Kerry 1-14 Dublin 1-13
Sean O’Shea struck a monster free in the seventh minute of injury time to secure a landmark victory for Kerry over Dublin and send them into the All-Ireland final.
Kerry appeared to be cruising into the decider against Galway after leading by six points early in the second half before Dublin, aided by a Cormac Costello goal, fought back and looked set to force extra time.
It seemed for all the world as though the white line fever that has been Kerry’s downfall so often in recent years would afflict them again but O’Shea held his nerve brilliantly to hit the winner into the breeze from some 50 metres with the game’s last kick.
READ MORE: RTE Sunday Game panel agree Sean O'Shea 'had to go for' penalty rebound after it sparks controversy
Their July 24 meeting with Galway will be the first final between the two counties since 2000.
Dublin were on the back foot from the off with O’Shea goaling in the fourth minute, their defence switching off as the Kerry centre-forward collected a David Moran delivery and coasted around Evan Comerford before sliding to the net.
It provided Kerry with a buffer for the rest of the half as they were happy to leave Dublin with possession and with the Leinster champions’ attacks often lacking imagination and penetration, they were vulnerable to counter-attacks from turnovers.
Kerry threatened every time that they crossed the Dublin 45 and David Clifford became increasingly prevalent as the half progressed, eventually retiring with 0-5 at the break.
He was central to Kerry almost scoring a second goal as an audacious point effort came back off the post and when Gavin White collected the rebound with the goal at his mercy, Lorcan O’Dell took him down, leaving referee Paddy Neilan with no option but to award a penalty.
By this time, Dublin defender John Small was off the field on a black card offence and Comerford required lengthy treatment before the spot kick was taken. He comfortably saved O’Shea’s weakly struck effort when it was eventually taken after some three minutes, with Comerford having to be treated again after the Kerry forward entangled with him as he tried to make amends from the rebound.
Amid all of that, with up to six minutes of stoppages, Small rejoined the action but Clifford had the final say in the first half, kicking a fine score off his right foot for a 1-8 to 0-6 advantage at the break.
Twice Kerry stretched the lead to six points on the restart with Clifford continuing to torment Michael Fitzsimons but Dublin’s challenge was ignited after a careless fumble from David Moran saw them sweep downfield with Costello finishing brilliantly past Shane Ryan.
They quickly closed to within a point and might have even had a second goal amid a goalmouth scramble but Paudie Clifford, who had a fine second half, steadied the ship for Kerry with two points.
But three without reply from Dublin, two of them from Ciaran Kilkenny, levelled things coming into injury time before O’Shea and Dean Rock swapped frees to seemingly leave extra time an inevitability.
But after a foul by Davy Byrne on David Clifford, O’Shea applied the coup de gras as Kerry scored a first Championship win over Dublin since 2009.
KERRY: Shane Ryan; Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan (0-1); Brian O Beaglaoich, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; David Moran, Jack Barry; Diarmuid O’Connor, Sean O’Shea (1-4, 0-2f), Stephen O’Brien; Paudie Clifford (0-2), David Clifford (0-6, 0-1m, 0-1f), Paul Geaney.
Subs: Dara Moynihan (0-1) for O’Brien (41), Killian Spillane for Geaney (41), Adrian Spillane for Moran (51), Paul Murphy for O’Sullivan (61), Joe O’Connor for White (66).
DUBLIN: Evan Comerford; Eoin Murchan, Michael Fitzsimons, Lee Gannon (0-1); James McCarthy (0-1), John Small (0-1), Jonny Cooper, Jonny Cooper; Brian Fenton (0-1), Tom Lahiff; Sean Bugler (0-1), Ciaran Kilkenny (0-3), Brian Howard (0-1); Cormac Costello (1-0), Dean Rock (0-3f), Lorcan O’Dell.
Subs: Paddy Small (0-1) for O’Dell (40), David Byrne for Cooper (42), Sean McMahon for Murchan (57), Niall Scully for Howard (61), Cian Murphy for Fitzsimons (70+1).
REFEREE: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).
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