lurking between the Kerry 45 and the halfway line, was Dubin’s most potent threat and his searing pace allowed him to fist over a point that increased the lead to 1-10 to 0-10.
Crowley punched the air in celebration after his shot flew over the bar but Dublin had found a second wind and a double-double from Rock and McCaffrey in between a Clifford point had Jim Gavin’s men 1-14 to 0-12 ahead.
Gavin’s opposite number Peter Keane decided it was time for a change of tack and Tommy Walsh’s entrance was greeted with a huge cheer from the Kerry supporters as he trotted on.
Still Dublin continued to push forward and Paddy Small tried his luck from distance. His shot dropped down under the bar and Ryan leapt to punch it clear, then sprint off his line to kick the stray ball to Moran. Moran found Adrian Spillane, just on the field, and he cut inside Howard and picked his spot past Cluxton.
The goal Kerry needed left them only two points behind and with the wind in their sails. They began to play with more expectation than hope and Walsh cut the gap to the minimum before Moran bulldozed through Niall Scully and kicked a swerving pass to Walsh who switched to O’Shea who did what he had throughout the game – he kicked it over the bar - and the game was level on the hour mark.
Clifford, inconsistent but occasionally brilliant, dropped one short before Rock edged the Dubs ahead again after Paddy Small had been fouled but O’Shea equalised with his 10th of the game after Crowley had won Ryan’s kick-out.
Moran, with a catch to grace any ‘Kerry Golden Years’ collection, stopped a Dublin attack in its tracks and found the eager Spillane who broke up the left and split the post to put the Kingdom ahead 1-16 to 1-15 with four minutes to go.
Nerves were shredded as Dublin threw on former king of the Hill Diarmuid Connolly but Kerry still had their noses in front when the board flashed up seven minutes of additional time.
Six of them were remained when Connolly shot wide.
Three and-a-half were left when Moran was dispossessed and Rock equalised.
90 seconds remained when Paddy Small’s shot was fisted clear by Ryan.
30 seconds were left when O’Shea fouled Small right on the left touchline.
Time was up when Rock took the free that drifted wide.
They’ll meet again on September 14. Can't wait.
Dublin: S Cluxton; D Byrne, J Cooper, M Fitzsimmons; J McCaffrey (1-3), J McCarthy, J Small; B Fenton, MD MacAuley; N Scully, C O’Callaghan (0-1), B Howard; P Mannion (0-2), D Rock (0-10, 0-6 frees, 0-1 45), C Kilkenny
Subs: P Small for MD MacAuley (52), D Connolly for Howard (68), C Costello for Mannion (68)
Yellow cards: Cooper (18 & 35), J Small (30), Howard (59)
Red card: Cooper (35)
Kerry: S Ryan; J Foley, T Morley, T O’Sullivan; P Murphy, G Crowley (0-1), B O Beaglaoich; D Moran, A Spillane; G White, S O’Shea (0-10, 0-4 frees, 0-3 45), S O’Brien (0-1); D Clifford (0-2), P Geaney, J Barry
Subs: K Spillane (1-1) for A Spillane (45), J Sherwood for White (49), T Walsh (0-1) for O Beaglaoich (53), J Lyne for Crowley (68), D Moynihan for Barry (72), M Griffin for O’Brien (78)
Yellow cards: O'Sullivan (48), Clifford (59), Barry (60), P Geaney (61), Crowley (64)
Referee: D Gough (Meath)
