Kerry 0-20 Galway 0-16
Kerry finished strongly to hold off Galway and claim their 38th All-Ireland SFC title.
With the sides level at 0-16 each with five minutes of normal time remaining, Jack O’Connor’s side hit the last four scores to end their eight-year drought without the Sam Maguire Cup.
The victory maintains O’Connor’s record of winning the League and All-Ireland in the first year of each of his comings as Kerry manager, with this success his fourth in the Championship after 2004, ‘06 and ‘09.
READ MORE: Kerry 0-20 Galway 0-16 LIVE score recap and result as the Kingdom are crowned All-Ireland champions
The game itself was an underwhelming spectacle for much of the first half and was effectively a shootout between Kerry star David Clifford and Galway’s Shane Walsh, who hit 0-8 and 0-9 respectively.
Galway settled much quicker than a nervy looking Kerry side, who kicked a number of early wides and finished the first half with seven in all.
By the 13th minute, Galway were 0-4 to 0-1 clear with Walsh wielding a significant influence, carrying the can in an attack that was otherwise subdued.
He kicked the score of the half, a brilliant curling effort off his right foot, to make it 0-5 to 0-2 in the 17th minute but three points in two minutes through Paul Geaney (mark), Clifford and Stephen O’Brien drew Kerry level at 0-5 each.
Though making good use of the inside mark with Graham O’Sullivan setting up three such scores for Geaney and Clifford (two), they never edged ahead as they struggled to penetrate a well-organised Galway defence.
It wasn’t until the 33rd minute that Galway kicked their first wide through Walsh, though the Kilkerrin-Clonberne man still finished the half with 0-5 as his side led 0-8 to 0-7 at the break.
Walsh showed no signs of letting up in the second half and tagged on another three points in the opening 10 minutes as Galway kept their noses in front but Kerry stuck to their task and after O’Sullivan drew Kerry level, a Clifford free put them ahead for just the second time in the 54th minute.
His brother Paudie, who was becoming increasingly influential, doubled the advantage but Galway midfielder Cillian McDaid, who had a fine game, won a fortuitous free which Walsh kicked before hitting the equaliser himself to make it 0-16 apiece.
But a David Clifford free, after John Daly was penalised for holding on Killian Spillane, restored Kerry’s lead and they saw it out well from there with Spillane and Gavin White fisting points before a free from captain Sean O’Shea sealed the win.
KERRY: Shane Ryan; Graham O’Sullivan (0-1), Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan; Brian O Beaglaioch, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White (0-1); David Moran, Jack Barry; Diarmuid O’Connor (0-1), Sean O’Shea (0-3f), Stephen O’Brien (0-1); Paudie Clifford (0-2), David Clifford (0-8, 0-2m, 0-3f), Paul Geaney (0-1m).
Subs: Adrian Spillane for Moran (HT), Killian Spillane (0-2) for Geaney (HT), Micheal Burns for O’Brien (57), Paul Murphy for O Beaglaioch (63), Joe O’Connor for Paudie Clifford (70+3).
GALWAY: Conor Gleeson; Kieran Molloy (0-1), Sean Kelly, Jack Glynn (0-1); Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, John Daly; Paul Conroy, Cillian McDaid (0-4); Patrick Kelly, Matthew Tierney, Johnny Heaney (0-1); Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh (0-9, 0-4f, 0-1 ‘45’).
Subs: Finnian O Laoi for Finnerty (47), Cathal Sweeney for Conroy (58), Eoin Finnerty for Heaney (63), Niall Daly for Tierney (70+5).
REFEREE: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).
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