Kingdom Eases Its Way To Their 35th All-Ireland Win

All Ireland Senior Football Final
Kerry 3-13
Cork 1-9

By Dermot Kavanagh

The final score line of this very disappointing All Ireland Senior Football Final shows a gap of two goals and four points between the teams. In reality, however, the victory was far more comprehensive than that. Kerry outfought, out-thought, and out-muscled their Munster rivals in every aspect of the game to register their 35th All Ireland win.

Readers may recall that in my pre-match analysis I felt that unless Cork could put their previous Croke Park experiences against this Kerry team behind them that the result would be very predictable.

Sadly for Cork they actually were worse on Sunday than in earlier clashes at Croke Park against the Kingdom.

We feared it, but really didn't want to accept it but this match was effectively over as early as the 18th minute when Alan Quirke committed a cardinal error in the Cork goal.

Instead of being back guarding his line he came out to challenge for the ball with his corner back and Kerry's Colm "The Gooch Cooper" fisted the ball into an empty net. While that score put Kerry in front by only 1-3 to Cork's 0-3, the manner of the goal execution by Cooper and the nature of Quirke's mistake only heightened the disparity between the teams in the contest of footballing novices and awareness.

To compound Quirke's silly mistake, James Masters missed a relatively simple free for Cork only for Kerry to counter attack with a brilliant Cooper point.

Barring a gigantic collapse by Kerry in the remaining 50 minutes it was then impossible to see anything another than another Kerry win. When the teams retired at half time Kerry led by 1-6 to 0-6, but given the fact that only one of Cork's points, from the underrated Cussen at full forward, came from play perfectly illustrates the difficulty the Cork attack had in opening up this very tight-marking Kerry defence. To be brutally honest about it, that first half was dreadful. I think in all that there were 37 frees in the 36 minutes played.

However, while they were outplayed in most departments, on the scoreboard at least Cork were still in the game, and it was hoped that if they could manage a score, any score, early in the second-half it might ignite them to push forward. Instead it was Kerry who struck first when some casual defensive play by the Cork backs allowed Kieran Donaghy score his side's second goal.

While the backs were previously at fault for the poor defending prior to the goal it should be noted that that when Donaghy disposed Ger Spillane, goalkeeper Quirke was some 25 metres out from his own goal enabling Donaghy to shoot to an empty net.

Cork did not score again until the 45th minute by which time Kerry had added three unanswered points, increasing their lead to 2-10 to 0-7.

It was now party time for Kerry as they ran Cork ragged with some brilliant bouts of inter-play between backs and forwards. Following one such bout, in the 53rd minute Kieran Donaghy had Kerry's third goal. Once again Quirke was partly responsible as he was so badly positioned that he collided with his own full back, Graham Canty, under a dropping ball and when it broke lose the big Kerry full forward gleefully kicked it into the back of the net. Goulding's goal in the 55th minute had no bearing on the outcome.

This was a magnificent team victory for Kerry. Their defence, particularly Aidan O Mahony at centre back was immense all through.

Over the 70 minutes or so Cork never posed a threat. Midfielders Dara O Shea and Seamus Scanlon totally obliterated the Cork pairing of Murphy and Kavanagh. While Nicholas Murphy tried hard, the Cork captain, Derek Kavanagh, must surely have given the most insipid captain's performance seen in an All Ireland Final for many years.

All Kerry's forwards excelled, with Donaghy and Cooper perhaps shading their colleagues with five-star displays.

Bad as Cork were, one nevertheless must feel some sympathy for them. Every pre-match tactic they had planned was blown away by Kerry's aggression and natural football ability. Even in their brightest moments they were ponderous on the ball, which they gave away too easily on too many occasions.

Their inability to score from play, or even threaten to, in the first quarter was systematic of their many failings that were magnified as the game progressed. One felt sorry for their manager, Billy Morgan, a man who himself had guarded the Cork net so magnificently over a long period of 15 years. He must be mystified that on this day, the biggest day of the football year, that goalkeeping errors should have played such a part in a heavy defeat

But it was Kerry, worthy winners by the proverbial mile who brought home the Sam Maguire Cup.